2016: Looking Back on a Year of Up2Us Sports Coaches

Over the 2016 calendar year, we had nearly 500 coaches improving their communities through the Up2Us Sports coaching program.  We asked them to share their favorite memory.

Coach Maria - Touching Miami with Love - Miami, FL

Coach Maria and the rest of the Touching Miami with Love crew participated in a 5k walk to support one of our students who was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis.

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Coach Jackie - Chicago Run - Chicago, IL

At the beginning of our season there was a boy who told me, “Miss Jackie, I don't think I can run a long race." I told him we are going to work hard and that he'll do great! On race day we found each other towards the end of the 5K and he told me how excited he was that he'd gotten this far. I said, “do you think you can sprint towards the finish line?” and he smiled and said, “I'll race you!” We raced together and once we were done he hugged me and said, “thank you for pushing me, Miss Jackie!”

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Coach Frank - Urban Initiatives - Chicago, IL

Honestly, my favorite moments have been seeing kids from schools that I'm no longer with. At countless game days, retreats, etc. I get so many high fives, hugs, and "COACH FRANK!”'s. That makes me feel like I made a difference in their lives with the year that I spent with them last year.

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Coach Noelia - Chicago Run - Chicago, IL

My favorite coaching memory happened this past fall during our fall race with the kids. I was running with one of my 4th students, Destiny, and it was her first 5k race. During the race she did great and kept a nice and steady pace, but the moment she crossed the finish line she began to cry happy tears because she didn't think she could finish the race. Seeing her believe in herself was my favorite moment as a coach this year.

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Coach Spencer - South Eugene Rowing Club - Eugene, OR

My favorite moment (or sequence of events rather), was coaching an athlete who had tried and failed multiple times to complete a certain workout. Eventually, with enough time and input, they were able to finish this challenging workout and feel good about it. I enjoyed seeing their boosted self-esteem and progress through the fall.

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Coach Zoe - George Pocock Foundation - Seattle, WA

One of my more challenging athletes had an unexpected gold medal win at regionals, exceeding everyone's expectations. At our end of year party, she let her guard down for long enough to share a moment of mutual respect and appreciation with me, and made me feel so good to feel like I had impacted the life of this kid in a positive way, since she had certainly done the same for me.

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Coach Jacinto - enFamilia - Homestead, FL

I believe this was a year of growth for me in Up2Us Sports. I believe I developed a deeper understanding of our mentorship tactics, strategies and techniques and was able to apply them more naturally and more effectively. I believe that my youth and I hold a stronger bond than in the beginning of the year and that I have a stronger influence in their lives. I'm personally thankful for the experiences that the Up2Us Sports staff leaders have granted me, including my horrendously executed first pitch at the Marlins game and the opportunity to learn about UM's basketball team culture.

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Coach Hel Say - Soccer Without Borders - Oakland, CA

There were a lot of my favorite memories from 2016, but my very favorite memory was when my girls won their first game during the season. Seeing the girls happy is one of the best feelings in this world. They came up to me with a big smile on their faces and said, "we did it coach Hel Say because we were working together and playing together as a team." They said, “we worked so hard and now we won!” I told them, “it's not all about winning, but I'm so proud of you girls - the way you treated each other with love, respect, and caring hearts makes me happy. Plus, you respected the other team and refs and that's what sport is all about.”

A Coach-Mentor's Reflections

By: Coach Lindsey

40 balls, 32 cones, 22 kids and 12 weeks. These are the numbers I was thinking about four years ago as I walked into an old gymnasium in Chester, Pennsylvania, an underserved community outside of Philadelphia. I clutched the Soccer for Success curriculum both nervously and excitedly. The integration of nutrition into soccer practices was right up my alley and I was looking forward to sharing my knowledge of both soccer and nutrition with my players.

