Up2Us Sports Chicago has a new team member, but he is not new to the sports-based youth development (SBYD) field. Chicago native Jeffrey Harris is a former Up2Us Sports coach and is the newest Program Manager in his hometown.

Harris is passionate about SBYD and building community. He describes his experience as an Up2Us Sports coach as formative and eye-opening to the benefits of sports on youth in our communities. When asked about his biggest takeaways from Up2Us Sports coach training, Harris responded:

“I was working as a basketball coach for an organization that partnered with Up2Us Sports and, similar to now, we had mandatory training. The training at the time was a 4-day retreat, where we were immersed in hands-on activities with others in our cohort. The entire experience was something I'd never been through in my 10+ years of coaching. I started applying the principles I learned on day one with my players and staff.” 

Harris was excited to apply his newfound coaching principles to his teams, but then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and drastically changed coaching across the world. However, Harris did not let the pandemic stop him from fulfilling his role and finding a new position within Up2Us Sports.

“I never stopped applying the Up2Us Sports principles. I kept my Coaches Manual and referred to it often, whether that was with my players or with my coaching staff. Fast forward to 2023 and a position opens up in my hometown. My former Program Manager, Frank Nares - Up2Us Sports Senior Program Director - reached out to me to see if I was interested in the position. It was the perfect opportunity.”

In his new role, Harris wants to give the same guidance and skillset to coaches in his market with the hopes he can give the same impact others have given him, stating:

“Being able to mentor and connect with other coaches is what I'm most excited about. Getting the opportunity to aid in the development of the people who are impacting our children is extremely rewarding. I'm looking forward to getting the chance to see their passion up front. I'm excited to see the coaches in their element at their sites implementing the Up2Us Sports training.”

In addition to his role with Up2Us Sports, he serves as board president for a local park district and as a high school varsity basketball coach as well as for his son's AAU basketball team.

He shared, “I truly do believe that coaching is a lifestyle and it takes a special type of person to excel in it. I'm excited about this new opportunity with Up2Us Sports!”

Harris is excited to get to work with his team in Chicago and looks forward to changing his community one coach at a time.

Jeffrey has served as an Up2Us Sports coach at Four Point Play in Chicago from 2019 to 2020 thanks to support from AmeriCorps.