I have been lucky, I found an organization and culture that I have connected with. My comfort at Up2Us Sports has always started with the people. Everyone here is great - they care about the work we’re doing, they’re passionate, smart, and hard-working. The environment makes coming to work every day really easy. I also just love the work. I very sincerely believe in the work we’re doing and the importance of our training for coaches. I think every coach out there should go through one of our trainings and be exposed to the underlying research and strategies that we teach. When I first came to Up2Us Sports through AmeriCorps VISTA, I didn’t know what SBYD was or what Up2Us Sports was or, quite honestly, the size and scope of the work I’d end up doing. VISTA gave me an opportunity to jump into a space that I feel very strongly about and that I can see myself working in going forward in my career.

I was able to gain experience across multiple departments - not just the one I was working with. To be able to come in and get my hands involved in different areas is a unique opportunity for someone my age and it allowed me to grow as a young professional. I was able to step in and help out when staff capacity was low, which put me in a position to be qualified for the full-time position I was offered at the end of my year of service. The transition into my new Program Manager role has also been a seamless one because of my knowledge of the organization, the people, and the strategy that underpins our work. My year of service equipped me with the baseline knowledge that allowed me to jump in at a higher level and make an immediate impact with my coaches (I super over 20 across three states) and my coworkers. It is an awesome feeling knowing that I help to support amazing coaches that are making such a valuable impact by working with kids in their communities.