Operation Coach Launches in Philadelphia

Up2Us Sports, with the generous support of several partners, will be launching Operation Coach - our veteran coaching program - in Philadelphia in early 2016. On Monday it was announced that ESPN committed $100,000 to the program, half of which will support the placement of veteran coaches in Los Angeles and the other half to support veteran coaches in Philadelphia. Josh Harris, Co-Managing Owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and affiliate of The Josh and Marjorie Harris Family Foundation, has also pledged an additional $50,000 in support for veteran coaches. Furthermore, the Philadelphia 76ers, with support from Toyota, have pledged $25,000 to place one veteran coach to support 76ers local initiatives, bringing the total number of veteran coaching opportunities in Philadelphia to six. The Josh and Marjorie Harris Family Foundation has been crucial to funding programs in Philadelphia that support youth in some of the city’s highest-crime and lowest-income neighborhoods. In August of this year, they announced a $3.5 million grant to the Philadelphia Police Athletic League (PAL). The Philadelphia PAL, a multi-year member organization of Up2Us Sports, will serve as a host site for the newly hired veteran coaches.

Additionally, Drexel University Online will be providing support for Operation Coach and veterans in Philadelphia. Through their Yellow Ribbon program, Drexel Online will offer free tuition support for any veteran coaches serving in Operation Coach.

 Watch our Operation Coach PSA, courtesy of ESPN, in English or Spanish.

Miami Marlins Closer AJ Ramos Becomes Up2Us Sports Ambassador

Up2Us Sports is happy to announce that AJ Ramos, a pitcher for the Miami Marlins, has been named the organization's newest Ambassador. In his first season as an MLB closer in 2015, he pitched for 32 saves, which ranked him ninth in the National League. Originally from Lubbock, Texas, he played collegiately at Texas Tech University and was drafted in the 21st round of the 2009 MLB First Year Player Draft. Ramos will connect with youth in the Miami community and share his experiences as a professional baseball player, as well as serve as a voice to promote how powerful coaches can be in the lives of children. “Some of the best mentors of my youth were coaches,” said Marlins Pitcher AJ Ramos.  “Serving as an Up2Us Sports Ambassador means supporting young athletes in Miami with well-trained coaches who can properly develop their life skills,” concluded Ramos.

“Up2Us Sports is a valued Charity Partner of the Miami Marlins,” said Alfredo Mesa, Vice President and Executive Director of the Marlins Foundation. "Coaches who apply the organization’s curriculum for youth development are stronger mentors for young athletes.”

Earlier this year, the Miami Marlins named Up2Us Sports as one of their 2015 Charity Partners. The Marlins have funded Up2Us Sports’ work in the Miami area and provided sports-based youth development (SBYD) training for all baseball coaches in MLB’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program. The addition of AJ as an Ambassador will further support the important work Up2Us Sports and the Marlins are doing in Miami Dade County.

Follow AJ on Twitter and Instagram.

ESPN Donates $100,000 to Up2Us Sports

ESPN has announced it will grant $100,000 to Up2Us Sports to hire and train veterans to serve as youth-sports coaches in underserved communities in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Up2Us Sports' innovative coaching program provides returning, post-9/11 veterans the opportunity to transition to a career in sports while giving back to their community as a coach to as-risk youth. Veterans are hired and placed in youth sports programs that focus on using athletics to inspire life skills development among at risk youth. "Active service members and veterans are an important part of the fabric that makes up ESPN—these incredible individuals are our employees, our family members, our fans," said Kevin Martinez, vice president of Corporate Citizenship. "We are honored to give back to those who have sacrificed so much for us."

Tune in to ESPN this week for special programming and tributes honoring active military and veteran heroes. On Veterans Day,SportsCenter will be telecast from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and First Take will be live from Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, Mass. ESPN also will televise the annual Armed Force Classic college basketball game on Friday from a U.S. Marine Corps base in Okinawa, Japan. For more information, visit www.ESPN.com/Citizenship.

From a Coach: Serving the Los Angeles Community with Up2Us Sports

By Coach Gerry ZatarainHollenbeck Police Activity League -

I hear a voice scream, “Coach Gerry!” I turn around and see a hand waiting for a high five.

I have to say that is the best feeling ever!

