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.

The Winning Team: Meet Coach Marc

Marc started working as a Coach Across America coach at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in January 2015. His supervisor, Chris Reed, is the Program Manager at the Academy. They first met nine years ago through Progressive Sports and Entertainment Alliance, which is a nonprofit that teaches at-risk DC high school students the business of sport. According to Marc, "they helped me turn my life around and keep going on a straight path...I can basically say that’s my family.”

Marc, 23, grew up in the Ward 7 neighborhood with two siblings and his mother, who didn’t work. He picked up baseball at a young age because "it was a little different and easy to play.” Through baseball he learned vital life skills such as patience and focus, and it gave him the drive to want to be successful in life. He went on to graduate high school and play two years of baseball at Garrett County Community College in Maryland, before returning home to serve as a volunteer assistant coach with his high school’s baseball team for two seasons.

According to Chris, it’s hard to find quality baseball coaches in DC that not only know the game, but know the neighborhood and the challenges that the children face. So when it came to hiring Coach Across America coaches for the Academy, Chris says "it was a no-brainer” to hire Marc. "I’ve known him since he was 14 years old and he is one of the very few kids that I’ve worked with in my career that actually have a passion and a knack for playing the sport of baseball.” Equally important, Marc grew up in the same neighborhood and under the same circumstances that many of these youth face today. Sharing similar interests, and being relatable on and off the field, is what transforms a coach into a mentor, and helps him make a much bigger impact on these children that is bigger than baseball.

This past February, Marc attended an Up2Us Sports National Coach Training Institute in Chicago. The Institute teaches a session on trauma-sensitive coaching, with techniques on how to diffuse a situation once a child who has experienced trauma is triggered. Within a week, Marc was able to apply this training and calm down a child who had been triggered. He was proud to have a positive and immediate impact on this young person. Marc can now see the bigger picture of what his role as a coach can be. "It’s a whole lot easier now because I understand what we’re trying to do with the kids and their development. It’s given me a lot of help.”

Marc says coaching comes easily, almost as easy as playing baseball. He enjoys being able to help the kids grow, while keeping them out of trouble and off the streets. "Baseball is my passion and to teach it to the kids from the inner city of my home is a true blessing.”

A Must Read From the Up2Us Sports Founder: We Need Our Children to Play Again

The report discusses flaws in current youth sports programs and provides 12 recommendations for integrating sports-based youth development (SBYD) into communities and youth sports programs across the U.S. SBYD is based on the premise that sports are a critical venue for supporting and encouraging the positive development of youth participants. Download the report here.

“At Up2Us Sports, we’re leading the development, training, and integration of sports-based youth development in youth sports programs across the nation,” said Caccamo. “This report is a substantial starting point for programs, schools, and parents to review and consider integrating key components of SBYD into children’s lives specifically through their involvement in sports.”

A few of the recommendations include:

• Increase diversity of youth sports

• Train all coaches in SBYD

• Reclaim places to play

• Accredit programs in SBYD

Sports-based youth development incorporates highly trained, trauma-sensitive coaches and intentional skill building activities into sports to provide youth with a place where they feel physically and emotionally safe, can get the recommended amount of physical activity, and learn high impact attributes such as resiliency, determination, and self-confidence.

Up2Us Sports works with a coalition of member organizations to build a national movement through sports in order to defeat the most pressing issues affecting today’s children, such as bullying, gang violence, family problems, lack of support, self-esteem and more.

Sport System Redesign

Maren RojasEdgework Consulting -

Every sport has certain truths we all accept. You can’t touch the ball with your hands in soccer. A touchdown is worth six points. You can’t walk (or run) with the ball in basketball. But what if these rules weren't fixed? When you were a kid, did you ever reinvent part of a game due to obstacles or necessity? Maybe the power lines on your street kept knocking down passes so you re-did the down. Maybe your mom told you that you had to let your little brother play with your friends, so you made him play offense the entire game (even if you were not going to pass to him).

That enterprising little you was participating in Sports System Redesign (SSrD), taking what we know to be true about sports (baseball is played with nine players on each team) and questioning those assumptions (What if the teams had twelve players each? What if there were three teams?).

Your mother’s insisting your brother play forced you to change your game. While you had to be creative with a new, unexpected player, your brother got a chance to get outside, play, and hopefully learn from some older kids. Your mom, with you as her unwitting collaborator, introduced an element to your game to achieve a desired outcome. And it worked — your brother got to play and you had to be creative.

For the past several years, the team at Edgework Consulting has collaborated with Boston University’s Institute for Athletic Coach Education and Up2Us Sports to study the concept of SSrD and youth sports on a broader scale. How can we take these sports we know and love and tweak them for certain outcomes? Is there a way to make baseball more active? Basketball more inclusive? Soccer more rewarding of fair play? If you stripped these sports down to their core and rebuilt them with one of these outcomes in mind, how would you do it?

