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On July 19, Up2Us Ambassador and Tampa native John Henson, a power forward with the Milwaukee Bucks, and a team of Coach Across America (CAA) coaches hosted "The John Henson Experience" at the Tampa Bay Youth Sports Expo. The one-day basketball clinic helped to raise awareness on the importance of youth sports and funds to support the placement of additional CAA coaches in the Tampa Bay area. About 100 local youth participated in the clinic. Up2Us member The Skills Center hosted the Tampa Bay Youth Sports Expo at the Tampa Convention Center. The Expo featured a multitude of interactive sports activities for kids, including hockey, golf, football, lacrosse, baseball, dance, and basketball.
Donate to Bring Coaches to Tampa!
Up2Us Ambassador and Tampa native John Henson of the Milwaukee Bucks, along with a team of coaches from Up2Us’ Coach Across America program, will conduct The John Henson Experience—a one-day basketball clinic at the Tampa Bay Youth Sports Expo on Saturday, July 19th. The clinic will bring awareness to the importance of youth sports programs and raise funds to place Coach Across America coaches in the Tampa Bay area.
100% of proceeds raised from The John Henson Experience will go towards the cost of training and providing Coach Across America jobs to young adults in the Tampa community at The Skills Center—a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization sharing John’s vision of providing academic instruction and life skill development through sports. With your help, we hope to reach our fundraising goal of $30,000, which covers the cost of one full year of programming by two coach-mentors who are trained in youth development, mentoring, and violence prevention strategies. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available for socially-responsible businesses, please contact margote@up2us.org for more information.
By donating, you are directly contributing to positive social change in some of Tampa's most under-served communities. Thank you for your support!
Ride This Way: an Up2Us Film
Greatness often manifests in the face of adversity. Israel Frank, Up2Us Coach Across America (CAA) coach at Brotherhood Crusade Soccer for Success Program, is a true testament to this statement.
Initially, Israel's goals were to obtain his GED, secure employment, and change his life trajectory. With the assistance of his case manager, Israel attended work readiness classes at the YouthSource Center. After demonstrating significant mastery of vocational skills, Israel secured a seasonal job at Vans. Combined with a sincere desire to improve the quality of life for young people, this experience prepared Israel for his CAA appointment.
Check out our video to hear Israel's story and to learn just what makes him Up2Us' Coach Across America Coach of the Year.
Second Annual Up2Us Gala
The Second Annual Up2Us Gala was a great success, bringing together more than 300 guests including Hollywood celebrities Heidi Klum, Gretchen Mol, Jonny Lee Miller and Kyle MacLachlan who mingled alongside sports figures such as New York Giants cornerback, Prince Amukamara, Milwaukee Bucks power forward, John Henson and U.S. Olympians Kim Vandenberg and Sarah Hughes. More than 300 guests joined the celebration while raising more than $470,000 to help advance sports as a solution to the critical challenges facing America’s youth – obesity, violence and academic failure. College basketball analyst Bill Raftery emceed the star-studded event, joined by Pro Football Hall of Famer, Curtis Martin who presented the Up2Us Legacy Award to Commissioner Tagliabue. Jay Agresta, President of Benzel-Busch Motor Car Corp, presented the second Up2Us Legacy Award of the evening to Stephen Cannon. The program included a powerful video highlighting the struggle and success of Up2Us’ Coach Across America (CAA) coach Israel Frank. The crowd rose to their feet after the Coach of the Year winner’s moving speech, “Through my training at Coach Across America, I’ve learned to separate the child from the behavior. The kid isn’t bad, he’s just made bad choices,” Coach Israel explained. He added, “I see kids going in the wrong direction like I was, and Up2Us has given me an opportunity to show them the right way. Like the other CAA coaches, I’m someone the kids can relate to and I think that’s what makes Up2Us’ Coach Across America program so effective.”
“Coach Israel’s story is a testament to the power of sports and the important role mentors can play in the lives of young people, especially kids living in underserved communities,” said Paul Caccamo, founder and president of Up2Us. “The support we have received from our friends in the business, entertainment and sports community has been incredible and encouraging. Every day, news reports remind us of the urgent need to advance the SBYD movement and place more coaches like Israel Frank to serve our nation’s most vulnerable youth. We can create real social change through sports and positively impact the lives of millions of children across the country."
Take a look at some of the photos below!
Chicago Service Day
On May 3rd, Up2Us teamed up with the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Housing Authority and the White Sox Volunteer Corps for a community wellness day at Wentworth Gardens. The day was designed to encourage health, wellness and fitness, and included multiple stations designed and activated by our Chicago coaching corp.
The Chicago White Sox not only sent awesome volunteers to help with registration and food service for the day but South Paw, the team mascot, joined to take pictures and toss some pitches at the baseball station. Every person that attended the event and participated in different stations also received a complimentary voucher to an upcoming White Sox game. We had nearly 300 participants throughout the event day and were able to spread health and wellness and make some incredible new partners.
