Events

Baseball’s All-Star: How Major League Baseball is Investing in Youth Sports

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Megan BartlettChief Program Officer Up2Us Sports - When you live in Boston, there are a few constants of summer that are hard to imagine ever changing: weekends on Cape Cod, lobster rolls, complaining about the humidity and the Red Sox. In fact, just this weekend with the Yankees in town, all eyes were turned to Fenway, despite the fact that the Red Sox are having what might be called a less than stellar first half of the season. As a baseball fan, I can’t imagine a summer without the Red Sox. But as an advocate for youth sports, I know that my summer staple might soon disappear.

According to Major League Baseball (MLB), participation in youth baseball is on the decline, falling more than 7% between 2011-2012. In particular, kids in underserved urban communities are staying away. Fewer kids playing means fewer future professional baseball players and fewer future fans.

The good news is that MLB is taking this situation seriously.

One of the first things that Commissioner Manfred did upon taking office was launch One Baseball, an initiative aimed at getting more players into two baseball pipelines: one that leads to better baseball players and one that leads to lifelong fandom.What’s great about both of these outcomes is that to get there, we have to start with kids who love baseball. And getting kids to love their sport, and learn important lessons from that sport, is what Up2Us Sports is all about. That’s why we’ve partnered with MLB’s Revitalizing Baseball in the Inner-City (RBI) initiative- to get more kids to play, love and learn from baseball and softball.

baseball-hit.lowresFirst, Up2Us Sports is placing trained, paid coaches through Coach Across America in RBI programs around the country. These coaches help RBI programs reach out to new kids, support the training of existing volunteer coaches, and are setting the tone for a new way to teach baseball - one that focuses on having fun, developing baseball and life skills, and building relationships that will keep kids coming back year after year.

Second, Up2Us Sports offered a series of workshops to league administrators on creative strategies for changing the game of baseball to appeal to and retain more young people. Co-facilitated by Edgework Consulting and Boston University’s Institute for Athletic Coach Educations, the workshops leveraged the creative power of more than 200 RBI league administrators to make baseball more appealing and fun. This means leveraging the opportunity to develop efficacy through skill-building, and changing the rules to make the game more active and engaging for every player (including the ones in right field who might not otherwise get a lot of action). For more on the workshop, check out this blog.

Third, Up2Us Sports is working directly with teams around the country to put a stake in the ground that says that youth baseball coaches can and should be the best of the best when it comes to developing players and people. With the Miami Marlins, we’ve partnered on a city-wide initiative to offer a sports-based youth development certification to youth sports coaches in Miami and Miami Gardens. The Washington Nationals Urban Youth Academy has been host to Coach Across America coaches for years, making a commitment to quality coaches in their programs. Additionally, we’ve helped the City of Chicago’s Park and Recreation system evaluate and improve their summer baseball and softball leagues.

Raising the quality of coaches in the RBI programs will go a long way towards developing the quality of baseball players and the pool of lifelong fans. Kids who have a good experience playing baseball or softball will want to keep playing. Kids who keep playing will get better at the sport and grow to love it even more. Well-trained coaches create the environment in which this growth and love for the game can happen. By investing in coach-mentors, RBI is taking a huge step towards making sure that baseball remains a fixture of summer. Now, if only it weren’t so humid.

Up2Us Sports Annual Report

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For the last five years, we have been hard at work using sports to improve the lives of at-risk youth across the country.  Take a look at our first ever annual report, documenting the impact we made in the 2013-2014 program year. We look forward to continuing to promote sports as the best vehicle for change in our underserved communities! Email info@up2ussports.org with any questions.

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Title IX: It’s More Than a Law, It’s a Culture

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Susan GolbeSenior Manager, Monitoring & Evaluation Up2Us Sports

On the 43rd anniversary of Title IX, it’s an apt time to think about how far female athletic participation has come and what remains to be accomplished.  At Up2Us Sports, we know the work is not done. In some communities Title IX has been so effective it has become nearly invisible, yet for other communities, inequality persists.  Most notably, there are fewer sports opportunities for youth attending schools with a majority non-White population. Girls who attend these schools have the fewest opportunities to participate in sports[i].  We also know female athletes still receive drastically less media coverage than male athletes[ii].  Did you know the FIFA Women’s World Cup is going on right now in Canada? I’m a fan and I can barely find any coverage!