22 kindergarteners, first-graders, and second-graders burst into the gym with huge smiles and clumsy feet, and that easily, my work had started. Throughout the first few weeks, both myself and my coaching partner, Dayna worked tirelessly to teach the kids how to dribble, pass, and most importantly how to keep their growing bodies healthy. Soon Dayna and I started building relationships with the kids and were able to see their strengths both on the soccer field and in their character.

Two players in particular caught on quickly to the logic of the sport and technical skills needed for the game of soccer - Eli and Emmanuel, a set of twins. They were basketball players at heart but within a few weeks, together, they were unstoppable on the field. Though they picked up the soccer skills quickly, they struggled with the nutrition portion of the curriculum. “But Coach Lindsey, fruits and veggies are yucky,” they would grumble. Both couldn’t grasp why we encouraged eating certain foods over others, and scoffed at us whenever we mentioned eating “a rainbow of foods”. Over the course of a few weeks, Dayna and I tried to reach the root of their issue with healthy foods. We found that the reason for this was because healthy food was not readily available to them.

That was when I realized how meaningful our positions as coach-mentors were. These kids needed extra guidance - someone to look out for them, someone to praise them, and someone who would support them on both their good and bad days.

Since then, I have coach-mentored at three programs in Chester, Pennsylvania, Orlando, Florida, and now in Washington, D.C. At each site the kids are different. However, the mission is still the same as when I walked into that gym in Chester four years ago: to create healthy lifestyles in kids and present them with life skills that they will use for years to come.

My favorite part of being a coach-mentor with Soccer for Success has remained the same - the gratification of seeing a player transform throughout the season.  In Chester, Camille came into the program angry and left at the end of the season smiling because she had found her balance within soccer. In Orlando, Tyree brought a salty and spicy snack every day to practice. By the end of the season, he would show up with an apple or carrots and would even share with some of his teammates. Samuel was encouraged to join DC SCORES, (Washington D.C.’s Soccer for Success program) by his mom who was worried that he was not socially outgoing. This season, he has shined as a defender and has made a good deal of friends that share his passion for soccer.

These are the stories of why I became involved and why I stay involved in Soccer for Success: the changes I see in the kids during the season are absolutely incredible, and have truly changed the way I view the sport I love, the kids I work with, and my outlook on life.

Every season, regardless of what city or program I’m working in, the kids make me a better coach. In return, I am gifted to help them transform into distinguished young leaders both on and off the soccer field.

Coach Lindsey is an Up2Us Sports coach thanks to the generous support of AmeriCorps.

Originally posted on the U.S. Soccer Foundation Blog.

Veteran Coach Sean Johnson Making an Impact in Philadelphia

My name is Sean Johnson and I am a veteran of the United States Air Force. I served in the Desert Storm conflict, returned home and was shot in the back in my neighborhood. I was left a paraplegic with little hope from the medical establishment that I would ever walk again. There was a time I thought my life was over but it was just the beginning. Through prayer, a consistent support system and an undeniable desire to walk, I did just that. I actually ran! For several years I was able to walk with the aid of a fixed leg brace. Complications from an ulcer years later resulted in the amputation of my right leg below the knee. I was introduced to wheelchair sports and began playing basketball and tennis. In addition to a host of gold medals from the annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games, I was one of twelve selected in 2014 to represent the East in the NWBA All Star Game in New Orleans.

I’ve always loved sports and being re-acquainted with them after losing my leg helped me to cope with my situation better. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I felt the need to help someone else. I have a heart for the disabled, veterans and our youth. Working with Up2Us Sports has allowed me to address and service all three of these groups. The training Up2Us Sports provided for me is something I will never forget! I learned how to reach those who are in need, and through the power of sports, guide them to a happier, healthier and more satisfying life.

Now, as a coach with Up2Us Sports I get to make a positive difference in the community and work with some great organizations such as the Police Athletic League (PAL) and Philadelphia 76ers.

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Sean Johnson began his one-year service term at Philly PAL through Up2Us Sports' Operation Coach Program in August 2016. His position is generously funded by Toyota.