With no football, soccer, or volleyball this fall, Boston Public Schools Athletic Director Avery Esdaile and his team are doing everything they can to make sure that when these and other sports return, their student-athletes will be ready. Boston Public Schools (BPS) is teaming up with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a national nonprofit dedicated to helping do sports right so that young people build the character, leadership, grit, resilience, and compassion they need to thrive. Done right, sports help kids build essential social, emotional skills on the playing field that translate to the classroom, and to life. In partnering with PCA, BPS joins more than a dozen other large municipal school districts nationwide, including Baltimore, Chicago, Compton, Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia, Hillsborough County (FLA), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami-Dade, New York City and Portland (OR).

As part of BPS’ 60-A-Day Campaign, PCA will begin its six-workshop “Character and Leadership Development Program” for BPS high school athletes on Wednesday, October 21 at 7 pm, via Zoom. This series is designed to keep students motivated, positive, and ready to play when their sports in person return by focusing on the development of social, emotional skills, and the mental side of the game. Many BPS athletes across the city are working out on their own, and standing by hoping they can play later this year. This weekly series will help them be ready.

Beth O’Neill Maloney, the Regional Director of Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) in New England, says “This series will help BPS students not only get through the pandemic and the challenges they face, but will help students develop their abilities to lead, to be great teammates, and to make one another and the game better.”

PCA has delivered programming in person, and via Zoom, to students across New England, with positive feedback. A few comments from past participants was that the workshops are “life-changing,” “amazing,” and “a good wake-up call on my attitude,” and “I’m really gonna use this information in school, sports and even out of high school.”

The workshop series will be led by PCA Trainer Mike Jackson. Coach Jackson brings twenty years of Division I college basketball coaching experience at Detroit Mercy, University of Toledo, University of Dayton, University of Michigan, Purdue University, and Providence College. A Detroit native, Jackson played basketball at University of Detroit Mercy, and earned a Master's in Sports Management from Southern New Hampshire University. Jackson is the Assistant Director of Athletics and Club Sport Coordinator at Needham High School, and assists Needham Girls Basketball Coach Amanda Sheehy. Coach Jackson says “I’m excited to share, listen and grow with each and every one that joins us from the Boston Public Schools. Growing up in Detroit playing sports was something I loved and made me who I am. Sports are a microcosm of life and a place where we can teach and learn life lessons. Use sports as a vehicle to reach all of your goal. Sports kept me out of trouble gave me a career, and helped me make friendships I still have today.”

For more information on this BPS + PCA program, including details on how to register (registration is required), please contact or Beth O’Neill Maloney at beth_maloney@positivecoach.org.

About PCA

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) develops BETTER ATHLETES, BETTER PEOPLE through workshops and resources for youth and high school sports coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes. When sports are done right, sports teach. PCA ensures sports are ‘done right’ with programming that is research-based and designed to have impact at three levels in a youth sports organization or school:

• YOUTH experience improved life skills and character development.
• COACHES become more positive and increase their focus on using sports to teach life lessons.
• YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS AND SCHOOLS see their cultures become more positive and everyone involved has more fun.

Since 1998, PCA has reached thousands of organizations around the country, and affected millions of youth athletes. As a nationwide non-profit, PCA has partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations nationwide to deliver more than 20,000 live group workshops, reaching over 20 million youth in 20 years of work. In addition to PCA’s live workshops, PCA also offers online courses and has over 2,000 multimedia tips and tools for coaches, parents, athletes, and leaders available free of charge on PCADevZone.org.

PCA gains support from a National Advisory Board of top coaches, athletes, organization leaders and academics who share PCA’s mission, including New Englanders Tommy Amaker, Kristine Lilly, and Brad Stevens. PCA is proud to partner with the Boys & Girls Club, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and over 35 professional teams across the United States.