Change the Game

In April 2012, the trifecta joined forces to present the first annual "Change the Game" conference in Boston which introduced Sports System Redesign as a new model for youth sports coaches and administrators to address issues they’ve been finding — and affect change. Subsequent events were held in Los Angeles and New York City in the years following.

Historically, practitioners in the field have looked to coach education and/or curriculum to change the dynamics of youth sports. While there is a lot of value in these practices, we believe Sport System Redesign is just as important a factor and can be a catalyst for real change. Change the Game is an opportunity to discuss this approach and proffer ideas on how to make that change happen. When considering SSrD there are five different domains of the sport system we look at:

1. Playing space — the field, court, pitch
2. Equipment — helmets, gloves, the ball
3. Rules of the game — offsides, handballs, strikes zones
4. Roles of the referee/coach/supporters — what are each of their roles? What are their responsibilities?
5. Structure of the game or league — what does “winning” really mean?

By reimagining any of these elements, practitioners can create a formula to achieve a specific outcome. If you want to get scoring up in ice hockey, for example, you might consider making the net bigger — or even go as far as getting rid of the goalie.

As we dive more into SSrD we’ll share some of our findings from the Change the Game events and some of the changes that leaders in in the field are instituting — from small sided basketball games to good sportsmanship helping soccer teams to victory.

Have you had any experience with SSrD? What sports, or parts of sports do you feel could be redesigned and for which outcomes?

-

Up2Us Sports partners with Edgework Consulting to develop training and content to advance sports-based youth development.  This is part of Edgework Consulting’s Sports Based Youth Development series. Each Sports Based Youth Development post is designed to enlighten and inspire new thoughts in the youth sports world. For more entries in the series click here.

Why I Love Being an Assistant Coach

Claire PerrySenior Program Manager, Philadelphia Up2Us Sports

I love being an assistant coach.  And not even first assistant coach - second assistant coach.  You’re not constantly thinking about macro, strategic offensive play calls or defensive switches.  You’re not worried about the next subbing rotation or, potentially, which parent is sending daggers because their daughter is not yet in the game.  No, second assistant coach is all about connecting with the players; developing a relationship with an individual to help elevate their specific game which, in turn, will better their overall team play.  Teaching basketball skills coincides with another goal, to teach lessons on the court that can be translated and applied to life.  As a past collegiate player, employee of Up2Us Sports and current second assistant coach of Central Bucks High School West girl’s basketball team, this coaching position allows me to impart - rather, unleash - all my experiences and knowledge to the many girls I coach.

Last week, our team earned their way to the PIAA Class AAAA State Championship game.  Five of the six seniors had been playing together since fourth grade, had won only a handful of games as freshmen, then fought to a 31-2 record in their final season. They fell just short of a state title with a 25% shooting percentage for the night. Hustle, heart, and determination were never factors; the ball just liked the rim better than the net.  Watching the girls bury their heads in their uniforms—crouching on the very spot they stood when the final buzzer sounded, watching the other team sprint to center court to celebrate.  I cried.  Easily, too.

More than just the moment of having lost the game, it was the loss of 20 hours a week of playing and being a family. The one minute conversation we’d have on the bench, having just asked, “what do you see out there?” The two minutes spent talking about school, family, and prom dresses while rebounding free throws at practice. The 30 minutes after practice where we would just shoot around, dance and play with my two year old son.  What really pushed me to tears was the realization that whether we won or not, these sometimes-basketball, sometimes-life moments with this group of girls would cease.

Here at Up2Us Sports, we call these moments of unstructured play Informal Time; the time where, as a coach, you’re able to develop better, deeper relationships with the player through technical and non-technical conversation.  I believe I would have still developed good relationships with the team, but through attending over 20 Up2Us Sports coach trainings I’ve learned that as sports-based youth development (SBYD) coaches, we need to do MORE than just what is expected to develop GREAT relationships.  We need to Demo, Show, Demo when we instruct our players to fine tune skills.  We need to ask, “how did you do that?” to actually have the players think through the process of completing the said task so that the process is understood and can be readily repeated.   It’s easy to just tell our players what to do; but if they are able to break down why and how they’re doing something, we can get them to think, understand and improve.  What makes coaching such an incredible opportunity is the moment where a player realizes they worked hard and accomplished a goal or really improved a skill.  Through this process they develop characteristics, such as discipline, social confidence, and situational awareness - that are transferrable to school and life.

I’m sure the players didn't realize how often I was using skills and techniques learned at the Up2Us Sports coach training—which was all the time.  As second assistant coach, I had numerous moments to address players individually and develop the relationships I learned about at Up2Us Sports Trainings.  It gave a new meaning to holding conversations on the sidelines with the players about practice and life, and hanging out afterwards while my two year old son was “dribbling” the ball alongside our star point guard.

I’m also positive the players don't know how much they gave me this past season.  I know they don't realize how much I miss them, even just one week out from losing the state championship.  They were the twenty big sisters for my son, the twenty younger sisters for me: a true family.  Hard to say goodbye to a family.

Good thing, then, that post-season starts back up next week.

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

  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?

-

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