February 27th, 2024 – Westfield, Indiana – Indiana Soccer Association recently secured 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 Indiana Soccer Association membership access to PCA’s training for coaches, sports parents, student-athletes, and administrators, through live group workshops, online courses, and added online resources, such as follow-up tips and reminders for using sports as a positive youth development tool.
PCA has partnered with 20+ million youth; provided 20,000+ live group workshops for leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes; as well as 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 experience.
“We are thrilled to partner with Indiana Soccer Association to create the best possible sports experience for all youth soccer players,” said Positive Coaching Alliance President Jason Sacks. “We are grateful to state leadership for prioritizing making a positive youth sports experience for all involved, including 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 skills that will stay with our youth long after their playing days are over.”
“PCA is perfectly aligned with the mission and goals of Indiana Soccer and its member clubs. It is a joy to be able to collaborate with PCA, a long-time trusted contributor to the favorable playing environment that Indiana Soccer and its member clubs are striving to secure. The partnership with PCA and the collaborative work to which we are all committed will help produce an enhanced environment for all the children that we have the privilege of serving,” said Indiana Soccer Executive Director Dave Guthrie.
“For many years, PCA has been at the forefront of providing a positive approach that gets the most from youth and high school athletes. This is the environment coaches, parents and the athletes want,” stated Steve Franklin, ISA Director of Coaching Education. “However, we now have seen that environment needs to include training for our parents, coaches, referees and club leaders to enhance that positive approach.”
For information about the dates and locations of upcoming in-person and online PCA presentations and seminars please contact Steve Franklin, Director of Coaching Education, Indiana Soccer at steve@soccerindiana.org
About Positive Coaching Alliance
PCA’s 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. For more information, go to positivecoach.org
For more information about the Indiana Soccer Association, please visit us at soccerindiana.org.