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

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.

First, 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

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.

Why Pope Francis Should Join My Board of Directors

Paul CaccamoFounder & CEO Up2Us Sports -

Youth sports are in desperate need of reform. Less and less kids are playing sports in America and kids from disadvantaged economic backgrounds are seeing their sports programs cut entirely. This is not just an issue of the decline of one our great pastimes, it is the loss of one of most effective tools for developing essential life skills in young people in this country.

I have spent my life not only calling for reform, but also implementing tools to carry out this reform. I launched Up2Us Sports in 2010 to train coaches on how to use sports to inspire success among youth. This means teaching coaches how they can impact health, violence and academic success using just a golf club or a tennis racket, a hockey stick or a soccer ball. In the poorest neighborhoods in this country, I also hire and train local adults as coaches to use sports to address issues of poverty. After all, kids who play sports are more likely to perform better in school and succeed in the future workplace. A recent evaluation of Up2Us Sports shows that the dollars invested in training coaches potentially saves society millions of dollars in costs associated with treating chronic diseases and/or incarcerating our youth. Both issues are preventable when youth have teams to belong to that inspire exercise and discipline.

Having spent my career in sports-based youth development, the most difficult part of my job is convincing donors that funding sports is not frivolous. It is a solution to violence prevention, health education and academic outcomes. But with a board member like the Pope, my job might just be easier.

If you haven't heard, the Pope recently gave a speech to the Pontifical Council for the Laity calling for reform in youth sports. He said that overemphasis on competitive sports have derailed the potential of sports to help lift children out of poverty. He said that training coaches is key to helping sports achieve its potential for all youth, but particularly those youth in disadvantaged communities. And he urged adults to reform youth sports so that it can be the solution that Up2us Sports envisions it to be. Okay, he didn't say "Up2Us Sports" by name but I'm sure if he knew about us he would have. And I'm sure if he read my recommendations for advancing the sports-based youth development movement, he might have included them in his pontifical lecture as well.

So Pope Francis, please consider this a standing invitation to be my Board Member. I'll schedule our first meeting during your trip to America. I'll have 3,000 trained Up2Us Sports coaches there to greet you to show that the reform you call for is underway.

And, I'll start the meeting with a prayer: that more people heed the cry for reform before more kids lose this invaluable platform to develop into healthy and contributing adults.

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

Susan GolbeSenior Manager, Monitoring & Evaluation Up2Us Sports

On the 43^rd 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!

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.

The Winning Team: Meet Coach Christian

For some kids, having a parent as a coach turns them away from sports. This was not the case for Christian Gutierrez, a Coach Across America coach with Woodcraft Rangers in Los Angeles. Growing up with his father as his soccer coach, Christian was able to see the positive impact his father’s coaching had not only on his life, but the lives of his teammates. This was the impetus behind Christian’s desire to become a coach himself.

Since starting as a soccer and basketball coach at Granada Middle School in his hometown of Whittier last August, Christian has flourished as a coach. In addition to teaching the kids sport-specific skills, he has become more effective in his ability to teach leadership and life skills. A fourth-grader named Jacob that Christian knew from a summer program at Woodcraft Rangers has shown impressive growth. Naturally athletic, Jacob lacked confidence in himself and in his soccer skills. Christian was able to incorporate lessons he learned from an Up2Us Sports National Coach Training Institute to help Jacob transform into a leader on the team.Through structured informal time and daily check-ins, Christian was able to get to know a lot more about Jacob, such as where he’s from and what some of his struggles are. “Talking to them when you have the opportunity really, really shows them a lot and it shows that you’re making an effort to listen to them and hear what they have to say.” Jacob grew to trust Christian and, in turn, grew the confidence to trust in his own leadership and soccer skills.

Other than following in his father’s influential footsteps, Christian’s favorite part about being a coach is seeing the kids use the skills he’s taught them. “When you teach them something at practice and then see them use that skill in a scrimmage or a game that really, really makes me feel good.” He doesn’t mean just sport skills either. He has a rule with the team - Encourage, Don’t Discourage. “When someone falls and the others don’t laugh at them and instead help them up, or if someone isn’t getting a drill and they help them throughout the drill...that really makes me happy.”

Aside from coaching, Christian attends college full time and is currently applying to work for the Los Angeles Police Department. A criminal justice major, he has already passed the physical abilities test and oral interviews. He wants to help affect change in the lives of inner city youth and sees a large connection between his passion to coach and his goal to become a police officer.

“I want to be a coach and police officer so that way I am helping my community while I am serving it.”

