The Stillwater Area Hockey Association (SAHA) and the Stillwater Area Lacrosse Association (SALA) have collaborated to establish a partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) to ensure a positive, character-building experience for all youth athletes in the SAHA & SALA programs. PCA (www.PositiveCoach.org), a Stanford University-based non-profit organization, conducts workshops for coaches, organizational leaders, and parents involved in schools and sports organizations serving five-to-18-year-old athletes. PCA also provides workshops for high school athletes.

“Working with hundreds of youth sports organizations around the United States, PCA has developed practical tools and guidelines to help youth athletes, their coaches and parents get the most out of sports,” said SAHA President Beau McGraw. “We recognize the tremendous opportunity for character-building sports offers for today’s youth, so we are embracing PCA’s Double-Goal Coach® model, where winning is one goal and teaching life lessons is the second, more-important goal.”

“We are delighted to partner with the Stillwater Area Hockey and Lacrosse Associations,” said PCA Executive Director Jim Thompson. “Together, we’ll strive to help their youth athletes take a positive approach to pursuing victories in athletic competition and in life.”

The first workshops are scheduled for all SAHA and SALA Head and Assistant Coaches on November 9th @ 6:30 PM and November 10th @ 7:30 PM at the Stillwater Area High School in room D205. Coaches will attend one of the two seminars.

For information, please contact Jay Johnson/SAHA at jay.johnson@bsci.com or Tom DaBruzzi/SALAat tom.dabruzzi@gmail.com

About Positive Coaching Alliance

Since its founding within the Stanford University Athletic Department in 1998, Positive Coaching Alliance has helped develop “Better Athletes, Better People” primarily through live group workshops, online courses and books by PCA Founder Jim Thompson for youth and high school sports coaches, parents, student-athletes and school/organizational leaders.

In partnership with nearly 2,000 schools and youth sports organizations nationwide, PCA has conducted more than 13,000 live group workshops and impacted more than 6 million youth.

PCA workshops and courses strive to transform high school and youth sports into a Development ZoneTM where the goal is to develop Better Athletes, Better People and the following become the prevailing models in youth and high school sports:

·         The Double-Goal Coach®, who strives to win while also pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports

·         The Second-Goal Parent®, who concentrates on life lessons, while letting coaches and athletes focus on competing

·         The Triple-Impact Competitor®, who strives to impact sport on three levels by improving oneself, teammates and the game as a whole.

PCA gains support from a National Advisory Board, including National Spokesperson and 11-time NBA Champion Coach Phil Jackson, and many other top coaches, athletes, organization leaders and academics who share PCA’s mission.