Game Changer Awards & Benefit: What A Night!

January 26, 2023: San Francisco, California - What a night! The 2023 Positive Coaching Alliance Game Changer Awards and Benefit was truly a special evening. Throughout the event, we heard inspiring stories from professional athletes and coaches highlighting the importance of the power of sports done right and the lasting impact a positive coach can have on a young person.

Positive Coaching Alliance is focused on ensuring that every young person benefits from a positive youth sports experience with a coach who inspires them to become the best version of themselves in the game and in life, regardless of social or economic circumstances. Through our delivery of low-to-no-cost trainings for under-resourced schools, school districts, and youth sports organizations, and our local community-based work looking at the sports equity gaps that exist and opportunities to close them - we are accelerating a positive youth sports experience for all.

Coach of the Year - Theresa Sherry

Community Impact Award - Curry Brand

Event highlights included:

• Golden State Warriors Center Kevon Looney, Oakland Athletics Manager Mark Kotsay, San Francisco Giants Pitcher Logan Webb honored their coaches and mentors
• Under Armour, Four-Time NBA Champion Stephen Curry’s Curry Brand, was honored with a Community Impact Award
• Women’s Soccer Greats Brandi Chastain, Aly Wagner, Danielle Slaton, and Leslie Osborne shared their efforts to bring a National Women’s Soccer League team to the Bay Area
• Positive Coaching Alliance awarded Theresa Sherry with the Coach of the Year Award, as part of the Double-Goal Coach® awards program presented by TeamSnap
• Houston Astros Manager and PCA national advisory board member Dusty Baker was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award

We also heard more about the work of one of our partners, San Francisco Recreation and Parks, to create access to sports opportunities and a positive sports experience. This work is critical to PCA's mission. San Francisco is one of three communities, including Oakland and San Diego, that are a part of our Sports Equity Initiative where we work with the community to create task forces to make change and create more opportunities for kids to play, especially kids in low-income neighborhoods of color.

To view the full program, see below:

To see the full album of photos from the event, click here.

The annual Game Changer Awards and Benefit was hosted by NBC Bay Area’s anchor Raj Mathai and San Francisco Giants and MLB Network reporter and host Amy Gutierrez.

Want to help create a positive youth sports culture? Click here to learn more.

Coverage from the Event

San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb on Jason Adams, MLB Network

Oakland A’s manager Mark Kotsay on Augie Garrido, MLB Network 

How A’s manager Mark Kotsay’s career was shaped by legendary college coach, San Francisco Chronicle 

Warriors’ Kevon Looney honors Milwaukee coach who transformed his childhood, San Francisco Chronicle 

Dusty Baker on lessons from Bill Walsh, Hank Aaron, Jack Ramsay and more, The Athletic