Thank You, 2015 Gala Donors!

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

DONORS

21^st 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

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."

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

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.

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

Monteria 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.

Up2Us Sports Founder on Why He Bikes Everywhere in NYC

-Paul Caccamo Up2Us Sports Founder & CEO

I swerve through Times Square, glide through Herald Square, pedal past the Flat Iron Building, and zoom down 5th Avenue to Washington Square Park.

I am one of those insane New Yorkers who is a biker. I bike everywhere—to work, to the gym, to the opera, to that bar in the Lower East Side. I also bike to all my funder meetings.

I often arrive windblown and, depending whether or not my chain fell off along the way, with rather embarrassing greasy fingers. But it gives the right impression; after all, I practice what I preach. At a meeting with a foundation, I may be drenched if it was raining, but I'm the most focused person in the room. That's because physical activity is essential for brain function. Not only does it keep us physically fit, but it keeps us mentally alert, focused, and on-task.

It's National Bike Month. National Bike to Work Week is May 11-15 and Bike to Work Day is May 15.  It's a great time for all of us to consider how we implement physical activity in our day-to-day life.  After all, we need to set an example for our children.  We need to advocate for getting kids moving and demand that every school guarantee at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity to every student every day.

Just in New York City, bicycle commuting to and from Manhattan has more than doubled since 2005, more than tripled since 2000, and more than quintupled since 1990. Further proof that people are transitioning to biking comes from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Over half a million New Yorkers ride a bike at least several times a month. It doesn’t matter if you’re commuting to and from work/school or just taking leisurely rides on the weekends, we love to see this boost in physical activity through biking and hope to see continued upward growth. If you’re a beginner, check out this article on Time.com with tips for first-timers, and you’ll be comfortably cruising in no time.

Happy and safe biking during this month of May!

America SCORES Poet-Athlete Ashalyn, on Soccer and Poetry

Up2Us Sports’ member organization America SCORES combines poetry and soccer as the foundation of their youth development programming. Their three-step model has proven successful and has been replicated in more than 150 public and charter schools in 14 major cities across the country: 1 - Create teams through the sport of soccer;

2 - Bring the teams into the classroom to discover their voices through poetry;

3 - As a team they use their voices to make change in their communities.

Poet-Athletes, as participants in America SCORES programs are called, write pieces to perform poetry slam-style.  Two children from each America SCORES chapter are chosen to represent their city in the Annual America SCORES National Poetry SLAM.  Ashalyn, a 10-year old who attends P.S. 173 in Harlem was selected to represent New York City at this years slam with her poem, “Water”.  We spoke with Ashalyn about writing poetry, being a SCORES poet-athlete and participating in the National Poetry SLAM!

Up2Us Sports: How long have you been part of the America SCORES New York program here at PS 173?

Ashalyn: About a year and a half.

Up2Us Sports: What is your favorite part about it?

Ashalyn: My favorite part is that we get to play soccer, we have a lot of fun.

Up2Us Sports: What about poetry? When did you start writing poetry, and did you do it before joining SCORES?

Ashalyn: Yes, since I was little. I make up songs! When I’m writing my poems it’s like I’m making up songs.

Up2Us Sports: What’s your favorite part about writing poetry and making up songs?

Ashalyn: The rhythm—I come up with music and tunes to go with the lyrics.

Up2Us Sports: When you found out you were selected as the girl to represent SCORES New York at the National Poetry SLAM! How did you feel?

Ashalyn: Happy, excited, proud of myself and nervous.

Up2Us Sports: How many other girls did you compete against to win?

Ashalyn: More than 20, including my friends.

Up2Us Sports: What was it like representing all of SCORES New York on a national stage?

Ashalyn: It was surprising and I felt very proud of myself. I just felt nervous, because it’s ME representing America SCORES New York.

Up2Us Sports: What was your favorite part about performing on a national stage, competing against others from around the country?

Ashalyn: The group poem! We got to wear some glasses and look cool, and were like “words can change the world!” (Note: these are lyrics from their group poem.)

Up2Us Sports: What would you tell other kids - kids that you know, or might not know - who might want to try writing poetry but are too scared?

Ashalyn: Believe in themselves. I would tell them that poetry is natural, because poetry is explaining someone’s feelings or explaining something around you. Everybody can do it if you believe in yourself.

Up2Us Sports: Do you think your songwriting and poetry writing helps you in other school in other subject areas?

Ashalyn: Yes, in music, and in concentrating.

