The Hiram College Sport Management Department has established a partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a national non-profit working to provide all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building sports experience.
The partnership provides Hiram College Sport Management students access to PCA’s training for coaches, sports parents, student-athletes, and administrators, through live group workshops, online courses, and additional online resources, such as follow-up tips and reminders for using sports as a positive youth development tool.
PCA has partnered with roughly 3,500 schools, districts, conferences, youth sports organizations, and park-and-rec departments to create a Development Zone® culture, with the goal of using youth and high school sports to create a positive youth sports experience.
“We look forward to working with Hiram College,” said Jason Sacks, president of Positive Coaching Alliance. “We appreciate the department leadership making a positive sports experience a priority for all involved, including student-athletes, coaches, and parents. When sports are done right, we know it can be an amazing opportunity not only to strive to win but more importantly, teach life lessons that will stay with our youth long after their playing days are over.”
“The Positive Coaching Alliance provides outstanding resources for coach development,” said Joanna Line, Ph.D., assistant professor of sport management and fieldwork and partnerships coordinator. This partnership enables students to complete evidence-based trainings and explore a rich library of resources that will supplement their coursework. Engaging with these resources will help students develop their skills to be effective, person-centered coaches in any sport and at any level. Hiram students who take the course Principles of Coaching and Leadership will earn three certifications from PCA by the end of the course, including Double-Goal Coach: Developing the Triple-Impact Competitor, Double-Goal Coach: Culture, Practices and Games, and Coaching with Empathy. Additionally, a live training for sport administrators will be open to all members of the Hiram community in the spring,” said Joanna Line, Ph.D., assistant professor of sport management and fieldwork and partnerships coordinator.
For information about the partnership, please contact Dr. Line at linejm@hiram.edu. For more information about Hiram College’s Sport Management undergraduate and graduate programs, click here.
About Positive Coaching Alliance
PCA’s vision is to build a world where every child benefits from a positive youth sports experience with a coach who inspires them to become the best version of themselves in the game and in life. We train coaches and partner with youth sports organizations, parents, sports leaders, and communities to make youth sports more positive, equitable, and accessible to all kids regardless of social or economic circumstances. For more information, go to positivecoach.org.
