Sport in Society's Junior Coaches Academy Completes Second Season
(6-11-07) Boston, Mass. - For Sport in Society�s junior coaches weeks of hard work, early mornings, and long hours were all made worth the effort, when they received their Junior Coaches Academy certificate on Thursday, June 7. The 27 junior coaches gathered at Northeastern University for the ceremony. Guest speakers included Maria Centeio, a former junior coach, David Czesniuk, director of operations for Sport in Society, Meghan Mahoney, Vista Corp. volunteer, and Kevin Fitzgerald, former Sergeant at Arms for the Massachusetts State House. The graduation was emceed by Taryn Provencher, project coordinator for Sport in Society�s Urban Youth Sports.
The academy is an innovative program that provides unique sports leadership opportunities for high school aged youth. Each year, approximately 30 teens from across Boston enroll. Instructors equip the young leaders with personal development and sport-specific mentor training in order to help them develop into highly skilled and productive employees in their neighborhood youth programs. Upon completion all participants are guaranteed summer employment.
The first of two training sessions, held during February school vacation, focused on leadership, conflict resolution, violence prevention, and diversity. The second session, which was held during April school vacation, concentrated on team building, sport-specific skills, and practice sessions. Workshops mirrored the values of Sport in Society by advocating life skills topics such as leadership, conflict resolution, diversity, violence prevention, team building, sport-specific skills, and practice sessions.
�Ultimately the students worked toward developing necessary coaching skills that will create job possibilities, especially in the summer months,� said Linda Keefe, director of Sport in Society�s Urban Youth Sports program. �With the help of the City of Boston, by offering service possibilities to trainees, we taught urban youth values and life skills through sport.�
As a key component of their training, JCA participants were also required to carry out a service-learning project in which they work together on one joint civic engagement activity. This year, junior coaches collaborated with the Special Olympics of Massachusetts (SOMA) and Boston Public Schools, and helped organize and run an annual �Special Olympics School Days� event.
�We wanted the students to take charge of the sports culture in their community,� said Keefe.
About the Center for the Study of Sport in Society
The Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University is the world�s leading social justice organization that uses sport to create social change.The flagship organization located in the heart of Boston, Mass. was founded in 1984 by Dr. Richard Lapchick and touts a branch in Baltimore, Md. Through research, education, and advocacy the center works locally, nationally, and internationally to promote physical activity, health, violence prevention, and diversity among young people, adults, and college and professional athletes. Sport in Society�s innovative programs are all staffed by former college, Olympic, or professional athletes and has been awarded America�s most successful violence prevention program by Lou Harris, the Peter F. Drucker Award as the most innovative non-profit program in the social sector. Most recently it was recognized by the Boston Red Sox for its dedication and service to the community. Visit Sport in Society at www.sportinsociety.org.