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Even though I’ve only lived in a world with Title IX, I know it takes more than a law to feel like I can walk onto a sports field and play with the boys; it takes a positive and inclusive culture in which female athletes feel commonplace and respected.  As a recreational adult athlete, I have heard some archaic things. I have been told that I should sub out more so men can play more minutes or conversely, that I was good enough to “sub in like I was a guy.” I have been made to feel as if I am only permitted to play one of three positions acceptable for women and that I must continually earn my spot while men are under no such pressure.

Title IX’s continued importance cannot be blurred.  Up2Us Sports is doing its part on two crucial fronts: externally and internally.  Externally, our signature program Coach Across America boasts a 45% female coach force that is serving in the same communities as the schools with inequitable sports opportunities for boys and girls of color.  These coaches provide girls the inspiration and safety they need to participate.  Female coaches are integral components of the cultural change necessary to promote female athletic participation. Every day even when the media or others don’t show it, these coaches show young girls that women can play sports, and coach them too.

Internally, Up2Us Sports’ staff culture is actively supportive of female athletic participation.  We recently dedicated an entire staff meeting to Title IX and the barriers girls face when accessing sports programs; our March Madness brackets are for both men’s and women’s tournaments; at our Coach Training Institutes a role specifically designed for endurance and speed was assigned to me with no hesitation based on my gender; we have an annual wiffleball game at our staff retreat in which equal numbers of men and women play without attention to “appropriate” positions or gender-balanced teams; we have female staff members who coach lacrosse, volleyball, basketball, and softball, and their supervisors provide them with the flexibility they need in their work schedules so they can coach during the day. When Up2Us Sports says we care about female athletes, we mean it: We’re paying them to work in the communities that need them most and we’re creating an internally supportive culture that is determined to create lasting change.



[i] http://www.nwlc.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/fin

[ii] LaVoi, 2012.

Thank You, 2015 Gala Donors!

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We would like to extend a huge thank-you to all the sponsors and donors of the 2015 Gala (listed below). The event was a huge success, and we could not have done it without each and every one of you. Thank you for making our work possible!

SPONSORS

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DONORS

21st Century Fox

Gil Addo

Ebaa Alawaji

Ashley Arbour

Brian Archer

Mario Argote

Desiree Asher

Anuj Bapodra

Gregg Bard

Daniel and Paula Barr

Megan Bartlett

Robert Basham

Brady Baxter

Kathleen Behrens

Tom Behringer

Peter Benet

Daniel Bernstein

Jody Bilney

Harry Blair

Lucia Blanco

Erika Bloom

Bloomin’ Brands

Tanya Bonaker

Rebecca Bond

Donal Brophy

Allan Brown

Gregory and Michelle Brown

Mitchell Burgess

Gene Butera

Joe Caccamo

John Caccamo

Wendy Campolattaro

Susan Camera

Ina Cami

Andrew Campel

Mary and Colbertt Cannon

Frank Carroll

Tony Cappoli

Brian Castello

Ashley Chung

Joseph Cianciotto

Agnes Chapski

John Clare

Kelly Colasanti

Colbert MD

Curtis Cole

Walt Disney Company Foundation

Melissa Cook

Nick Coquillard

Doug Crawford

Paul Cronin

Brian Cumberland

Robert Deckey

Kenneth DiPietro

Omari Douglas-Hall

Matt Doyle

David Drucker

Patricia DuCharme

Katherine Early

Sarah Efroymson

Richard Ellis

ESPN

Mary Esses

Brandon Etheridge

Shelley Etheridge

Daniel Faber

Maria Fasulo

Rick Federico

Tanya Fraley

Angel Gallinal

Valerie Gattinella

Greg Geller

Marianne Gillow

Christian Giordano

Adam Glassman

Jaffery Gulshan

Carol Hass

Lisa Hallowell

Josh Harris

Marisa Harris

Bill Hearon

Dennis Heller

Patricia Heller

Valerie Hermann

Lauren Hobart

Terry and Ann Marie Horner

Sue Hostetler

Robert Hotaling

Scott Howard

Sue Hunt

Chris Jacobson

Deborah Jerome

Jillian Joseph

Joyce Karel

Michelle Katz

Nicola Kinnaird

Ann Klein

Matthew Knauer

David Knox

Melissa Koff

Korn Ferry International

Gary Kosman

John Kranik, Jr.

