Since 1985, America has celebrated July as the nation's official Parks and Recreation Month. Up2Us Sports recognizes the importance of community parks and recreational areas and the role they play in building stronger communities. Each year, Up2Us Sports partners with parks and recreation departments around the country in a number of ways, including providing comprehensive training in positive youth development to their frontline staff and park leaders, to placing sports coaches in community centers to directly impact youth.
Read on to see how we are bringing Up2Us Sports training and coaches to parks all over the country.
Miami, FL
The City of Miami Parks Department has been integral to our growth in Miami, particularly over the past four years. They have donated space at both Jose Marti Park (2015) and Gibson Park (2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019) for us to host our local Coach Training Institutes. Over the past four years, we have invited park managers and staff from the City of Miami Parks Department to attend the training and learn about sports-based youth development. To date, we have trained over 80 park managers and staff and expect to have another 20 this August.
New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Recreation Department Commission (NORD-C) has been a partner with Up2US Sports since launched in the city seven years ago. Over the seven years, Up2Us Sports has placed coaches and trained over 80 NORD-C managers and lead coaches from over 35 NORD-C parks in level 1 SBYD coaching content. In 2019, in partnership with FITNOLA (New Orleans Health Department) and NORD-C, Up2Us Sports created a Day of Play for youth following the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade.
Philadelphia, PA
Up2Us Sports partnered with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation in the fall of 2016 to provide two, three-day trainings for a total of 50 recreation leaders who became certified in SBYD Levels 1 and 2. Since then, we have conducted a small leadership culture training with 10 staff members from their leadership team, and a two-hour workshop on relationship-building and culture with 25 recreation leaders in early 2018. They have shown tremendous support by providing event space to host local Up2Us Sports coach trainings.
Seattle, WA
In early 2018, Up2Us Sports, in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation, was awarded a King County Youth and Amateur Sports Grant to improve the quality of coaching in key neighborhoods in Seattle. In the coming year, the partnership will see seven AmeriCorps service members placed as youth sports coaches in high impact community centers around the city. In the past year, we have collaborated to host three trainings at Rainier Community Center in Seattle. These have helped spread SBYD to the parks department’s volunteer coaches and staff, as well as community members interested in learning new ways to serve youth in their community.