Up2Us Sports: I know America SCORES focuses on both soccer and poetry – how does soccer help you in your poetry writing…or how does your poetry writing help you in soccer?

Ashalyn: Yes, soccer helps me write poetry because, it’s like I’m saying things, when I’m writing a poem I’m just explaining my experience. When I start to write poems, I think of my soccer games, and I think of if we won. When we win, I don’t try to say “we won!” but I try to explain it in the poem.

-

America SCORES, is a part of the Up2Us Sports coalition, a group of over 1,000 grassroots organizations that use sports to improve the lives of at-risk youth.

External Evaluation Shows Benefits of Coach Across America Program

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) recently conducted an external data analysis to evaluate the impact of the Coach Across America (CAA) program on underserved youth nationwide during the 2013-2014 school year. According to the evaluation, youth with CAA coaches saw increases in physical activity, positive gains in relationships and decision-making and reduced their consumption of unhealthy foods. A summary of the report is available here and the full length report is available here.  

2015 Up2Us Sports Gala: Tickets on Sale Now

Join Up2Us Sports  on Wednesday, June 3rd to celebrate five years of creating change through sports and to honor Little League Star, Mo'ne Davis and her coach Steve Bandura. During this event, we will celebrate the power of youth sports coaches and for the first time, honor a military veteran as our Coach of the Year.

June 3, 2015 

Cocktail Reception  6:30PM - 9:00PM

IAC Building 555 W. 18th Street New York City

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A TICKET

Honorary Committee Sir Mick Jagger, Sarah Jessica Parker, Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Michelle Williams, Gretchen Mol, Kristin Davis

Prince Amukamara, Caitriona Balfe, Nate Berkus, Sandra Bernhard, Jeremiah Brent, Jennifer Carpenter, David Colbert, MD*,  Jill Demling, Ben Foster, Adam Glassman, Desiree Gruber, Kilian Hennessy, John Hickey, Michele Hicks, Kyle MacLachlan, Marisa Marchetto, Silvano Marchetto, Debi Mazar, Carolyn Murphy, Trond Myhr, Hayden Panettiere, Christina Ricci, Mimi Saltzman, Jeanann Williams, Robin Zendell

Host Committee Jody Bilney*, Peter Benet, Paul Caccamo, Kenneth DiPietro, Brandon Etheridge*, Angel Gallinal*, Matt Henson*, Sue Hunt*, Kevin Martinez*, Paul O'Neill, David Pace*, William Peters, Sue Portelli, Rob Ryan*, Scott Smith*, David Silbert, Conor Taniguchi, Alice Vilma, Nick Wood*

*Up2Us Sports Board Member

Sponsors

                  

More about the Event: This past year, Up2Us Sports hired eight returning veterans in a pilot program we call Operation Coach. We trained these veterans and placed them in communities where children desperately need role models to inspire them to say no to violence and yes to school. I am pleased to report that our veterans did an outstanding job. Not only did they teach principles of teamwork, discipline and perseverance to nearly 1,000 disadvantaged youth, but they also learned how to translate their sense of mission abroad to full-time jobs here at home.

Operation Coach is just the latest development as Up2Us Sports celebrates its fifth anniversary. During the last five years we have hired more than 2,000 coaches to serve nearly 275,000 disadvantaged youth across the country. Our training, which teaches coaches how to instill life lessons through sports, is the best of its kind in the nation.  And our new initiatives, like Operation Coach, are a win-win-win for young people, returning veterans and our communities.

We will honor Mo’ne Davis and her coach Steve Bandura for inspiring our nation and providing a powerful example of what a positive player-coach relationship can do, both on and off the field.  Last summer, Mo’ne, a 13-year-old from South Philadelphia, became the first African American girl to appear in the Little League World Series and the first girl in the international event’s 67-year history to earn a win and pitch a shutout. Thanks largely to the mentoring and support of Coach Bandura, Mo’ne is well on her way to attending college as a student athlete.  In the process, she captivated the entire nation and has become an inspiration to millions of young girls around the globe.

Every child in the nation deserves a trained, supportive coach like Coach Bandura, and Up2Us Sports will not stop until they all have one. On June 3, we will raise money to provide coaching jobs to hundreds of coach-mentors, including a new class of returning veterans. The enclosed reservation form details all opportunities for participation.  If you cannot attend, I hope you will support our program through an ad, sponsorship, or simply a donation.   Thank you for your support, and I look forward to seeing you on June 3.

Wonder what the event is like? Take a look at our previous galas in 2014 and 2013.