INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BLACK AND BROWN VOLUNTEER COACHES IN OUR COMMUNITIES
We are increasing community involvement and sport participation nationally among Black and Brown adults with a focus on parents and community members, so their kids can reap the benefits of playing sports.
We combine our expertise with community members to build on their capacities and bring their opportunities to life. Centering communities helps us create connections and challenges our thinking to ensure youth sports are not racialized, and that communities of color are equally resourced in the benefits youth sports provide: improved quality of life, education, health, and wellness.
THE VISION
THAT INSPIRES OUR EFFORTS
OUR APPROACH
Our goal is to remedy the negative impact systemic racism has on many youth athletes, coaches, and community members who believe access to high-quality youth sports is a right all kids deserve. Our work is to dismantle inequitable systems that continue to impact the communities where we partner and to work to achieve racial justice and removing barriers for Positive Coaching Alliance to reach as many neighborhoods as possible. We are building public trust by creating meaningful recommendations for change to conditions that hold inequities in youth sport in place in order to bring youth sports in Black and Brown neighborhoods up to par with what has historically and to this day exists in often white, privileged neighborhoods.
We are addressing racial equity and social justice in Black and Brown communities by listening to local leaders of color with whom we partner, learning about their experiences, and providing the platform and resources to co-create a Sports Equity Agenda that works best in local neighborhoods. A keystone to our efforts are taskforces — proven practices for community engagement — that we are creating in regions where we work.
RACIAL EQUITY
AND ACCESS IN
YOUTH SPORTS
TASK FORCE
ABOUT THE YOUTH SPORTS TASK FORCE
The first step in launching the Racial Equity and Access in Youth Sports Task Force has been to build community stakeholder ownership of a sports equity agenda by establishing a task force composed of members of the sport, youth services, municipal, academic and business communities, including after-school education leaders (K-12), youth sports professionals, government leaders, community stakeholders, minority business leaders, and professional athletes.
Piloted in Oakland, California the task force works to build community ownership of strategies that create more racially equitable youth sports opportunities and increase the number of Black and Brown coaches trained in youth development.
The task force’s key deliverables include:
- Define a vision of what sports equity looks like for the community.
- Identify root problems that are barriers to sports equity.
- Define the types of data and other information necessary to determine appropriate strategies to achieve the vision.
- Establish strategies and benchmarks of success.
- Determine resources necessary for implementation.
If you would like to get involved with the Racial Equity and Access in Youth Sports Task Force contact Robert Marcus, PCA's Cheif Community Impact Officer at robert_marcus@positivecoach.org.
ROUND TABLE REFLECTIONS
Why Start Local?
What Would Success of the Racial Equity and Access in Youth Sports Task Force Look Like To You?
A Few Meetings In - Key Takeaways
RACIAL EQUITY AND ACCESS IN YOUTH SPORTS TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP
Antonio Davis (Co-Chair)
Retired NBA Player
Chen Wick-Kong (Co-Chair)
Program Manager, Department of Expanded Learning
Oakland Unified School District
Nicholas Williams
Director, Oakland Parks and Recreation and Youth Development
Tyson Ross
Professional Baseball Player
Abby Hussein
Board Member, 100 Black Men
Francisco Navarro
Commissioner, Oakland Athletic League
Ay’Anna Moody
Director, Social Impact
Warriors Community Foundation
Matthew Grant
Director of Sales & Sports Marketing at The Clorox Company
Lamont Robinson
Commissioner, Oakland Athletic League
Karen Gonzalez
Director of Community Engagement & Experience
Oakland Roots
Ty-Ron M. O. Douglas, Ph.D.
Associate Athletic Director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
University of California, Berkeley
Tamara Sabella
Program Director
Greenway Golf, Corica Park
Jordan Ferrell
Oakland Roots
Head Coach and Technical Director
William Chavarin
Director, California Interscholastic Federation
Courtney Johnson Clendinen
Chief Programs Officer
Girls Inc. of Alameda County
Shawn Granberry
CEO, Hip Hop TV
Sheri Sam
Retired WNBA Player
Brad Driver
Director, Partner Advocacy
Sandler Partners/ USTA NorCal
Marcus L. Strother
MENTOR California
President and CEO