Up2Us Sports may be best known as the only national service program for sports that also provides one-of-a-kind sports-based youth development and trauma-informed training. But beyond providing kids and communities with caring coach-mentors, Up2Us Sports supports its service members who wish to find full-time nonprofit and/or sports-related work. The organization is currently developing its Career Readiness program to support those coaches and VISTAs (Volunteers In Service to America) who are preparing to enter the workforce. 

As an AmeriCorps-supported organization partnered with over 1,800 member organizations, Up2Us Sports offers opportunities for people of all ages and walks of life to contribute their skills in service to kids and communities through its two core programs. Up2Us Coach trains and places those interested in working directly as coach-mentors to kids, and through this work coaches develop important “soft skills” such as leadership, teamwork, and social emotional competencies. Up2Us VISTA positions are generally office-based and provide “behind-the-scenes” experience in nonprofit operation. During their term, VISTAs can assist with marketing, fundraising and development, outreach and communications, research, and other office-based skills that are crucial for any nonprofit organization to operate. In addition to gaining competencies and experience, Up2Us Sports Coaches and VISTAs distinguish themselves for their commitment to national service.  

For coaches and VISTAs ready to move into the workforce, Up2Us Sports’ Career Readiness program supports its service members in exploring career pathways, investing in foundational skill development, and connecting to employers and other professional networks. The Career Readiness team works one-on-one to assist with career planning, self-management, and self-development, as well as practical skills such as resume writing, interview preparation, and financial literacy.      

In over a decade of operation, Up2Us Sports itself has hired many of its service members into full-time positions, including the fifteen former VISTAs and coaches currently on staff. Whether they have recently joined or been part of the organization for years, Up2Us Sports has played an important role in shaping their journeys and career trajectories.  

Three additions to the Up2Us Sports team joined this past November: Alannah Scardino, Chloe Wheeler, and Courtney Bagans. Alannah spent June-August of this year as a VISTA Summer Associate and Up2Us Sports VISTA Cohort Leader. She is now Project Manager for Up2Us Sports’ She Changes the Game initiative. Regarding the impact of her service term on her career path, Alannah writes: “Serving with Up2Us Sports made me realize that sports-based youth development is where I’m meant to be. After my summer with Up2Us, I couldn’t imagine working in any other sector!” Chloe served as an Up2Us Sports Coach at America SCORES New York from August 2016-August 2017. She now works as Program Manager for VISTA in the West and Central region. She writes: “My year of service through Up2Us [Sports] is where I really started to tap into what I was passionate about and how powerful sport and intentional programming can be for social good…I plan to pursue a Master’s Degree in Social Work and Up2Us [Sports] has played a major role in carving out my career path.” Finally, following a year of service as a Development VISTA, Courtney is now Up2Us Sports’ Development Operations Manager. “Up2Us Sports helped me discover my niche in the nonprofit sector,” Courtney writes. “Through my experience as a VISTA and witnessing the positive effects of Up2Us Sports’ programming, I realized that my career path must always be guided by this type of positive social change.” 

Jackson LeMessurier and Danielle Walker have been with Up2Us Sports since September and October of 2020, respectively. Jackson was brought on board after serving a Summer VISTA term of that year, and he now works as a Program Manager in Olympia, WA. He found that serving with Up2Us Sports “helped me to understand the power a 501(c)(3) can have in communities’ and peoples’ lives.” Danielle served as a VISTA Leader from August 2019-August 2020, and now works as Program Director for VISTA. During her year as a VISTA Leader, she says, “I learned a lot about myself professionally…[It] gave me the confidence to continue to grow and build lasting relationships in my current role.” 

Eoin Collins and Frank Nares are becoming old hands at Up2Us Sports, where both began as AmeriCorps-sponsored Coaches. Eoin coached with Harlem Lacrosse in New York City from August 2016-July 2017, and has been working as the Assistant National Director of Program Operations since October 2017. Eoin says that the skills he honed as an Up2Us Sports Coach helped him “cultivate meaningful relationships with individuals in all arenas of life, including the workforce.” Frank has been a Program Director in Chicago since May 2018, but he began his work as a Coach with Urban Initiatives in Chicago in August 2015, where he served for two years. Frank’s coaching experience gave him hard evidence for an intuition he had all along: “Sports is one of the most transformative things that a kid can experience.” 

Every day, Up2Us Sports strives to make a positive impact in the lives of kids and communities through sports. This is accomplished in part by creating real opportunities and assistance for those who wish to get involved in service and nonprofit work. By making an accessible path into the nonprofit world and offering solid career readiness support, Up2Us Sports aims to ensure that there are always opportunities for its service members to make positive change in the world, and to thrive in the workforce.