A special thanks to Alderman Pat Dowell, The Athena Dental Group, Progressive Baptist Church, UIC-Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion, UIC-YWLCS Health & Wellness Center, E&ES (a partner of the Chicago Housing Authority), and Beggars Pizza who were all important partners in making the day a success.
"The Up2Us Field Day is a great example of how neighbors and community based organizations can work together to create safe and healthy spaces for everyone to enjoy. I am pleased to be a part of this event because it celebrates the wonderful families that make up this community,” said Alderman Pat Dowell.
Operation Coach Sponsored By the Miami HEAT
Up2Us is proud to announce a partnership with the Miami HEAT and the Miami HEAT Charitable Fund to launch Operation Coach, a workforce assistance and coaching initiative for post 9/11 returning military veterans, preparing them for a career in sports and youth development through our Coach Across America program. During half time of Tuesday’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Miami HEAT Charitable Fund presented Up2Us with a $100,000 donation as the result of the team’s annual fundraising efforts. This contribution will provide veterans with the opportunity to gain employment as coach-mentors and continue to serve as every day heroes to thousands of youth in Miami.
“Veterans often cite ‘physical activity’ and ‘becoming a coach’ as key motivators to their reentry to the workforce,” said Paul Caccamo, founder and president of Up2Us.
The Miami HEAT has a tradition of honoring the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces and we are extremely excited to continue this partnership.
What We Can Learn From Recycling
I had the opportunity to eat lunch at a high-end professional office building in NYC the other day. The cafeteria was in the main lobby, and I arrived at the peak hour, so I settled on the last available table in a corner that also happened to be right near the garbage receptacles. Oddly enough, as I devoured my subsidized gourmet platter of food, I couldn’t help but stare at the trashcans, one of which was blue, one green and the other a nondescript grey. What I observed has stayed with me ever since.
Every few moments, a different group of executives would arrive with their trays of emptied bottles, plates, napkins and other refuse. In most cases, they were all conversing as they approached the bins and slowed almost routinely to discard the tray’s contents. That’s when I observed a pattern that I never expected: when the person leading any given group paused long enough to separate glass and paper into the appropriate containers, the others that followed almost unthinkingly did the same. But when the person leading the group dumped all their contents at once into the grey container, the persons that followed DID THE SAME. Almost without exception, everyone followed the leader.
Now, let’s be clear. These were presumably, well-educated lawyers, financial managers, business leaders, etc. If you stopped any of them, they most certainly would acknowledge that recycling is good for the environment. Some might even know that recycling is the law in New York City. Yet, everyone just followed the leader whether that leader recycled or not. It’s that easy to make a poor decision. Even when you have all the education, all the resources and all the knowledge not to.
I remained at my table in that cafeteria but this time I was no longer watching the bins. I was thinking of the millions of kids living in poverty who also follow the leaders. These leaders make it easy to join a gang, become a teen mom, be a bully or just drop out of school. It can be hard for professional adults to separate their garbage, can you imagine how difficult it must be for a child to resist these kind of negative role models when they are surrounded by them and when no one else is there to set a different example?
This is why Coach Across America is so important. We have allowed too many youth in this nation’s communities to be leaderless. The result is the failing schools, the crime, and the bullying that have become far too common imagery on our nightly news.
It’s time to get serious and invest in a workforce of coaches to lead youth to make the “right” decisions. For all children, a coach is someone they can look up to and trust. A coach is a role model who can guide their decision-making. A trained coach helps them to see beyond the easy choices to make the right choices.
Every child deserves a coach. And by investing in one, maybe one day, every child will grow up to be the professional in that office building who approaches those garbage cans and knows exactly what to do.
Paul Caccamo President & Founder
Up2Us on the Radio!
Up2Us is bringing more and more attention to the sports-based youth development movement. We've been featured on a number of different radio stations across the country, speaking about the importance sports has on the lives of America's youth. Listen below to find out more about our organization and many of our special initiatives! Stay tuned for upcoming radio coverage.
january
bloomingOUT Radio:
bloomingOUT is a regional radiobroadcast in Indiana hosted by Helen Herald every Thursday evening which features talk about gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender issues. bloomingOUT exists to educate, entertain and stimulate listeners to engage in dialogue about real issues and events relevant to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) population of south central Indiana.
