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Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) was formed at Stanford University in 1998 as a 501(c)(3) with the mission of transforming the culture of youth sports to ensure that all young athletes have the opportunity for a positive, character-building experience. As John W. Gardner, founder of Common Cause, has said: "There isn't any other youth institution that equals sports as a setting in which to develop character. There just isn't. Sports are the perfect setting because character is tested all the time. It means a great deal if that time in sports is well used." Youth sports offer a virtual classroom for teaching life lessons, but only if the adults who work with athletes recognize and seize the many teachable moments provided. Research shows participation in youth sports improves academic performance and school attendance, results in better behavior and decreases risk-taking behavior, such as experimenting with drugs and alcohol. But kids are dropping out of sports, and if kids don't stay in sports, they won't reap these benefits. PCA is creating a movement to seize the latent educational potential of the playing field and ensure that all youth athletes have the opportunity for a positive, character-building experience. Recent events from the headlines (baseball player killed in attack with bat, increasing steroid use among high school and pre-teen athletes, banning post-game handshakes because of violence, parent brawls, etc.) show how far from the ideal youth sports is and why PCA's mission to "transform youth sports so sports can transform youth" is so needed today. The decentralized nature of youth sports does not lend itself to easy answers or approaches. Changing the culture of youth sports from the win-at-all-cost ethic of the professional sports entertainment business to an "educational-athletic" culture requires a sophisticated, research-based approach that can be applied on an organization-by-organization basis across the U.S. PCA is in the culture-change business, and we are entering a crucial stage in our history. Since our founding in 1998, we have developed our programs, refined our business model, and built credibility with key institutions and individuals. We have developed a systems approach to effecting cultural change with more than 600 (and counting!) Youth Sports Organizations (YSO's) in which we offer training to leaders, coaches, parents and athletes that gets all the key actors on the same page. We have assembled a world-class National Advisory Board of sports coaches such as Phil Jackson, Herm Edwards, and Larry Brown, as well as leaders in academia and business. We have developed our "model store" for how to operate in individual communities and learned what it takes to expand successfully into new geographic areas. The next three years are about building capacity to take our program to every corner of the U.S. Our national certification program will make our research-based model of coaching, the "Double-Goal Coach," the industry standard in youth sports. A Double-Goal Coach wants to win (goal #1) while using sports to teach life lessons. Our new on-line workshop makes this accessible to any coach in the U.S. We will fortify our management structure through a system of regional offices and position ourselves to expand our fundraising efforts to other regions of the U.S. This critical three-year period is designed to allow us to achieve our BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal, in the words of Jim Collins and Jerry Porras) of training and certifying 1 million Double-Goal Coaches in the next decade. Ultimately, we intend to have an office in every major metropolitan area and a PCA Trainer within driving distance of every YSO in the U.S. If we can directly impact 25% of the four million youth coaches in the U.S., we know we will indirectly reach the entire youth sports industry and change the way the game is played forever.

At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, we are building a nation connected by trails. We reimagine public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors.

The foundation provides emotional, educational, and financial support to student‑athletes (and others in the region) who suffer catastrophic head or spinal cord injuries in team sports, and it supports related education, prevention, research, and care efforts across southern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. is an educational organization which builds the foundations of teamwork and sportsmanship through riding, mounted sports, care of horses and ponies, while developing and enhancing leadership, confidence, responsibility, and a sense of community in its youth and adult members.

The United States Pony Clubs, Inc., develops character, leadership, confidence and a sense of community in youth through a program that teaches the care of horses and ponies, riding and mounted sports.

Loveland Swim Club runs learn‑to‑swim and youth competitive swim programs for the Loveland/Northern Colorado community, training swimmers from beginner lessons up through age‑group and nationally competitive teams. The club emphasizes swim instruction, competitive development and community swim opportunities.

from the website: "First Tee is a youth development organization that enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, we create active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do. We’re Building Game Changers through our junior golf programs."

The mission of Children's Fairyland is to spark imagination and a desire to learn by bringing stories to life through immersive experiences. The vision of Children's Fairyland is to serve as an inclusive community oasis where the magic, joy, and transformative power of stories and play are unlocked for generations of children and families.

To assist the music directors and support the music activities of Shepherd Hill Regional High School

We are a national nonprofit that brings together dedicated volunteers and partners to make schools healthier places where kids thrive.

Pedal the Cause accelerates breakthrough cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital by inspiring and mobilizing a community committed to curing cancer. Our vision is audacious but within reach: we envision a world without cancer. We are relentlessly striving for a future where everyone lives their life free from the fear of a life-threatening cancer diagnosis and where prevention strategies, innovative treatments, and cures are accessible to all. We don't stand alone. Since 2010, the Pedal Family has formed a vibrant community united by a shared purpose: to transform cancer research and save lives. Additionally, donations from Pedal the Cause will make a positive economic impact in the St. Louis community as stronger research funding will continue to support this high profile and critically important segment of the St. Louis economy.

To provide affordable and accessible year-round mountain recreation, training, and educational opportunities, with a focus on youth and beginners.