School District Benefits of Partnering with PCA

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) partners with school districts nationwide to create positive, inclusive cultures within their athletic departments and after-school programs. By focusing on social-emotional learning (SEL), equity, and accessibility, PCA helps districts build environments where all students can thrive.

PCA’s approach goes beyond developing athletic or program-specific skills; it integrates SEL to nurture life skills like teamwork, resilience, empathy, and responsible decision-making. Whether on the field, in the gym, or during after-school activities, districts are using PCA’s tools and strategies to transform sports and play into powerful platforms for character-building and social-emotional growth.

• Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is assisting leaders in athletics departments in creating a positive culture, while also equipping their coaches with tools necessary to improve their players’ resilience, sportsmanship, and character on and off the field.
• PCA uses a systems approach to ensure that all constituents are aligned in order to create a positive culture.  This includes: Leaders, Coaches, Parents and Students/Athletes.
• Leaders have the ability to learn from the Positive Youth Sports Culture Index, which helps schools assess their current status, set goals, implement strategies, and track their progress toward improvement.
• The workshop curriculum for Coaches is varied and includes opportunities to learn about:
  • Developing Competitors and Mental Wellness through Positive Coaching
  • Coaching with Empathy
  • Using Positive Motivation to get the Best Out of Athletes
  • The Pursuit of Peak Performance through Mastery
  • How to build Culture through Honoring the Game
• For student-athletes, PCA has developed a Character and Leadership Development Program, which will provide the student-athletes valuable skills that will benefit them in athletic competitions, the classrooms, their communities and their future careers

If you support kids during out-of-school time hours through sport, play, or movement, you are a coach! PCA Workshops are aligned with California After School Physical Activity Guidelines.

• Professional Development for Staff: Equip after-school staff with tools to integrate SEL into programming, fostering students’ resilience, empathy, and leadership.
• Create Inclusive Environments: Empower staff to build equitable, accessible spaces where all students feel supported and valued.
• Support Continuous Quality Improvement: Leverage the Positive Youth Development Culture Index to set goals, track progress, and improve program culture.
• Enhance Staff-Student Relationships: Train staff to strengthen connections with students, promoting trust, engagement, and a sense of belonging.
• Leverage a Systems Approach: Align leaders, staff, students, and families to create a unified and supportive culture for expanded learning.
• Volunteer Coach Recruitment: Provide tools and training to recruit and equip volunteer coaches with the skills needed to support SEL and positive youth development (K-5 Only).

PCA was instrumental in the development and implementation of Oakland Unified School District’s Elementary School Sports Program, which created a range of new sports offerings to over 4,000 children in grades K-5 afterschool at 51 sites and on Saturdays. Why Equity Matters