NORTHAMPTON — With the help of an established national nonprofit organization, the Northampton Parks and Recreation Department are spearheading workshop in September dedicated to fostering a positive environment in youth sports culture.
The department will host a coaches training workshop with Positive Coaching Alliance, the nonprofit organization that works to provide a positive experience for youth and high school athletes, on Sept. 7 at the Elks Club on 17 Spring St. from 9-11 a.m.
According to Shelby Michna, the assistant director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, the collaboration with Positive Coaching Alliance made sense since their goals aligned with the department’s when it comes to training coaches to make sure they foster supportive conditions for youth athletes.
“We’ve always offered some type of coach training,” Michna said. “And Positive Coaches Alliance really aligned with our goals, and we’ve been exploring working with them over the past year.”
With the help of a Million Coaches Challenge Grant, which is awarded through the National Recreation and Park Association, the Parks and Recreation Department was able to partner with Positive Coach Alliance to offer two coaching training sessions this year: the first on Sept. 7, and another one before the holidays.
The Sept. 7 one in particular will be a foundational coaching clinic called “Developing Competitors Through Positive Coaching,” which Michna said is available for coaches from every sport. A representative from Positive Coaching Alliance will be flown out to lead both sessions.
“[The first workshop] is not really just for fall sports,” Michna said. “It’s for any sport.”
According to a flyer from Positive Coaching Alliance, workshop content includes research-based insights from experts in coaching, education and sports psychology hands-on training in field-tested practical, tips and tools that coaches can implement, and the application of PCA tools and principles through activities and discussions to equip coaches to handle common challenges in youth sports.
Michna said that coaches who participate in the workshop will officially be PCA certified.
“We’re pretty excited about this,” Michna said. “I just think it is such an important thing in youth sports is having a positive culture. So many kids quit playing sports so young, and this organization really can teach parents, not even about the sports part, but how you’re really developing people.”
For those who cannot make the in-person event, Michna said there is an online workshop that coaches can complete at their own pace. As of press time, there were around 40 seats available for that.
Michna said the Sept. 7 workshop is for coaches with any type of experience and at any level, whether that be youth sports or high school. She said that even parents who may not be interested in coaching but still want to change the culture of youth sports can participate in the workshop if they want.
“Character building and team building are important at all levels,” Michna said.
The event is free and Michna said that light refreshments and raffles will also be available. People interested in participating can register online: https://tinyurl.com/y6ejcrfn. Free childcare will also be available at JFK Middle School for coaches who are participating in the training.
According to Northampton’s website, the National Recreation and Park Association’s goal through the Million Coaches Challenge initiative is train 30,000 youth sports coaches in positive youth development across the country.
Positive Coaching Alliance has a mission is to change the culture of youth sports so that every child, regardless of social or economic circumstance, has access to a positive youth sports experience. They have collaborated with many professional sports teams in the past, as well.
