Jack and Sheila Weinberg recently endowed the Head Men’s Soccer Coach position at their alma mater, the University of Denver, because of what current Head Coach Jamie Franks is doing to "build young men, not just great soccer players." Jack, a PCA supporter and local Board Member in Chicago, has now coached for almost 50 years and was a proponent of positive coaching even before he knew it. Weinberg has also been a longtime board member for AHAI (Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois), where he heads up the High School and Suspension Review committees.

When we sat down with Jack to learn more about why he supports PCA, we not only learned about why positive coaching was important to him, but we also got a masterclass in positive coaching learned through 50 years. Weinberg was first introduced to PCA in an article during his years as a High School soccer coach and was most struck by how the results one achieves with positivity, both on and off the field, were simply better! As he mentioned, "the experience for players and coaches alike [when being positive] is just better. There are fewer and fewer right ways to coach, but I always found the more I listened to players and inspired them, the better the results were." And that’s saying something, given Weinberg’s coaching tenure, and that kids he coached now have their own kids. What might be even more telling, though, is that Coach Weinberg not only talks the talk, he walks the walk...

Weinberg was not just full of coaching advice and ready to share his coaching wisdom with us at a moment's notice, but he also gave specific stories he recalled from his coaching career that illustrate what kind of person he is. The word accountability immediately comes to mind with Jack Weinberg— he even suspended himself as a Coach for behavior he was not proud of or demonstrative of who he wanted to be, adamant to be better next time.

Given his 50 years of coaching, we are proud that Jack is also an amazing supporter of PCA. "I truly believe in PCA’s goals, the message, and sports done the right way," Weinberg explained. "Positive Coaching makes the game better and doesn’t take anything away- how could I not support PCA?"

Ultimately, if 50 years of coaching has taught him anything, Weinberg believes that outside of family, coaches can be the most important role models in the lives of their student-athletes, and he's experienced that firsthand. Weinberg supports PCA to help ensure that coaches make a positive difference in the lives of kids rather than a negative one.