John Larkin

Stephen Lichtstein

Linda Lloyd Lambert

Justin Leavy

Stephanie Loeffler

Sharon Lombardo

Travis Long

Betsy Longstreth

Peter Lutz

Matthew Magnuson

Mary Manfredi

Marisa Marchetto

Stuart and Sarah Marra

Kevin Martinez

Valerie May

John and Caitlin McAuliffe

Kevin McCabe

Paul McCarthy

Jeff McCreesh

Sean and Colleen McDonald

James and Joseph McEwen

Amy McFarland

Joseph McGowan

Dave McGoy

Brian McGrory

Patricia McKeon

Hsiaolei Miller

Susan Miller

Susan Munn

Mutual of America Foundation

Trudy Naffetone

NASCAR

Leann Nealz

NYDG Foundation

Minh Nguyen

Paige Novick

Brandon O’Daniell

Ann O’Malley

Paul Onderdonk

Paul O’Neill

Robin Osborne

Larry Oshin

Julie Ostrover

Dave Pace

Kevin Paretti

Maria Passannante-Derr

Virginia Pelati

Bill Peters

Joe and Patsy Petri

Christian Pickett

Kenneth Poliziani

Douglas Polley

Sue Portelli

Bill and Joannie Raftery

Tamara Rappa

Courtney Ready

Scott and Erica Ricciardelli

Gwyneth Roberts

Nancy Rockoff

Sandra Lee Rogers

Mimi Rupp

Rob Ryan

Evan Sacks

David Salinas

Mimi Saltzman

Joe and Sandy Samberg

Jane Scheinfeld

Brian Schwartz

Lori Schweitzer

Kenneth Schur

Michael SeQuinot

Steven Shankroff

Abigail Shechtman

Showtime Networks, Inc.

David Silbert

Jessica Simonson

Rebekah Simpson

Matthew Sindell

Diane Smith

Douglas Smith

Holli Smith

Scott Smith

Sharyn Soleimani

Aleta Spitaleri

Andrew Stern

Harlan Stone

Julie Stone

Patrice Sutherland

Conor Taniguchi

Marcia Taranto

Tamar Tesler

Stephanie Thomas

Elizabeth Thompson

Michael Towey

Frank Valentini

Peter Valhouli-Farb

Alice Vilma

Elizabeth Watts

Daryl Weber

Jessica and David Weiser

Gretchen Wilson

John and Mary Wood

Nick Wood

Laura Vlosky

Susan Yearly

Christina Youry

Robin Zendell

Emma Zingone

A Recap of the Evening: Up2Us Sports Gala 2015

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Wednesday night we hosted our third annual gala at the IAC Building in New York and raised over $330,000. The red-carpet cocktail event honored little league star pitcher Mo’ne Davis alongside her coach, Steve Bandura.

Over 300 guests joined us for the evening gala to support Up2Us Sports and raise funds to support the training and placement of sports-based youth development coaches across the country. Notable guests such as Gretchen Mol, Nate Berkus, Sandra Bernhard, Carolyn Murphy, Prince Amukamara and Nikita Whitlock walked the red carpet at the gala event alongside Up2Us Sports Founder & CEO, Paul Caccamo and Board Member, Dr. David Colbert of the New York Dermatology Group.

"We are excited to see sports-based youth development continue to grow across the nation and would like to thank everyone who joined us at the gala in support of Up2Us Sports," said Paul Caccamo, Founder & CEO of Up2Us Sports. "The relationship between Coach Steve and Mo'ne exemplifies how impactful a quality coach can be in a young person's life. Kids everywhere deserve quality sports programs and highly dedicated, well-trained coaches, so they can continue to enjoy, and excel, not just in sports, but in life."

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During the gala, we honored little league pitcher Mo’ne Davis of the Anderson Monarchs and the team’s coach, Steve Bandura with the Up2Us Sports Legacy Award. They were recognized for providing a powerful example of what a positive player-coach relationship can do, both on and off the field.  Also honored was veteran coach, Kleiton Almeida, who was recognized as Coach of the Year. Almeida was part of the first cohort of coaches trained through the Up2Us Sports initiative, Operation Coach.

