In this new monthly series, “Mission Moments,” we will be featuring stories of coaches and staff who want to talk about why they are a part of Up2Us Sports and share specific moments they have experienced as living examples of our mission.
The first is Coach Kristoff, who is a coach at Citizens of the World Charter School in Silver Lake, California. Kristoff joined Up2Us Sports as a coach in January 2020 while he was looking to take a gap year between high school and college. The following is a Mission Moment from Kristoff.
Coaching kids and teaching them the life skills necessary for life has always intrigued me. I see Up2Us Sports as the perfect program for me to work alongside in helping coach the youth in becoming better individuals overall.
I wanted to work alongside Up2Us Sports because of the common goal that is shared. This goal is best described as bettering a kid’s mind, body and spirit through sports. In addition to that, it is to provide them life skills while also improving their sports skills.
My most memorable moment while serving was when I was coaching eighth grade basketball. There was a student who was a natural-born athlete on the team. When I first met him and worked with him, he was not living up to his potential. Rather, he was just going through the motions. This changed after a game we had where this student felt like he had let his team down because he didn’t play at his highest potential. I will always remember this moment because this student came up to me and said to me, “Coach, what can I do to improve my game?” I was honored to be called Coach, to be able to provide this player with skills and TLC praise motivation that Up2Us Sports taught me during my training. After that game I worked with him on his basketball skills and his leadership skills. His aura became more full of life and positivity as he developed into a true leader in school and on the court. When I needed a volunteer to demonstrate a drill, he was the first to step up. When I needed someone to clean up an area at lunch, he was the first to pick up trash. Being the cause of such a positive change in his life gave me confidence and fulfillment.
About halfway through my service was when coaching became very difficult. I had just organized a basketball and football team for the spring with a full playbook for both. This is when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Although I was no longer able to physically be with my athletes, I was able to still have an influence on them. The team worked hard to provide fun activities for kids to keep them from being lazy. We organized “lunch socials” where kids could join Zoom meetings and play games with one another. Coach Edvin from the elementary school and myself made a couple videos for kids to watch and workout to, to make sure they were still moving. I was also able to organize a school-wide Fortnite tournament at the end of the school year in place of the basketball tournament we would have had. Even though it was all very difficult, we all made it work.
With virtual learning looking to continue through the 2020-2021 school year, I do plan on continue to work through Up2Us Sports. Their principles are admirable and definitely those of which I plan to take into this upcoming school year.
Coach Kristoff (middle) enjoys a meal with fellow Up2Us Coaches Edvin (left) and Wonjin (back) along with Up2Us Sports National Training Director, Nate (right) at the Los Angeles National Coach Training Institute in February 2020.
Kristoff’s supervisor, Jaron Williams, had this to say about him:
“Coach Kris was a vibrant consistent presence for our middle school students. While on campus he provided students with a positive role model day in and day out. He encouraged students to challenge themselves as humans, students, and athletes which allowed him to connect and engage with all students, not just athletes. He inspired them to want more for themselves and their communities while supporting their growth and learning of self and the world.”
Kristoff has been serving as an Up2Us Sports coach since January 2020 at Citizens of the World Silver Lake thanks to support from CaliforniaVolunteers.
