The PCA Blog - Cleveland

Positive Coaching Alliance Creates Partnership with Youth Challenge Thanks to Funding Support from The Enterprise Holdings Foundation

02.28.2020


February 26, 2020
The Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) received a donation from the Enterprise Holdings Foundation to support the development of a new partnership with Youth Challenge, a national non-profit organization that provides free adapted sports and recreational activities to young people with physical disabilities and their teen volunteer partners

The donation is part of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation’s annual Jack Taylor Founding Values Award program, which honors Enterprise Holdings’ regional subsidiaries for their commitment to integrating the company’s core values into their daily operations. On behalf of each regional team that wins the Founding Values Award, the Enterprise Holdings Foundation provides $40,000 in grants to benefits area non-profits.

The Enterprise Holdings Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Enterprise Holdings, which, through its integrated global network of independent regional subsidiaries and franchises, operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, and Alamo Rent A Car brands.

Through the new partnership with Youth Challenge and thanks to the Enterprise Holdings Foundation’s support, PCA was recently able to deliver a workshop for the Youth Challenge staff/coaches. Youth Challenge will also have access to additional PCA tools, resource, and training for their coaches, staff, parents, and athletes.

“Whether it’s wheelchair basketball, silly sports, or ceramics, the staff members of Youth Challenge constantly find themselves in coaching positions. As a mentor to young people with disabilities and their teen volunteer partners, positivity is essential to building meaningful relationships where all young people feel safe to try, fail, and succeed together,” said Megan Smith, Program and Arts Coordinator for Team Challenge.

“During our workshop the trainer, stressed the importance of rewarding effort over skill to motivate athletes. As YC gears up for our most anticipated program of the year, March Madness Basketball, I am reminded to shift my focus from points and fouls to effort and enjoyment. By rewarding effort, we as coaches can cultivate an athlete’s intrinsic drive to succeed in all areas of life.”

PCA has partnered with roughly 3,500 schools, districts, conferences, youth sports organizations and park-and-rec departments delivering over 20,000 live group workshops and impacting over 19.2 Million youth since the non-profit’s inception in 1998.  The programming creates a Development Zone culture, where the goal is using youth and high school sports to develop stronger social-emotional learning and leadership and reasoning developmental opportunities.

“The missions of PCA and Youth Challenge could not be in more alignment.  Both organizations fully understand that sports (and other co-curricular activities), when done right, are the largest platform outside of the classroom to develop social and emotional learning and leadership and reasoning skills regardless of physical talents or abilities,” said PCA-Cleveland Partnership and Development Manager, Ryan Virtue. “We are incredibly grateful to the Enterprise Holdings Foundation for providing us the opportunity to support the incredible work that Youth Challenge is doing for young people with physical disabilities and the teen volunteers who are also positively impacted through their involvement.  Non-profit programs like Youth Challenge are literally changing lives in our local community and we are working hard to develop more corporate backing to further support these organizations through our research based sports and educational psychology and organizational behavior tools, resources and training.”

For information about this partnership, please contact either Ryan Virtue (PCA-Cleveland) or Chris Garr (Youth Challenge).

Ryan Virtue, Positive Coaching Alliance
Tel: 440-465-6552
E-Mail: ryan_virtue@positivecoach.org

Chris Garr, Youth Challenge
Tel: 440-892-1001 x20
E-Mail: cgarr@youthchallengesports.comAbout Positive Coaching Alliance

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national non-profit organization with the mission of creating a positive, character-building youth sports environment that results in BETTER ATHLETES, BETTER PEOPLE.

Youth sports currently involves 40M children, which presents a tremendous platform on which to develop youth character and life skills. Research has shown that in order for youth to accrue these benefits from sports, sports needs to be done in a way that creates a positive youth development culture. PCA ensures sports are ‘done right’ with programming that is research-based and designed to have an impact at three levels in a youth sports organization or school:

  • Youth experience improved life skills and character development.  They also perform better!
  • Coaches become more positive and increase their focus on using sports to teach life lessons.
  • Youth Sports Organizations & Schools see their cultures become more positive and everyone involved has more fun.

Since its founding in 1998, PCA has established 18 chapters nationwide, partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations to deliver more than 20,000 live group workshops, reaching over 20 million youth. PCA offers interactive online courses and has thousands of multimedia tips and tools for coaches, parents, athletes, and leaders available free of charge on PCADevZone.org. PCA also runs two annual awards programs: a scholarship program for high school student-athletes and a coach award program to recognize youth and high school coaches who strive to win and teach life lessons.

PCA gains support from a National Advisory Board of elite coaches, professional and Olympic athletes, organization leaders, and academics who share PCA’s mission including Cleveland Indians former President/GM, Mark Shapiro, Cleveland Indians Sports & Performance Psychologist, Charlie Maher, Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach, Lindsay Gottlieb and others such as Joe Thomas, Dusty Baker, Carol Dweck, Herm Edwards, Julie Foudy, Phil Jackson, and Steve Kerr. PCA is proud to partner with more than 50 national governing bodies, youth serving organizations and professional leagues and teams including Boys & Girls Club of America, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and US Lacrosse.

To learn more about Positive Coaching Alliance, contact: Ryan Virtue (ryan_virtue@positivecoach.org) or visit https://positivecoach.org/chapters/cleveland/

About Youth Challenge

Mission

Youth Challenge brings together young people with physical disabilities and teen volunteers who inspire each other through adapted sports, recreation and social growth activities.

Vision

Youth Challenge is the recognized leader in Northeast Ohio for enriching the lives of young people of all abilities, and supporting their growth and well-being.

Youth Challenge changes lives in simple yet extraordinary ways.  Children with physical disabilities and their teen volunteer partners learn and grow through adaptive sports, recreation, art, and life-skills training.  Youth Challenge believes that, despite one’s limitations, everyone has the right to play, learn, make friends, have fun, and enjoy life in a safe, welcoming environment. No family is ever charged a fee for Youth Challenge services.

In 1976, Mary Sue (Anter) Tanis had a vision to help young people with physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy or spina bifida, engage in recreation. Mary Sue’s vision has continued to grow into a dynamic experience for hundreds of children.

YC by the numbers:

  • 200+ participants with physical disabilities, age four and older
  • 450+ teen volunteers, age 12 through 18
  • 350 year-round programs, including sports, arts, and more
  • 95% of participants receive transportation from Youth Challenge’s fleet of accessible vans
  • 50% of all participants are between the ages of eight and 13.
  • $0 is ever charged to families for programming

Programs at Youth Challenge provide a unique opportunity for teen volunteers and young people with disabilities to connect and engage one-another peer-to-peer. Each teen volunteer is trained by professionals and peers to work with children with disabilities. Youth Challenge staff facilitates programming to adapt to each participant’s needs. At Youth Challenge, there is truly something for everyone.

YC’s impact doesn’t end with programming. Participants gain confidence and improve social skills. Volunteers learn empathy and develop a passion for inclusion. Everyone walks out the door (and back in) as friends.

All programs are funded through the support of corporations, foundations, and individual donors. They also wouldn’t be able to do what they do without the hundreds of community volunteers and professionals that serve Youth Challenge with leadership, administration, and operational support.

To learn more about YC, or schedule a visit of their facilities in Westlake, OH, call 440-892-1001 or email them at YC@youthchallengesports.com.