Gala sponsors included ESPN, Bloomin’ Brands Inc., NYDG Foundation, Colbert MD, 21st Century Fox, and the National Basketball Association.

To view photos from the evening, click here.

 

My Week in Colombia: Up2Us Sports and the International SBYD Movement

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Jacob ToupsSenior Regional Manager, Los Angeles Up2Us Sports

“Who’s the best soccer player coming out of Colombia right now?” I asked.

“James. He plays for Real Madrid right now,” Sandra Lopez says.

“What makes him such a great player?”

“He comes from Cucuta, a town near the Venezuelan border, plagued still with violence.” Sandra replied. “He reflects someone who, despite the challenges in his community, persevered to be successful. Colombians aspire to do something similar.”

Sandra works for Kayros in Colombia providing services and workshops to contribute to a better quality of life for children and youth.  She speaks about the power sport has in inspiring future generations.

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Recently, I spent a week in Colombia on a sports diplomacy trip through World Learning, a nonprofit organization that focuses on international development, education and exchange programs.  Included in the delegation were former professional and Olympic athletes Hazel Clark, Chamique Holdsclaw and Chasity Melvin, along with Kwanza Hall, a city councilman in Atlanta. Our mission was to create the foundation of a Sports Factory Initiative by contributing everything we knew about sports skills, youth development, sports entrepreneurship, and politics. I shared Up2Us Sports’ expertise in connecting sports and life skills through workshops and brainstorming sessions.

Here are some daily highlights from my six-day trip, which started in Bogota, the Capital of Colombia, and ended in Monteria, an up-and-coming sports hotbed.

Sunday, April 19 Today, our delegation brought both sports and youth development clinics to the local population in Bogota. The Coldeportes Department of Sport and Recreation recently built a high performance center in Bogota, hoping to attract athletes and new business, while also providing programing for youth. Later that day, I facilitated a workshop on Coaches with a Social Impact.  Attendees included local organizations and coaches who provide youth sports opportunities in Bogota. Everyone welcomed the fresh perspective on the power of sports for youth development.

Monday, April 20 We met with the Coldeportes director Andrés Botero, who works on growing sports diversity in Colombia. Our delegation brainstormed ways in which we could help Andrés' mission while also incorporating the mental and physical benefits sports can provide. We moved to the Colombian Olympic Committee building, where we discussed athlete development and business engagement methods used by the United States Olympic Committee, which could benefit the Olympic movement in Colombia. Our last stop was the United States Embassy, where we met with Cultural Affairs Officers and were briefed on the challenges Colombians face and the United States’ efforts to assist.

Tuesday, April 21 All of the delegation traveled north to the up-and-coming sports hub of Monteria. The government recently began implementing infrastructure to enhance the sports movement locally.  We visited La Pradera Public School and Gymnasio Campestre Private School to speak with the children about their passion for sports and how it has helped them academically. The day ended at the local university with a workshop by Olympic runner Hazel Clark, on track and field training for athlete development.  It was clear after today that both sports and youth development skills are needed to grow the movement in Colombia.

Wednesday, April 22

Jacob.Colombia-groupMonteria held a forum with mayors, politicians, sports organization directors and other leaders to address challenges they’re facing as they attempt to create a larger sports movement.  Colombians easily identified the link between sports, violence prevention, health benefits, and academic performance. The challenges they face are similar to those that organizations in the United States have: transportation, safe spaces for kids to play, and recruitment into violent groups. This paints a clear picture that all international youth sports organizations can exchange real solutions to the challenges we all face.

Thursday, April 23 In collaboration with the town, we put on an outdoor festival. Hazel gave track and field trips while former WNBA players Chasity Melvin and Chamique Holdsclaw ran a basketball clinic. I taught everyone Up2Us Sports’ infamous “Lizard and Flies” game, which is something new for coaches and organizations to use for youth engagement. We then met with Carlos Correa, the Mayor of Monteria, to discuss how he is bringing in new business to help build up the sports movement. Carlos stressed the importance of linking the outcomes of youth sports to education as they face teacher strikes and high rates of school dropouts.  We wrapped up the day discussing next steps for the Sports Factory Initiative with a group of people who help shape youth sports in Colombia, just like Up2Us Sports does in the U.S.

