Before the start of the 2019-2020 school year, The Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) brought their signature positive approach to Plumas Unified School District coaches and administrators through well-attended trainings in all four communities. PCA is a national non-profit organization that aims to provide positive sports environments for players, ultimately resulting in better athletes and better people.
Sports can be an intensely emotional journey, bringing out both the strong, tenacious spirit of a competitor, as well as deep disappointment in losing a game or not doing one’s best. A culture of positivity can help players, coaches and parents weather the ups and downs by focusing on how to learn from the present to improve the future.
The PCA toolkit centers on mastery of skills, enjoying and honoring the game, and respecting fellow players. Coaches build trust with their players by acknowledging great performance while offering guidance for improvement, understanding that what they are teaching players goes beyond the field and into the classroom, the home, and even future jobs.
Through positive feedback and specific constructive criticism, players can focus on gaining expertise and working on the areas they can control, learning from mistakes. Athletes enjoy the practices and games as opportunities to challenge themselves. Parents and spectators can cheer players on, looking forward to the next play.
Giving players, coaches, and parents strategies to experience school sports through a positive lense can help students grow into resilient adults, able to navigate life’s unexpected twist and turns with grit and grace.