Because bloomingOUT is the only such media program in Indiana, and one of the few in the Midwest and the nation, it includes issues, views and news that do not usually appear in mainstream media. The program provides a voice, both within and outside Indiana that is absent in local, state, national and international arenas by providing a forum for the exchange and discussion of ideas and the celebration of diversity.
december
WBGO—SportsJam with Doug Doyle (88.3fm):
SportsJam with Doug Doyle, which began as a podcast and on-demand feature in 2008 is now an important part of WBGO’s regular programming lineup on Wednesday nights at 7:30pm. Hosted by WBGO’s News and Sports Director Doug Doyle, SportsJam has recently received national and state awards for PRNDI, NYABJ and the Associated Press for its revealing interviews. Many of Doug’s guests talk about the synergy between sports and jazz. Doug has been covering local sports in New Jersey for more than 30 years.
october
ESPN Radio—New York Sports & Beyond (98.7fm):
WEPN-FM 98.7 is a commercial Sports News/Talk station in the New York, N.Y., area. It is owned by Emmis Communications Corp. WEPN-AM uses the slogan, "ESPN Radio."
september
ESPN Radio—New York Sports & Beyond (98.7fm):
WEPN-FM 98.7 is a commercial Sports News/Talk station in the New York, N.Y., area. It is owned by Emmis Communications Corp. WEPN-AM uses the slogan, "ESPN Radio."
Mission Continues & Up2Us host an SBYD Fair!
Mission Continues Platoon Members, Coach Across America coaches and the youth of Henry Street Settlement all converged on Saturday, February 8th for an afternoon of fitness activities, nutrition sessions and fun. CAA coaches and platoon members worked together to educate youth on a variety of topics related to sports-based youth development, including the science of physical activity, nutrition and life skills.
At one station, participants made Compliment Boards for each other, where they wrote a nice thing about each person in the group.
Coach Across America coaches and Mission Continues Veteran Fellows talk to youth about the importance of physical fitness.
At the nutrition station, youth were running towards the cones that represented healthy foods while avoiding the cones that represented junk food.
Nancy shows off her compliment board.
Coming Soon: Up2Us Gala 2014!
Up2Us is having its second annual gala on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at Mercedes-Benz Manhattan. This promises to be an inspiring evening, as we bring together our friends and supporters, as well as celebrities and athletes, to celebrate our achievements and the profound impact our coach-mentors have made on the lives of children across the country.
At this year’s event, we are proud to honor two committed supporters of Up2Us, Paul Tagliabue, former Commissioner of the National Football League, and Stephen Cannon, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA. With Paul’s help, Up2Us became a registered 501(c)(3) in 2010 and through Covington & Burling LLP, he continues to support Up2Us by providing pro-bono legal services. Stephen, in his role as board chair for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA, financially supports our groundbreaking Coach Across America program, which impacts more than 50,000 youth across the country. Up2Us is excited and pleased to be honoring them both at our second annual gala.
Up2Us hopes that you will join us for this very special evening. We encourage you to join us by purchasing a table or tickets to see for yourself the great work we do. If you have any questions, please call the Up2Us Benefit Office at 212.763.8599 or email up2us@cmevents.net.
We look forward to seeing you on May 14th. Together, we can change the lives of youth across the country through the power of sports!
New Funding Opportunity for Teams
Sports Matter. Decades of research show sports and physical activity are the solution to the critical challenges facing youth. The hard data shows sports are good for youths’ brains, bodies, and futures. Yet, frequently slashed school budgets result in disappearing or financially inaccessible opportunities. The youth who need sports the most are the least likely to have access to high-quality opportunities they can afford. At Up2Us, our mission is to turn this tide. We are excited to partner with the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation on an innovative new campaign, Sports Matter. The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation believes Sports Matter. To act on this, DICK’S came to two conclusions about what the company can do to turn that belief into impact:
- Focus resources on one of the worst outcomes of this crisis—entire teams disappearing or never competing at all due to severe financial challenges.
- Strengthen and expand communities of support that already step up to make high-quality youth sports available for young people around the country.
The Sports Matter initiative will raise awareness of the youth sports funding crisis and match community donations up to $2 million on a new crowdfunding platform to save or start teams facing financial challenges. Participating teams will commit to raising ½ of the total funding they need, and those that reach their funding goal will receive a matching grant from the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation. Youth (K-12) sports teams affiliated with a school or non-profit are eligible to apply IF they fall into one of three categories:
- Team is no longer able to play because of funding challenges.
- Team is on the brink of not being able to play because of funding challenges.
- Youth interest in a sports team exists, but funding challenges have prohibited the creation of a team.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, click here to learn more and/or sign up for one of our technical assistance webinars covering the Sports Matter application process on February 13, February 19, or March 11. Even if this opportunity isn’t right for you, please help us spread the word to any teams or coaches that you think could benefit from this incredible opportunity. Applications will be accepted until March 21, or until 575 applications are submitted, whichever comes first.
[WATCH] Up2Us on NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt
On January 31, 2014, James Kallusky, Director of Up2Us' Coach Across America program, was interviewed on NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt to speak on the importance and value of mentors in the lives of youth.
NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt is a one-hour, call-in talk show featuring discussions about hotly debated issues including current affairs, social issues effecting the region and local politics. The program features on-set guests including local lawmakers and newsmakers. Viewers are encouraged to call in to voice their opinion live, on the air.