Friday, April 24 We closed out our time in Monteria with a workshop I hosted for athletes and coaches who are studying Physical Education at the local university. After a little Rock-Paper-Scissors remix, the crowd was enthusiastic to learn more about becoming an SBYD coach. Participants shared powerful stories of how they’ve improved youth academics through their programs, along with how their mentorship has guided youth away from joining guerrilla groups.

 

Sports can speak across all languages. We all face similar program challenges and societal ills, but the power of SBYD and coaches as mentors transcends cultural boundaries.  On this trip, our delegation inspired politicians, organizations, coaches, and athletes to take the next step in growing sports in Colombia, helping them see the transformational power it can have on young people. The sports-based youth development movement, led by Up2Us Sports, is no longer just happening within the United States; it’s a movement seeking to address critical challenges faced by all youth worldwide.

 

People Said Boxing Was For Men, But That Didn't Stop Me

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  Claressa Shields Up2Us Sports Ambassador

As the month of March comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on National Women’s History Month. There are many inspirational women in this world, and as a female athlete, I’m glad I can inspire others to learn, grow and become the best they can be. When I became the first American female to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing at the 2012 London Olympic Games, I achieved a dream that I had been working toward for many years.

On my path to the Olympics I met many strong women who greatly impacted my life. Learning about their journeys showed me that with hard work and dedication, my goals were achievable. Now as a member of the USA boxing team, I know that I can advocate for women encountering barriers that may hold them back. No matter your background or previous experiences, females have the power to inspire and impact each other.

When I first started boxing at the age of 11, I was the only girl in the gym. Some judged me, others made comments here and there, but I always considered myself one of the best. When people said “boxing is a man’s sport,” it didn’t bother me because I was confident in myself and my passion for boxing. To me it didn’t matter that I was a girl; in my eyes, God chose me to show others that boxing isn’t a sport just for men.

There were times when I wanted to hang out with friends or do fun things, but I made sacrifices because I knew I wanted to be better. My real friends stuck by my side, and I realized that people who made me feel bad for being different weren’t the people I wanted in my life. For girls trying to pursue their dreams, it’s important to stay motivated, no matter the environment or criticism. I always tell myself to ignore what others say and to keep moving forward, because it is up to each of us to place a higher standard for ourselves and live up to it.

I used to have anger problems, but with the help of my coach I learned how to carry myself, speak to others, and channel my anger through boxing. My coach trained me step-by-step and I wouldn’t have learned had I not been willing to listen.

He was critical to my development and provided the support and inspiration needed during my hardest moments; without my coach I may have gone down another path. Seeing his dedication motivated me to get involved with Up2Us Sports, a nonprofit dedicated to training coaches nationwide in Sports-Based Youth Development (SBYD). Knowing firsthand the power of a coach, I feel that every child deserves a quality sports coach.

Through sports, youth are able to develop goal-oriented, high-impact attributes such as resiliency and grit. Even if they don’t win the game or beat the opponent, they are still motivated to do better the next time around. My dedication and years of training not only led me to the gold medal but also taught me that women shouldn’t fear obstacles standing in the way of their goals. As I focus on training for the Rio Olympics, I hope that sports will become a platform of equal opportunity for women and girls. If a man can do it, why can’t a woman?

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Original article published on EmpowHER.com by Up2Us Sports Ambassador Claressa Shields

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NYC Youth Get Fit With Ambassador Adam Rosante

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To celebrate National Nutrition Month, Up2Us Sports hosted Get Fit with Adam Rosante this past Saturday for the youth of Henry Street Settlement, an Up2Us Sports member organization. Celebrity fitness trainer, author and Up2Us Sports Ambassador Adam Rosante guided the youth through a host of fun activities and spoke to them about the importance of establishing healthy eating habits early in life. The kids were led through three rounds of various, equipment-free exercises where they were challenged to beat their own score from the previous round. By the end, nearly 100% of the kids had improved their scores in each category, proving that hard work and persistence does pay off. With less than half of the nation’s children engaging in the recommended 60 minutes of moderate physical activity per day, Adam showed this group of children how simple, fun and rewarding it can be to get off the couch and get active. Adam’s first book was released on March 17, and currently sits atop Amazon’s Hot New Releases. Get your own copy of The 30 Second Body: Eat Clean, Train Dirty & Live Hard on AmazonSmile, while also supporting Up2Us Sports.