I am Coach Gerry out of the Boyle Heights Hollenbeck Police Activity League (PAL).  Soccer has been in my life since I can remember, watching games at home with family, playing in the park and participating in soccer leagues all across Los Angeles.

I am truly blessed to be doing what I love to do and to have opportunities to give back to the community in such a positive, vibrant, and creative way. Up2Us Sports’ training helped me become a better coach and mentor—allowing me to witness my players discover how much they can grow as an athlete and a person.

Last Saturday, October 24, I attended a Service Day with the Up2Us Sports Los Angeles team at Heninger Elementary in Santa Ana. First, I want to say that I think it’s awesome that Up2Us Sports does helpful things like this for the community. My experience was amazing! From the beginning to the end, I felt there was love, happiness and companionship. It was obvious that everybody’s purpose that day was to help.

We started the day with a great orientation, which set the tone for the rest of the day. Being able to work next to good people and people that love what they are doing, made it feel comfortable. I could just feel the good vibes in the air. With everyone productive and committed we finished faster than we thought, which gave us time to talk and get to know each other a little better.

We were happy to be able to work on both the inside and outside of the school. While working outside, some of us were surprised at the type of plants that were chosen to be potted; they were water friendly plants. These gave the yard a welcoming feel and a meaningful message: don’t waste so much water. Inside, the colors chosen for the classroom were a combination of blues and grays. After it was finished, the room was left with a sense of calmness, comfort, and a sense of welcoming.

The end of this event was very significant to me because it gave me the opportunity to learn valuable leadership skills from some great people. I also got the chance to catch up with some coaches that I haven’t seen since our Chicago training [National Coach Training Institute]. The best thing about the day was the look in the Principal’s eyes when she saw the completed project. She was truly appreciative and excited to have this room ready for her teachers to enjoy on Monday morning.

I am glad I was part of this Service Day, and can’t wait for the next one. It feels good to work together and give a helping hand to the community as a team. It’s one step closer to making this world a better place.

Support Up2Us Sports on Give Miami Day

Up2Us Sports is partnering with The Miami Foundation and the Marlins Foundation for Give Miami Day on November 19, 2015.  This 24-hour provides giving period boosts donations to registered non-profits making a difference in the Miami community.  Donations to Up2Us Sports will provide coach-mentors to guide at-risk youth to make better decisions that lead to their lifelong success. View the Up2Us Sports Give Miami Day profile here. 

Donations made on Give Miami Day will be eligible for a bonus match from partners of The Miami Foundation.  All donations are tax deductible.  Email lcavallo@up2ussports.org for more info.

Fill out the form below to pledge your support.

Doubles Tennis Champion Pam Shriver Joins Up2Us Sports as Ambassador

Up2Us Sports is happy to announce that doubles tennis champion and Olympic gold medalist, Pam Shriver, has joined the organization as an Ambassador. Shriver - who captured 21 singles titles and 112 doubles titles in her illustrious career - will connect with youth participating in sports by sharing experiences from her athletic career and helping to relay the message that coaches trained in sports-based youth development make a difference in the lives of young people. “For two years I have been aware of what Up2Us Sports is about. By training sports coaches to work with at-risk urban youth through their Coach Across America program, they are creating a powerful force of trained coaches who are helping these kids find trusting mentors that can help them make safe, healthy choices. It's important that coaches know how to teach multiple sports, but even more vital that the coach-mentors understand child/human development so that they can help navigate the many minefields that are too prevalent in poor, urban neighborhoods,” said Shriver. “I’m thrilled to continue working with this incredibly impactful organization.”

Since 2013, Pam has been involved in outreach we’ve done in the Los Angeles area. She attended our 2013 Los Angeles Coach Training Institute, hosted a tennis clinic in 2014 for kids from South Central Los Angeles and, just last month, sat on a panel with various Los Angeles stakeholders to discuss the power of coaches to decrease youth violence.

Follow Pam on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

Panel in Los Angeles on Coaching to Prevent Youth Violence

On Tuesday, September 22, Up2Us Sports presented a panel of distinguished experts for a discussion on violence prevention strategy and goals, moderated by Founder and CEO, Paul Caccamo. The primary objective of the panel was to focus people’s attention on the power trained sports-based youth development coaches have to help kids say no to violence and make better decisions.

