NRPA Proud to Join the Million Coaches Challenge

Million Coaches Challenge will train 1 million youth sports coaches

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is proud to announce the organization has joined the Susan Crown Exchange's (SCE) Million Coaches Challenge cohort, with the goal of training 1 million coaches in youth development techniques by 2025.

A good coach can play a transformational role in a child's youth sports experience and help build key skills like teamwork, compassion and responsibility. Yet, less than one third of the country's 6 million coaches have been trained in youth development practices. The Million Coaches Challenge was created to build a future where all youth are equipped with the skills they need to thrive. This initiative aims to bridge the gap in coach training, ensuring that coaches are equipped with the necessary tools to promote positive youth development.

With foundational support from the Susan Crown Exchange, and additional support from ESPN to expand the reach and impact of the program, NRPA awarded grants to 39 park and recreation agencies. Agencies were selected through an equity-based grantmaking process, and they will leverage their network of park and recreation professionals, youth sports coaches and youth sports partners to provide essential training for coaches. A second cohort of agencies will be awarded in late 2024, with the goal of training 40,000 coaches and park and recreation professionals at the conclusion of the program.

• Saint Paul Parks and Recreation, Saint Paul, Minnesota
• Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• City of Casa Grande, Casa Grande, Arizona
• City of Columbus Recreation and Parks, Columbus, Ohio
• City of Kettering, Kettering, Ohio
• City of Goodyear Parks and Recreation, Goodyear, Arizona
• Dickinson Parks and Recreation, Dickinson, North Dakota
• The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation, The Woodlands, Texas
• Frederick County Parks and Recreation, Frederick, Maryland
• City of Perris, Community Services, Perris, California
• Lancaster County Parks and Recreation Department, Lancaster, South Carolina
• Northampton Parks and Recreation Department, Northampton, Massachusetts
• City of Walnut Creek Art's and Recreation Department, Walnut Creek, California
• Montrose Recreation District, Montrose, Colorado
• City of Fort Worth Park & Recreation, Fort Worth, Texas
• Apex Park and Recreation District, Arvada, Colorado
• Peninsula Metropolitan Park District, Gig Harbor, Washington
• Indian River County - Parks, Recreation, and Conservation, Indian River, Florida
• City of Fitchburg Parks and Recreation, Fitchburg, Massachusetts
• The City of Vacaville Parks and Recreation Department, Vacaville CA
• Widefield Parks and Recreation, Security-Widefield, Colorado
• Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation, Salt Lake City, Utah
• City of Twentynine Palms Parks & Recreation, Twentynine Palms, California
• Town of Gilbert Parks and Recreation, Gilbert, Arizona
• City of Colorado Springs - Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services, Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Billings Parks, Recreation and Public Lands, Billings, Montana
• Calvert County Parks & Recreation, Calvert County, Maryland
• City of Peoria, Peoria, Arizona
• City of O'Fallon Parks and Recreation, O'Fallon, Missouri
• City of North Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Nevada
• Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation, Lee's Summit, Missouri
• El Cajon Parks and Recreation, El Cajon, California
• Lincoln City Parks and Recreation, Lincoln City, Oregon
• City of Brighton, Brighton, Colorado
• City of Anderson Parks and Recreation, Anderson, California
• NYC Parks, Bronx, New York
• Cudahy Recreation Department, Cudahy, Wisconsin
• Clayton County Parks and Recreation, Clayton, Georgia
• Oak Lawn Park District, Oak Lawn, Illinois

As part of this project, NRPA is partnering with leading national training providers to deliver high-quality training programs focused on social and emotional learning (SEL) and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Training will be provided through Million Coaches Challenge partners, including the Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport, How to Coach Kids, Positive Coaching Alliance, and U.S. Soccer Foundation.

"This partnership will allow us to leverage expertise, resources and our strong network of community impact leaders to ensure that coaches have high-quality training to promote positive youth development and diversity, equity and inclusion through youth sports," said Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO. "Park and recreation agencies reach 40 million youth annually and are made up of skilled and thoughtful staff and volunteers. These training programs help create the knowledge and confidence to support positive youth development, and we are thrilled to join in this effort."

"We are thrilled to welcome the National Recreation and Park Association as a partner in the Million Coaches Challenge. Their commitment to coach training aligns perfectly with our mission to empower coaches with the skills and knowledge they need to positively impact the lives of young athletes," said Haviland Rummel, Susan Crown Exchange executive director. "By joining forces, we are not only expanding the reach of the challenge, but also amplifying its impact and ensuring that coaches across the country have the resources and support they need to foster holistic youth development."

"ESPN is proud to support the National Recreation and Park Association as we deliver training, through SCE's Million Coaches Challenge cohort, to coaches in 30 communities across the country, with a focus on coaches in under-resourced communities," said Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN Corporate Citizenship. "At ESPN, we understand that proper training of coaches, paired with resources and support, will enhance the youth sports experience and advance youth sports equity, in an effort to ensure NRPA's coaches recruitment, training and retention methods focus on coaches who are representative of the diverse youth they serve."

For more info on the Million Coaches Challenge, click here.

For more info on NRPA, visit nrpa.org

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About the National Recreation and Park Association

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. With more than 60,000 members, NRPA advances this mission by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals and advocates - the catalysts for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being. For more information, visit nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA's flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit parksandrecreation.org.

About the Susan Crown Exchange

After nearly three decades working in traditional philanthropy, Susan Crown was ready to bring focus to a handful of programs and issue areas, to take calculated risks on innovation, and to upend the power dynamics that often constrain the efforts of grantees and grantmakers alike. In 2009, she founded the Susan Crown Exchange. Since then, the Susan Crown Exchange has worked with dozens of inspiring nonprofits through programs in social and emotional learning, tech and society, and youth sports, as well as by making a series of Catalyst Grants. Most importantly, they have continued to live by their core values: daring, curiosity, transparency, respect, and gratitude.

About ESPN Corporate Citizenship

ESPN believes that, at its very best, sports uplift the human spirit. Its corporate citizenship programs use the power of sport to positively address society's needs through strategic community investments, cause marketing programs, collaboration with sports organizations and employee volunteerism, while also utilizing its diverse media assets. www.espn.com/espn/citizenship

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