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Boston Training: Trauma Sensitive Coaching & Sports-Based Youth Development

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Lou BergholzEdgework Consulting - Edgework has worked on the frontlines of sports-based youth development and trauma-sensitive curriculum and program design for more than 15 years. We specifically engage in projects and communities where access to clinical care can be limited, and so our work has taken us across the United States and to parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Through our research, project work, and collaborations with other experts, we built a comprehensive approach to using sports to help children heal from traumatic experiences. Trauma-Sensitive Coaching is designed for frontline sports-based youth development coaches to build the kind of athletic programs that help young people develop vital skills that can buffer them from the ongoing effects of an adverse experience.

There is overwhelming research on the positive role that a caring adult plays in the lives of all children.  Too often, for children affected by trauma, their “caring adult system” is disrupted and disorganized and so the role of a trusted, caring adult becomes exponentially more important.

To share what we have learned and created, we are very excited for our next collaboration: in partnership with Up2Us, we will present a special spring learning series on Trauma-Sensitive Coaching called the "Boston Trauma Series". The workshops will provide sports-based youth development coaches, program directors and leadership with foundational knowledge about the impact of trauma on young people, as well as introduce a proven set of tools and approaches to increase support for young people affected by trauma. We hope you will join us for an engaging, informative and practical workshop experience. Network with like-minded individuals and organizations who are invested in using sport to promote positive youth development, and leave with tools and skills you can apply immediately to your coaching practice.

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Up2Us Salutes The Operation Coach Alpha Class For a Job Well Done

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Edwin S. Vasco GonzálezProgram Manager, Operation Coach United States Marine Corps - In the summer of 2014, Up2Us launched Operation Coach, an innovative program that provides returning, post-9/11 veterans the opportunity to not only gain employment as coach-mentors, but to continue to serve as every day heroes to thousands of youth in Miami-Dade County.  The eight men and women who made up the inaugural Operation Coach class just completed their coaching term and I’d like to thank each and every one of them for their extraordinary service.  These men and women  were selected out of over one hundred applicants because they showed the motivation to better the lives of others and the determination to make a positive impact in their communities.  We asked these eight Veterans to “serve” once again. Only this time, we asked them to step out of their comfort zone—this time they would be  serving  youth in some of the poorest neighborhoods in America, using the power of sports and coaching.

From the first day of training,  the coaches showed constant progress.  Alvaro, Jay, Kleiton, Michael, Miguel, Randy, Roya, and Tanya grew exponentially over the course of their coaching term; not only as coaches, but also as valuable members of their communities. It was really rewarding to see them  realize the power they had to create a positive impact on their communities—they came together as a unit and showed themselves to be what I already knew they were--the cream of the crop.

I am extremely proud of the difference they have made. Not only in the lives of the children they worked with, but also the communities they served . They made people take notice, demonstrating that veterans are not the PTSD crew, but talented and caring professionals willing and able to effect positive change. The Operation Coach team showed that we veterans are committed, that we are fighters, and that any task we set out to do will be completed at the  highest level—because at the end of the day, nothing but our best effort is acceptable.

I could write a thousand words thanking each coach and describing how special  every single one of them  is, but I will keep it short.

Alvaro: You were profoundly involved in the lives of your fighters.

Jay: You showed a great ability to connect with your youth and prepare them for real-life situations, which immediately affected your kids because they are already young adults facing tough situations.

Kleiton: Happiness, happiness, happiness. You put smiles on kids’ faces everyday just by being there.

Michael: Your powerful relationships caused a positive turnaround in your community and your kids.

Miguel: Every day, you were doing something in your community to affect people in a positive way.

Randy: You helped a young Marine-to-be find himself as a good young man.

Roya: You were adaptable. You learned on the fly and your organization loved you for it.

Tanya: You had a powerful desire to show your girls a better path.

I hope  you all know how much I care for each and every one of you. I am honored to consider you my friends, and I hope you know that no matter what, you will always have me here to help you in whatever way I can.

Operation Coach Alpha Class, I, and everyone on the Up2Us team, commend you for a job well done.