The panel included influential Los Angeles community members who are experts in the space and are passionate about reducing youth violence in Los Angeles and around the country. Panelists included:

• Megan Bartlett, Chief Program Officer, Up2Us Sports;

• Blake Chow, Commanding Officer - West Bureau, Los Angeles Police Department

• Bruce McCall Jr., Sports Program Lead, Sheriff’s Youth Foundation

• Pam Shriver, Olympic gold medalist in tennis and ESPN commentator

• Anne Tremblay, Director, Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction & Youth Development

• George Weaver, Vice President of Child Development and Special Programs, Brotherhood Crusade.

The panelists spoke candidly about the current situation in Los Angeles, the role trained coaches can play in youth crime and violence prevention and the efforts that are being made by the LAPD, LA Sheriff’s Department, LA Mayor’s office and others to help combat the epidemic.

The panel was attended by nearly 100 guests, including a new cohort of Coach Across America coaches who were attending the Up2Us Sports National Coach Training Institute in Los Angeles.

Ambassador Claressa Shields Shares Documentary with Flint Youth

Up2Us Sports ambassador, Claressa Shields returned to her home town of Flint, Michigan to inspire youth with T-Rex, the award-winning documentary about her road to becoming the first woman to win an olympic gold medal in boxing in the 2012 olympics. In the documentary, the filmmakers show how Claressa was able to overcome her difficult upbringing through her love of boxing and the help of her coach.  Claressa met with 130 youth after the screening to answer questions and sign autographs.  In addition to the youth screening with member organization Crim Fitness, a public screening was held in the evening with over 300 attendees, including the Mayor of Flint.

Miami Marlins Honor Up2Us Sports as 2015 Charity Partner

On Friday, July 31^st, the Miami Marlins honored Up2Us Sports as a 2015 Charity Partner.  The Miami Marlins have funded Up2Us Sports’ work in the Miami area and provided SBYD training for all baseball coaches in MLB's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program. 

In celebration of this partnership, Up2Us Sports coaches, board members, donors and staff attended and participated in the game to spread the word about sports-based youth development. Up2Us Sports donor Robin Green threw the first pitch of the game, followed by Leonel “Macho” Garcia giving the Play Ball announcement. Garcia was accompanied by his coach, Kleiton Almeida, Up2Us Sports’ 2015 Coach of the Year. 

An additional $6,000 was raised to support Up2Us Sports through ticket proceeds, 50/50 raffle and a silent auction. We look forward to continuing our work in Miami with the Marlins. 

Worldwide Day of Play Hosted by Up2Us Sports, Nickelodeon, and Mayor of Miami Gardens

Up2Us Sports was proud to partner with Nickelodeon and the City of Miami Gardens to host a Worldwide Day of Play to kickoff Mayor Oliver Gilbert’s citywide fitness challenge.  Nearly 2,000 kids from summer camps across Miami-Dade and Broward County got a chance to participate in active play with Coach Across America coaches and Nickelodeon stars from Every Witch Way. Coach Across America coaches from the Miami area had kids running around, playing 4-square and tossing water balloons to stay cool.  A mix of experienced and new coaches were leading games and using coaching techniques they learned at the National Coach Training Institute.

Up2Us Sports also received a generous donation of $10,000 from Nickelodeon to continue to improve the Miami area through sports.

Paralympian Matt Scott Inspires Brooklyn Youth

Three-time Paralympic wheelchair basketball player Matt Scott has travelled the world playing the sport he loves and on July 24th it took him deep into the heart of one Brooklyn’s most under-served communities: East New York. In the utility room of the Nelson Mandela Community Center, Up2Us Sports member organization Street Soccer USA gathered 50 of their summer camp children to hear Scott share his inspiring story about how sports have made a powerful impact in his life.  Born with Spina Bifida, Scott has spent his entire life in a wheelchair. But he didn’t let it stop him from playing a game he fell in love with at a young age. He answered questions from the group of 7 and 8 year olds that ranged from how he goes to bed at night to who his favorite basketball player is. He surprised all of them when he was handed a basketball and showed off his expert ball handling skills.  Matt showed these Brooklyn youth how sport allowed him to turn his disability into an opportunity - and an Olympic medal!

Matt has represented the United States in international wheelchair basketball for over a decade, including at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games. Team USA opens play against Colombia at the 2015 Parapan Am Games in Toronto on August 8th, in preparation for the 2016 Rio Paralympics.