Santa Barbara, CA – – Far too often, the “win at all costs” mentality creeps into youth sports, taking the fun out of the experience and turning off athletes and parents to the positive aspects of participation in sports.
Two organizations are teaming-up to help shape youth sports culture in Santa Barbara for the next generation. The Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table (SBART) and the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) recently entered into a multi-year agreement to facilitate workshops for organizational leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes – – all with the intention of creating an area wide “common denominator” when it comes to balancing winning with the many life skills that sports can teach young people.
“Just about everyone who has attended a youth sporting event has witnessed a parent or coach fly off the handle – – leading to a downward spiral that doesn’t make for better kids or better athletes”, says Laurie Leighty, SBART President. Leighty adds “the SBART board recognized that we can be the “glue” that helps every youth sports group in town (AYSO, Little League, PONY Baseball, YFL, Page Youth Basketball, YMCA, etc.) develop and sustain a sporting culture that helps kids and coaches develop a love for the game and a desire to compete.
SBART Board Member and Chair of the PCA committee, Paul McLean elaborates, “SBART wants to create a sporting culture which encourages players to win and give their best effort, but also teaches players positive character traits that will help them be successful in life.” McLean adds, “Bringing nationally recognized PCA into the mix is a perfect match.” PCA, a Stanford University-based non-profit organization, works with organizational leaders, coaches and parents to more effectively teach young athletes not only how to win, but also how to learn about teamwork, discipline, respect and goal-setting through their sports experience.
To get the ball rolling, SBART and PCA are holding a leadership workshop for youth sports organizations.
What: Youth Sports Leadership Workshop
When/Where: Aug. 28, 2014 6:30 p.m. at San Marcos High School Library
Who: Youth Sports Organization Board Members, Executive Directors and Athletic Directors
Cost: None (sponsored by SBART and private donation)
This initial workshop will help leaders and board members of Youth Sport Organizations create an organizational culture that is conducive to positive coaching both short- and long-term. Jay Smith, SBART board member and lead fundraiser for the partnership, adds “We’re lucky to live in a generous community, and this partnership was very appealing to our major donor”.
Additional workshops for coaches and parents in the future. For more information, go to SBART.org. More about PCA on the following page.
About Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table
Founded in 1968, the mission of the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table is to recognize and support athletic participation as an important means of fostering discipline, teamwork, self-respect, personal responsibility, and camaraderie.
The Athletic Round Table provides a public forum for area athletic coaches and athletes; grants financial support to organizations, teams, and individuals to further their participation in sports; and publicly honors athletic performance, scholastic achievement, and exemplary ethical behavior.
About Positive Coaching Alliance
Founded as a non-profit within the Stanford University Athletic Department in 1998, Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is committed to providing all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building youth sports experience. To that end, PCA has conducted more than 10,000 live group workshops nationwide for more than 475,000 youth and high school sports coaches, parents, student-athletes and school/organizational leaders. Through workshops and companion online courses, PCA has impacted more than 4 million youth.
PCA’s partnership network includes more than 1,700 youth sports organizations, cities and schools. In 2012, PCA will conduct roughly 1,200 live, group workshops across the U.S., while assisting tens of thousands of other individuals via online courses at www.PositiveCoach.org.
“Working with hundreds of youth sports organizations around the United States, we’ve developed practical tools and guidelines to help youth athletes, their coaches and parents realize that winning is not only reflected in game scores but also in the effort players give, the learning and improvement they achieve, and the ability they develop to bounce back from mistakes,” said Jim Thompson, founder and director of Positive Coaching Alliance. “We’re excited that the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table recognizes the tremendous potential sports participation offers for today’s youth and is working to realize that potential by emphasizing a positive culture for their players, coaches, and parents.”
PCA workshops and courses strive to establish these prevailing models in youth and high school sports:
- The Double-Goal Coach®, whose first goal is winning, and whose second, more-important goal is teaching life lessons through sports
- The Second-Goal Parent®, who concentrates on life lessons, while letting coaches and athletes focus on competing
- The Triple-Impact Competitor®, who strives to impact sport on three levels by improving oneself, teammates and the game as a whole.
PCA has the support of elite coaches and athletes on a National Advisory Board, including National Spokesperson and 11-time NBA Champion Coach Phil Jackson.
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