Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national non-profit organization with the mission to transform the culture of youth sports so that youth athletes can have a positive, character-building experience. PCA achieves its goals primarily by providing training workshops to coaches, parents, and administrators of schools and youth sports organizations in the United States. Founded in 1998, PCA has conducted more than 10,000 workshops for more than 1,700 schools and youth sports organizations, affecting more than 4.5 million youth and high school athletes. PCA Founder and Executive Director Jim Thompson launched PCA in 1998 within the Stanford University Athletic Department after seeing a "win-at-all-cost" mentality in youth sports while coaching his son’s baseball team. Positive Coaching Alliance was created with the mission to "transform youth sports so sports can transform youth." Its mission statement has since been modified to "Better Athletes, Better People."
Thompson, who served more than ten years as the Director of Public and Global Management Programs at Stanford University, in 2004 was recognized as an Ashoka: Innovators for the Public fellow for outstanding social entrepreneurship. He has authored eight books on coaching: Elevating Your Game: Becoming a Triple-Impact Competitor (2011), The Power of Double-Goal Coaching (2010), The High School Sports Parent (2010), Positive Sports Parenting (2009), Positive Coaching in a Nutshell (2007), The Double Goal Coach (2003), Shooting in the Dark: Tales of Coaching and Leadership (1998), and Positive Coaching: Building Character and Self-Esteem Through Sports (1995).
"Better Athletes, Better People"
PCA’s philosophy focuses on sports as an opportunity for character education, espousing the Double-Goal Coach, whose first goal is winning, and whose second, more important goal is teaching life lessons through sports.
Positive Coaching Alliance has three national goals:
- Replace "win-at-all-cost" coaching with Double-Goal Coaching
- Help youth sports organization leaders create a culture in which "Honoring the Game" is the norm
- Spark and fuel a "social epidemic" of Positive Coaching in the United States
Positive Coaching Alliance developed "The Positive Coaching Mental Model", a research summary based upon several psychological studies, in order to guide youth sports coaches in creating positive and effective team cultures. The model comprises three principles:
Redefining "Winner"Focusing on mastery of skill, rather than on scoreboard results, decreases anxiety and gives youth athletes a sense of control over the outcome. Positive Coaches recognize that mistakes are an inevitable part of sports and cultivate effort rather than concern about outcome, fostering an environment in which players don't fear making mistakes.
Filling "Emotional Tanks"Positive Coaches frequently give truthful, specific praise, laying the groundwork for "teachable moments," when players will be receptive to specific, constructive criticism.
Honoring the GamePositive Coaches train their athletes to respect Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates, and Self (R.O.O.T.S.)
Notable figures from sports, academia and business comprise PCA’s National Advisory Board:
PCA national spokesperson:
Phil Jackson, Head Coach, Los Angeles LakersBoard members:
Tommy Amaker, Head Basketball Coach, Harvard UniversityBrad Ausmus, Former Major League Baseball CatcherJennifer Azzi, Olympic Basketball Gold MedalistDusty Baker, Manager, Washington NationalsAlbert Bandura, Stanford University Department of PsychologyShane Battier, Forward, Miami HeatBruce Bochy, Manager, San Francisco GiantsRuthie Bolton, Olympic Basketball Gold MedalistBob Bowlsby, Big 12 Conference CommissionerBill Bradley, Former US Senator; two-time NBA champion; Captain of 1964 gold-medal winning US Olympic basketball teamBrenda Bredemeier, Center for Character and CitizenshipLarry Brown, NBA and NCAA Champion Coach; member, Naismith Basketball Hall of FameFrank Broyles, college football Hall of FamerDoug Burgum, founder and chairman, Kilbourne GroupWilliam Campbell (business executive), former CEO of IntuitBrandi Chastain, World Cup Soccer ChampionNadia Comaneci, Olympic Gymnastics Gold MedalistKevin Compton, partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & ByersBart Conner, Olympic Gymnastic Gold MedalistRobert Cornilles, President, Game Face, Inc.Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, psychology professor, Claremont Graduate UniversityWilliam Damon, Director, Stanford Center on AdolescenceSeth Davis, Sports Illustrated Writer, CBS College Basketball AnalystRick Davis, former professional soccer playerDonna de Varona, Olympic Swimming Gold MedalistTony Dorsett, Pro Football Hall of FamerJoan Duda, Sports Psychology Chair, University of Birmingham, EnglandTony Dungy, Super Bowl Champion, NBC Football commentatorCarol Dweck, Department of Psychology, Stanford UniversityMark Edmunds, Vice-Chairman, DeloitteHerm Edwards, ESPN Football Analyst, former NFL head coachJoe Ehrmann, former NFL Pro Bowl player, founder of Coach for AmericaKen Eriksen, head coach, USA National Softball TeamJoy Fawcett, World Cup Soccer ChampionPat Fitzgerald, Head Football Coach, Northwestern UniversitySusan Ford, president, Sand Hill FoundationJulie Foudy, World Cup Soccer ChampionHoward Gardner, Harvard Graduate School of EducationJohn W. Gardner (In Memoriam), Founder, White House Fellows ProgramJim Gibbons, former dean, Stanford University School of EngineeringDan Gould, Director, Michigan State University Institute for the Study of Youth SportsDick Gould, 17-time NCAA champion coachTony Granato, Assistant Coach, Pittsburgh PenguinsChris Grant, general manager, Cleveland CavaliersDaniel Grossman, CEO, Wild Planet ToysPeter Harris, Managing Partner, Eaglepoint AdvisorsDan Hawkins (American football), ESPN college football analyst, former coachChip Heath, Stanford University professorLionel Hollins, head coach, Memphis GrizzliesJune Jones, head football coach, South Methodist UniversityJack Kemp, (In Memoriam), former pro football star and politicianSteve Kerr, 5-time NBA ChampionJerry Kindall, former head coach, University of Arizona baseballChris Kleinert, president, Hunt InvestmentsBlair LaCorte, CEO of XOJETAlexi Lalas, ESPN soccer analyst, former U.S. National Team playerRichard Lapchick, chair, DeVos Sport Business Management ProgramTed Leland, Vice President, University of the PacificKristine Lilly, former U.S. National Women's Soccer Team captainLeo Linbeck III, CEO, Aquinas Companies, LLCDonna Lopiano, president and founder, Sports Management ResourcesRonnie Lott, member, Pro Football Hall of FameBarry Mano, president, National Association of Sports OfficialsSteve Mariucci, NFL Network Analyst, former NFL head coachMike McCaffery, CEO of Makena CapitalGeorge McCown, Managing Partner, McCown DeLeeuwChris Moore (film producer), American film producerJim L. Mora, head football coach, UCLABecky Morgan, president, Morgan Family FoundationMark Murphy (safety, born 1955), retired American football player, now President and CEO of the Green Bay PackersDonna Orender, former president, WNBANoel Perry, Managing Director, Baccharis CapitalCharles Phillips (businessman), CEO of InforWilliam Pollack, Harvard Medical SchoolJerry I. Porras, Professor Emeritus, Stanford Graduate School of BusinessKen Ravizza, Professor of Applied Sports Psychology, Cal State-Fullerton UniversityClaudio Reyna, Youth Technical Director, U.S. SoccerDot Richardson, Olympic Softball Gold MedalistDoc Rivers, Head Coach, Los Angeles ClippersTed Robinson (sportscaster), American sportscasterClaude Rosenberg (In Memoriam), Founder of NewTithing GroupDavid Roux, Managing Director, Silver Lake PartnersChris Salvaterra, producer, Katonah PicturesSummer Sanders, Olympic Gold Medalist in SwimmingMark Shapiro, President, Cleveland IndiansLee Shulman, former president, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of TeachingKeith Smart, head coach, Sacramento KingsDean Smith, Former Head Coach, University of North Carolina Men’s BasketballSteven Smith (astronaut), NASA astronaut and All-American water polo playerLeigh Steinberg, Steinberg Sports and EntertainmentSteve Stenersen, president and CEO, U.S. LacrosseBrad Stevens, head basketball coach, Butler UniversityKerri Strug, Olympic Gold Medalist in GymnasticsKathinka Tunney, Olympic skierBill Walsh (American football coach) (In Memoriam), former head coach, San Francisco 49ersGene Washington (49ers), former NFL wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers.David Weekley, Chairman, David Weekley HomesDoug Wilson (ice hockey), current General Manager of the San Jose SharksJerry York, head hockey coach, Boston CollegeSteve Young, Pro Football Hall of FamerBarry Zito, 2002 Major League Baseball Cy Young Award winnerEugene T. Lee, current NFL AgentThe Positive Coaching Alliance gives out the Ronald L. Jensen award for Lifetime Achievement. The winners include:
2006 - Ted Leland2007 - John Gagliardi2008 - Jim Sochor2009 - Tara VanDerveer2010 - John Wooden2011 - Bruce Bochy2012 - Dick Gould2013 - Phil Jackson2014 - Joe Ehrmann2015 - Dusty Baker2016 - Billie Jean KingNikeGo, Deloitte, Liberty Mutual, Continental Airlines
Little League Baseball, US Lacrosse, Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), US Club Soccer, USA Rugby, Ice Skating Institute, Pop Warner, USA Water Polo
