Up2Us Sports coaches are leaders in the field of sports-based youth development (SBYD), but they often don't receive the recognition they deserve. Coaches' Corner is our way to show our appreciation for our incredible coaches who make positive change in their communities every day!

This month, we spoke with Kamari, a coach at Harlem Lacrosse Philadelphia.

From North Philadelphia. A coach at Harlem Lacrosse Philadelphia. A lacrosse coach, who helps teach multi-sport athletes, particularly basketball. A lover of video games, and an up-and-coming YouTuber in the 2K community. These are a few good words to describe Coach Kamari Peel, who has been serving as an Up2Us Sports coach since October of 2022. He originally started working at Harlem Lacrosse Philadelphia as a summer job, shortly after graduating from college. When asked about how he began coaching, he said:

“I always had a passion for coaching and was trying to get my foot in the door. Through Up2Us Sports, I was able to stay with the organization after the summer.”

Coach Kamari grew up in the inner city and attended The Haverford School up until the 9th grade. It was here that he first learned about lacrosse. He then transferred to, and graduated from, the Mathematics Civics and Sciences Charter School.

Coach Kamari has proven time and again how compassionate and caring he is towards his athletes. As a coach he emphasizes the importance of inclusion on and off the field, and is a strong advocate for transgender athletes, as well as all of those who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Coach Kamari also explained how his team supported one another and helped to create a safe environment for a transgender athlete on their team. When asked about how his team helped create an inclusive environment for this athlete, he said:

“Previously we did have a member of the team who was a trans athlete. They were wonderful member of the team, worked very hard, and were accepted by our other athletes very well, without incident.”

Kamari has also shown himself as being an advocate for athletes with disabilities. When asked about what he does to help his athletes with disabilities to feel included, he said: “I have worked with athletes who have cognitive disabilities. The biggest thing about working with these athletes is that you have to make them feel a part of the team, while keeping them safe. This consists of designing drills where they can participate with the team, giving them praise when they do something correct, and having drills specifically designed for them when the team is doing more boisterous things to make them feel as though they’re still getting better and still very much a member of the team even though they’re isolated.”

Since becoming a coach, Kamari has learned many valuable lessons. When asked about the biggest lesson he has learned as a coach so far, he said: “The biggest lesson that I learned as a coach is that every kid, every person really, is an individual. If you take a group approach and do not respect everyone’s individual personality, some guys won’t buy in and your team will struggle.”

Coaching and individuality go hand in hand. He is very proud of the hard work, and progress that his athletes have made, both as a team and as individuals. When asked what his biggest accomplishment as a coach has been, he said: “My biggest accomplishment as a coach was helping last year's 8th grade class graduate with an undefeated season and undefeated career in middle school.”

It is because of Kamari’s dedication to his athletes, and excellent coaching, that his athletes have found success and a sense of belonging. He also runs fun and creative drills with them during practice, and makes sure that everyone is engaged. When asked about what a typical practice looks like, and what his favorite drill to use during practice was, he said:

“A typical practice for our team starts with them having stretches and laps led by our team captains. We then do either wall ball or ball lines to sharpen our stick skills. After a ball hint and water break we will have three sets of drills which vary throughout the days. They range from individual position drills to team stills to game preparation drills. Practice typically ends with competition. This goes from 1v1’s to as high as 6v6’s. We then do an ending huddle where we give shout outs for the day and wrap up all of the things we accomplished. We clean up our field as a team and go home.”

As for what Kamari loves most about coaching:athletes! He genuinely cares about his athletes and wants to help them become the best people they can be, on and off the field. Karmari shares, “what I love most about coaching my athletes is their personalities. You never know what you’re gonna get on a day-to-day basis with each of them. They all have their quirks and antics that make them hilarious and fun to be around. That doesn’t undermine the fact that they are very hard workers, they want the best for themselves and most importantly, they want the best for each other. It is a wonderful family environment and team culture.”

As for what’s next for Coach Kamari? He will continue to be an inspiration and mentor for his athletes at Harlem Lacrosse Philadelphia, representing Up2Us Sports and Philly.

Kamari has served as an Up2Us Sports coach at Harlem Lacrosse Philadelphia since October 2022 thanks to support from AmeriCorps.