PCA is thrilled to announce our National Partnership with Cloud9- one of the most recognizable esports organizations in the world. We understand that the unique nature of eSports creates the need for coaches with a pretty specific skill set, and Cloud9 started their “Training Grounds” youth development program while providing the skillsets, knowledge, and experience for coaches to teach esports and life lessons.

PCA initially started working with Cloud9’s Training Grounds program at the start of the year, as Cloud9 was willing to invest in good people to put them through amazing experiences, including our Positive Coaching Alliance workshops. PCA worked directly with their Training Grounds group leaders to put a minimum of 250 coaches through PCA’s Developing Competitors workshop, customizing scenarios and language to directly tie into the esports world.

We decided to go bigger--in the true spirit of partnership, we are now working together on a national scale to positively grow esports for youth, and improve the esports sportsmanship culture.

"With PCA’s background in creating a positive youth development experience for all kids through research-based training and resources and Cloud9’s expertise in the gaming experience, we will work together and leverage the strengths of both organizations to increase awareness of esports. This partnership will help us achieve our organizational objectives to ensure we are providing a safe, inclusive culture for youth, that molds character and prepares them for competition and for life."

- Jason Sacks, PCA Executive Vice President

"Our partnership with the PCA is a symbol of our aligned interests to provide a space where young people can come together and excel at their craft. Training Grounds is determined to not just provide top-of-the-line access to coaches and professional players, but most importantly to teach our players to be excellent at what they do. While esports requires a different type of physical engagement than traditional sports, it is clear our work with the PCA guides us in developing great leaders, teammates, and work ethic."

- Jeff Collett, Camp Director at Cloud9 Training Grounds

Jack Etienne, founder and CEO of Cloud9 will join PCA’s world-class National Advisory Board as a voice of esports to increase awareness and help ensure esports are ingrained into the youth sports culture in a positive, impactful way.

"I’ve been very fortunate to have a chance to see firsthand time and time again what an amazing force for good esports can be. Bringing these experiences to the future generations of esports has been a passion project of mine for some time, and teaming up with PCA is an incredible next step in truly making esports an opportunity for everyone."

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Our national partnership will include collaboration on content and sharing resources specific to esports, hosting live webinars to help the youth sports community learn about the benefits of esports, and bringing PCA principles into the Cloud9 vernacular in tangible ways, easily digested and understood by coaches, parents and athletes.

About Cloud9

Cloud9 Esports is one of the most recognizable esports organizations in the world. With championships across numerous esports titles and millions of fans across the world, Cloud9 currently fields professional teams in Chess, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, Halo, Hearthstone, League of Legends, Overwatch, PUBG: Mobile, Rainbow Six Siege, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Teamfight Tactics, VALORANT, and World of Warcraft. To find more information about Cloud9, visit https://www.cloud9.gg.

Cloud9 is also the operator of Training Grounds, an esports development program dedicated to making people better players and players better people, bringing similar opportunities to youth esports as exist in traditional sports. Cloud9 leverages its professional eSport experience from years of experience competing at the highest level around the world to provide this experience for North American players and fans. For more information on Training Grounds, visit https://www.traininggrounds.gg.

About Positive Coaching Alliance

As a catalyst for a positive youth sports culture, Positive Coaching Alliance provides research-based training and resources for coaches, parents, athletes, and leaders to ensure a positive youth development experience for ALL kids, in all communities across the U.S., through sports. 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.

PCA believes that all youth can benefit from a positive, inclusive sports culture that develops social and emotional skills, molds character, and prepares them for competition and life. In more than two decades of work, PCA expanded from a small local nonprofit to a strong, nationwide organization that provides programming in all 50 states, reaching thousands of organizations around the country and positively impacting millions of youth athletes every year. PCA has now 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.