Frequently asked questions
- Why are PCA and Coaching Corps Merging?
- PCA and Coaching Corps are announcing their intent to merge to form what we believe will be a true force in the youth sports space. Fusing the strengths, experience, and passion within our organizations will not only expand our collective reach and impact but will also help ensure that every young person, regardless of social and economic circumstance, can benefit from a positive youth sports experience with a coach who inspires them to become the best version of themselves - in competition and in life.
- Why does this combination make sense and how does it support each organization’s mission?
- PCA and Coaching Corps share a culture centered on improving the well-being of young people by providing access to the social and emotional benefits that can be delivered through trained coaches and sports programming done right. And while both organizations are formidable in their own rights, there are distinct strengths to each that allow us to complement one another in a way that will deliver an impact greater than the sum of our parts.
- You’ve worked separately in the youth sports space for some time, why are you merging now?
- Youth sports is at a critical inflection point in our country. The ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic have driven an explosion in the number and severity of traumas experienced by young people throughout the U.S., but especially for Black and Brown families whose communities were hit particularly hard by the brunt of COVID-related impacts. There’s never been a more important time to combine our strengths to create an organization that can meet the increasingly complex needs of children throughout our country by changing the culture of youth sports.
- What will the merged organization look like moving forward?
- The merged organization will retain the PCA name and will continue to work to change the culture of youth sports so that coaches and youth sports programs everywhere can play an integral role in fostering the social, emotional, academic, and physical health of the next generation. Coaching Corps CEO, Janet Carter, will lead the combined PCA as soon as the merger closes. Janet’s leadership, energy, and passion for youth have facilitated important work at Coaching Corps over the past several years, especially in low-income communities of color. She is incredibly committed to the success of this merger and to ensuring the new PCA expands its work to change the culture of youth sports. Wally Haas and Laura Hazlett will co-chair the board. Wally founded and has been serving as Chair of Coaching Corps since 2002. Laura has been on the PCA Board since February 2013 and has been serving as chair of the Governance Committee for the last 3 years; she is currently PCA’s board chair. Additionally, members from both boards will be invited to join the new board, and we expect that nearly all will.
- When do you expect the merger to close?
- We expect the merger to close on Friday, April 1st, 2022.
- How will this impact programming?
- We will continue to develop content and workshops that ensure that every young person has access to a positive youth sports experience. This merger will only broaden our reach and impact both nationally and in regions across the country.
- Should we expect staff layoff and in what departments?
- We don’t expect this merger to lead to any staff or budget reductions at either organization. Leadership sees this powerful combination as more of a lock and fit than an overlap and expects to leverage the contributions of every team member to accomplish our goals.
- What can we do to help support PCA moving forward?
- So many partners, coaches, schools, etc. have worked alongside us to get us to this very exciting point in our history. We simply could not have accomplished what we have without you. There’s so much more to be done and, with your continued help, the merged PCA is in a better position than ever to make a real difference for all youth in all communities. Sign up for alerts below to learn how you can make a big difference in the youth sports field and continue to support young people through sports.