Positive Coaching Alliance

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national non-profit organization that provides training workshops to coaches, parents, and administrators of schools and youth sports organizations in the United States. Founded in 1998, PCA has conducted more than 5,000 workshops for more than 1,100 schools or youth sports organizations, affecting more than 3 million youth and high school athletes. PCA Founder and Executive Director Jim Thompson launched PCA in 1998 within the Stanford University Athletic Department after seeing a "win-at-all-cost" mentality in youth sports while coaching his son’s baseball team. Positive Coaching Alliance was created with the mission to "transform youth sports so sports can transform youth."

Thompson, who served more than ten years as the Director of Public and Global Management Programs at Stanford University, in 2004 was recognized as an Fellow for outstanding social entrepreneurship. He has authored four books on coaching: "Positive Coaching in a Nutshell" (2007), "The Double Goal Coach" (2003), "Shooting in the Dark: Tales of Coaching and Leadership" (1998), and "Positive Coaching: Building Character and Self-Esteem Through Sports" (1995).

Mission

"Transforming youth sports so sports can transform youth"

PCA’s philosophy focuses on sports as an opportunity for character education, espousing the Double-Goal Coach, whose first goal is winning, and whose second, more important goal is teaching life lessons through sports.

Positive Coaching Alliance has three national goals:

1. Replace "win-at-all-cost" coaching with Double-Goal Coaching

2. Help youth sports organization leaders create a culture in which "Honoring the Game" is the norm

3. Spark and fuel a "social epidemic" of Positive Coaching in the United States

Philosophy

Positive Coaching Alliance developed "The Positive Coaching Mental Model," [ [http://www.positivecoach.org/ConPics/Con4/pcmm_research.pdf "The Positive Coach Mental Model: Research Summary"] ] a research summary based upon several psychological studies, in order to guide youth sports coaches in creating positive and effective team cultures. The model comprises three principles:

*Redefining "Winner"Focusing on mastery of skill, rather than on scoreboard results, decreases anxiety and gives youth athletes a sense of control over the outcome. Positive Coaches recognize that mistakes are an inevitable part of sports and cultivate effort rather than concern about outcome, fostering an environment in which players don't fear making mistakes.

*Filling "Emotional Tanks"Positive Coaches frequently give truthful, specific praise, laying the groundwork for "teachable moments," when players will be receptive to specific, constructive criticism.

*Honoring the GamePositive Coaches train their athletes to respect Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates, and Self.

The National Advisory Board

Notable figures from sports, academia and business comprise PCA’s National Advisory Board:

"PCA National Spokesperson:"

* Phil Jackson, Head Coach, Los Angeles Lakers

"Board Members:"

* Bill Bradley, Former US Senator; two-time NBA champion; Captain of 1964 gold-medal winning US Olympic basketball team

* Summer Sanders, Olympic Gold Medalist in Swimming

* Kerri Strug, Olympic Gold Medalist in Gymnastics

* Dean Smith, Former Head Coach, University of North Carolina Men’s Basketball

* Larry Brown, NBA and NCAA Champion Coach; member, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

* Joy Fawcett, Olympic Gold Medalist, US Women's National Soccer Team

* Herm Edwards, Head Coach, Kansas City Chiefs

* Doc Rivers, Head Coach, Boston Celtics

* Steve Kerr, General Manager, Phoenix Suns

* Nadia Comaneci, Olympic Gold Medalist in Gymnastics

* Others are listed below. [

* Brad Ausmus, Catcher, Houston Astros

* Jennifer Azzi, NCAA Champion and Olympic Basketball Gold Medalist

* Albert Bandura, Stanford Department of Psychology, author of Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control

* Ruthie Bolton, Olympic Gold Medalist in Basketball

* Bart Conner, Olympic Gold Medalist in Gymnastics

* Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, Claremont Graduate University, author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

* William Damon, Director, Stanford Center on Adolescence; author of Greater Expectations

* Rick Davis, National Executive Director, American Youth Soccer Organization

* Donna de Varona, Olympic Gold Medalist in Swimming

* Howard Gardner, Harvard Graduate School of Education, author of Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership

* Tony Granato, Assistant Coach, Colorado Avalanche

* Jack Kemp, Chairman, USA Football

* Jerry Kindall, Head Coach (ret.), University of Arizona Baseball; Senior Advisor, USA Baseball

* Alexi Lalas, President & General Manager, Los Angeles Galaxy

* Donna Lopiano, Executive Director, Women’s Sports Foundation

* Ronnie Lott, Member of National Football League Hall of Fame

* Steve Mariucci, Commentator, NFL Network; former NFL Head Coach

* Chris Moore (film producer), Producer, "Good Will Hunting"

* Mark Murphy (Redskins), CEO, Green Bay Packers

* Charles Phillips (businessman), President, Oracle Corporation

* Jerry I. Porras, Professor emeritus Stanford Graduate School of Business, co-author of Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

* Dot Richardson, Director, National Training Center for Sports, Health & Fitness; Olympic Gold Medalist in Softball

* Lee Shulman, Director, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

* Steven Smith (astronaut), NASA Astronaut; All-American Water Polo Player

* Leigh Steinberg, Steinberg, Tollner & Moon Sports Management

* Gene Washington, Director of Football Development, National Football League

* Doug Wilson (ice hockey), General Manager, San Jose Sharks

* Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants, 2002 Cy Young Award winner

* In Memoriam: Bill Walsh (American football coach), (1931–2007)Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers, Head Coach of three Super Bowl Champions]

Awards

The Positive Coaching Alliance gives out the Ronald L. Jensen award for Lifetime Achievement. The winners include:
* 2008 - Jim Sochor

Corporate Alliance Partners

NikeGo, Deloitte, Liberty Mutual, Continental Airlines

National Youth Sports Organization Partners

Little League Baseball, US Lacrosse, American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), US Club Soccer, USA Rugby, Ice Skating Institute, Pop Warner, USA Water Polo

References

* [http://www.positivecoach.org Positive Coaching Alliance Official Web Page] Retrieved January 2008.

External links

* [http://www.positivecoach.org Positive Coaching Alliance]
* [http://www.responsiblesports.com Liberty Mutual’s Responsible Sports]