On behalf of Operation Coach Alpha Class I would like to finish by saying “Mission Accomplished. Awaiting further orders”

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Up2Us Training in Memphis: Using SBYD as a vehicle for success

Memphis-TrainingCasey HollidayMemphis Grizzlies Foundation

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In the hit NBC series Friday Night Lights, Coach Taylor was the quintessential coach-mentor: strict and moral, but fair and dedicated, a strong and level-headed mentor figure for his kids, many of whom lacked guidelines. Parents have probably longed for someone like Coach Taylor, someone who wasn’t just a coach, but a teacher, mentor and leader.

The Memphis Grizzlies Foundation partnership with Up2Us, the leading organization promoting and training coaches in sports-based youth development (SBYD), is advancing sports as a tool to address the critical social issues facing our youth. SBYD focuses on using sports as a solution to youth and community problems by providing coaches with the necessary training and support to coach kids not only in sports skill building, but also in character skill building. Coaches learn how to congratulate successes while encouraging constant growth, create safe spaces that teach emotional and physical safety, and foster the social support of a team.

Starting this year, all GrizzFIT coaches will be required to complete SBYD training through Up2Us. The coach’s role is to leverage sports to build strong and meaningful relationships with young people, helping to prepare them for success in college, career and life, and the training will further their commitment and development to mentor effectively. GrizzFIT promotes the benefits of a healthy lifestyle by encouraging people to make nutritious food choices, to exercise regularly and to have fun doing it. Within the GrizzFIT platform lies the TEAM UP Youth Sports Partnership, a coalition of community organizations that use sport as a catalyst for youth development. Fully embodying the coach’s changing role, partnership organizations Memphis Athletic Ministries (MAM), Streets Ministries and Grizzlies Prep are a part of a dedicated force committed to making SBYD training mandatory for coaches.

“They (Up2Us) treat character and leadership and resilience and all the different components that go into life and personality as much a skill as they do the sport,” said Joel Katz, manager of the TEAM UP Youth Sports Partnership. “Winning is important, and the training will not say it isn’t, because it is. But it’s understanding how to win, it’s understanding what it takes to win, it’s getting kids to believe in the process.”

Katz sees the required training as a way to redefine the coach’s typical role, and his enthusiasm for the possibilities is infectious. GrizzFIT is deep in many communities, and the training is seen as a way to bridge youth sports and mentoring. Many times, recreational coaches are volunteers and don’t have any formal training or professional development. The SBYD training helps demonstrate how coaches can also be mentors, utilizing the special relationship between coaches and kids to reach past sports skills and into life skills. In a program like GrizzFIT, where many participants may not have access to positive role models, the training helps coaches fill a void.

Coaches often come out of training with a new energy and appreciation of coaching. By learning new coaching techniques that can be directly applied to their teams, they become more confident in their own abilities, a confidence that is then directed to the kids. Sports can be a catalyst for driving leadership development, and with SBYD training, coaches will understand how to draw out, expand and ultimately create future community leaders.

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This piece was originally published on the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation blog on 1/29/15 under the title, The Coach's Changing Role: Using sports-based youth development as a vehicle for success.

U.S. Department of Justice Funds Up2Us Sports Coaches for Another Year of Decreased Youth Violence

Lax coach helmet.blog Up2Us Sports was awarded, for the second time, a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The funds will be used to launch the Multi-State Coach Mentoring Initiative, which will place 65 coach-mentors in 12 major cities to support sports-based youth development programs that are designed to prevent youth violence.

OJJDP-with-DOJThe first $1 million grant from OJJDP was awarded to help reduce youth violence in low-income, disadvantaged neighborhoods. Up2Us used these funds to place coach-mentors in 12 cities at 25 host sites from March 2013 through March 2014.

In one year the coach-mentors made a big impact:

  • 66 coach-mentors served over 4,800 youth;
  • Less than 1% of program youth committed a delinquent offense;
  • 40% of youth reported an increase in physical activity;
  • 86% of coaches reported that their programs provided more opportunities for youth to be physically active than they would otherwise have had.

Additionally, these youth were measured on a set of eight attributes, called High Impact Attributes (HIAs), such as discipline and positive identity, which are developed through sport and have been linked with various positive life outcomes. At the end of the program, 88% of youth reported competency on the HIAs, with 43% of youth increasing this competency during program participation.

The new cohort of OJJDP-funded coach-mentors will be trained at Up2Us Sports’ four-day National Coach Training Institute in Chicago from Feb. 28 through March 3.