About Positive Coaching Alliance

Yes! PCA offers live workshops and online courses

• PCA workshops combine the latest in sports and educational-psychology and organizational behavior with practical advice from a National Advisory Board of top pro and college athletes and coaches who use our principles at the highest levels of competition. All workshops are highly interactive and facilitated by PCA Trainers with deep experience in coaching, sports parenting, athletic administration or all three. We have workshops for:
  • Coaches
  • Athletes
  • Parents
  • Youth Sport Organization Leaders
  • Business Teams
• Whether you simply want to improve your youth sports experience or your school/organization has directed you to these courses, PCA’s online courses will benefit you and the youth you serve!
  • PCA offers seven online courses – all research-based and designed to help coaches, parents, athletes, and officials ensure that winning happens both on and off the field in youth sports.
  • Courses are self-paced, take up to 60 minutes to complete, and include instructional modules and opportunities for interactivity and reflection. They also feature easy-to-use tools and tips to help you put positive coaching practices to work right away!
    • COACHING FOR WINNING AND LIFE LESSONS
    • CULTURE, PRACTICES AND GAMES
    • DEVELOPING THE TRIPLE-IMPACT COMPETITOR®
    • HONORING THE GAME: THE OFFICIAL’S ROLE IN CREATING A POSITIVE YOUTH SPORTS CULTURE
    • POSITIVE SPORTS PARENT: DEVELOPING WINNERS IN LIFE THROUGH SPORTS
    • TRIPLE-IMPACT COMPETITOR®: A LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP FOR ATHLETES
    • COACHING WITH EMPATHY

PCA offers hundreds of resources for coaches, parents, athletes, leaders, and anyone that works with youth athletes to ensure a positive, equitable and accessible youth sports experience for all.

Our Ask PCA service has answered hundreds of questions over the years. Most come from coaches and parents trying to serve youth as well as possible, but not always knowing how.

The questions that seem to apply most broadly and can benefit most from community input go onto the blog. Others are answered by private email. Leave your question here, and you can generally expect to hear from PCA within one week.

We seek individuals committed to the PCA mission to conduct in-person and/or Zoom workshops for coaches, athletes, parents, and organizational leaders for schools and youth sports organizations. Ideal candidates for this part-time employee position have experience with sports, can adapt easily to changing situations and priorities, and demonstrate the ability to connect with people and foster a feeling of belonging. Previous experience facilitating or leading youth ages 5-18 and/or adult learners through group activities is a plus. Learn more.

If you are having an issue receiving your workshop certificate or accessing an online course, please complete the form and a member of our team will reach out to you to resolve your issue.

Please send an email message to [email protected]

A positive approach to coaching helps youth get the most out of sports, which is what coaches, parents, and the athletes themselves want. Encouraging athletes with positive reinforcement helps them hear and heed the necessary corrections.

With that winning combination of truthful, specific praise and constructive criticism, athletic performance improves and so do the chances that kids stick with sports longer and learn all the valuable life lessons inherently available through organized competition. Academic research and real-world scoreboard results from millions of coaches, parents and athletes that PCA has trained and educated prove what the pro and college coaches on PCA’s National Advisory Board already know: Positive is powerful.

PCA offers resources, training, and more to help coaches be positive.

Positive Coaches strive to develop their athletes as competitors and ensure the development of life skills by creating a positive sports culture. Here are simple but powerful things you can do to have a lifetime impact on your athletes as a Positive Coach:

• Prioritize Building Trusting Relationships
  • Check-in with athletes as they arrive at practices and games
  • Plan games/activities that help players connect with one another
  • Listen to understand the perspectives of your athletes, and validate them
• Adopt a Mastery-Focused Skill Development Mindset
  • Praise effort over of results
  • Reframe mistakes as learning opportunities
  • Provide truthful, specific feedback
• Create a Positive Team Culture
  • Encourage teammates to celebrate and acknowledge each other’s successes
  • Give athletes the opportunity to voice their opinions and shape team values
  • Acknowledge that athletes come to practice in the context of their day and provide any support they may need
• Show Players That You Want to Be There
  • Always show up to scheduled practices and games on time, unless you have communicated to the players and families otherwise
  • Be mindful of your tone and body language, does it communicate that you are happy to be there with them?
  • Participate safely and appropriately in practice and have fun with your team
• Make Parents an Asset to Your Team
  • Engage parents early with a pre-season meeting to set expectations and relay your coaching philosophy and goals for the season
  • Ask parents to help out with snack breaks, carpools, and making signs for big games
• Help transform the culture of youth sports. Embrace your role as a Positive Coach and let people know that you are coaching to develop competitors and life skills. Encourage others to become part of the PCA movement.

Sports equity ensures all kids, regardless of socio-economic status, race, or gender, have equal access to youth sports benefits. It involves removing barriers that hinder participation for marginalized communities.

Equity in youth sports ensures all children, regardless of background, can participate and benefit. Marginalized communities face barriers like high costs, lack of facilities, and limited access to quality coaching, preventing many kids from reaping the benefits of sports. Advocating for equity means promoting fair access and opportunities, helping all young athletes thrive. Research shows that sports participation improves physical fitness, mental well-being, and life skills. Addressing the sports equity gap fosters healthier, more engaged communities, allowing every child to reach their fullest potential.

Forming Sports Equity Coalitions: These are ongoing alliances of local stakeholders committed to creating long-term strategies that tackle systemic barriers in underserved and diverse communities. Coalitions work continuously to implement initiatives that improve access to youth sports and promote equity.

Recruiting and training volunteer coaches: We focus on bringing in coaches from the local community to ensure representation and high-quality coaching in underserved areas. Click here to become a coach with a PCA partner organization.

Hosting Community Roundtables: These are focused, short-term meetings that bring together youth sports and community leaders for open dialogue and collaboration on specific equity-related challenges. The goal is to equip leaders with actionable strategies to address immediate barriers within their own programs and make them more equitable and accessible.

Providing cultural proficiency tools and resources: Our resources help foster inclusive sports environments where diversity is celebrated, and all participants feel valued.

Engaging in advocacy: Through webinars, blogs, and other educational tools, we raise awareness and promote policy reforms to support sports equity.

PCA works with thousands of youth sports organizations to train coaches, parents, athletes, umpires, and leaders. For more information about partnering your school or organization with PCA, please fill out this form, and a member of our team will contact you!

Click here to sign up to coach with a PCA partner organization near you and gain access to our trainings to prepare you for this important role.

You will be provided with the website links to our partner organizations near you. Contact the ones that align with your coaching interests and location, and PCA will provide online training and resources to give you the tools to be a positive, effective coach.

In select communities, there are priority coaching opportunities with organizations who engage low-income youth. If you sign-up for a priority coaching role, you will receive the contact information of the athletic director or volunteer coordinator directly to streamline your onboarding.