The PCA Blog - Cleveland

Energizing Cleveland Kids with the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission

06.20.2017

Through an exciting partnership with the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC), Positive Coaching Alliance-Cleveland (PCA-Cleveland) is helping Cleveland kids learn ways to bring positive energy to their rec centers, sports teams, families, friends, and communities this summer.

The partnership between both nonprofit organizations incorporates PCA principles and curriculum into the GCSC’s Urban Youth Initiative, specifically through its NEOCycle program, the nation’s largest urban cycling festival.

To kick off the partnership on June 9 PCA-Cleveland Trainer Freeman Blade facilitated activities focused on positive energy and sportsmanship with more than 160 Cleveland youth participating in the GCSC’s NEOCycle Field Day, a full day of educational activities that engaged children from the City of Cleveland’s 21 Recreation Centers. Other stations included lessons about Food as Energy (nutrition), Body Energy (strength & flexibility), Mental Energy (meditation & yoga), and Energy as Power (energy education).

Watch Freeman in action below:

“PCA brought a new perspective to the Field Day,” said Becky Greismer, Programming and Event Coordinator for the Sports Commission. “[They] offered the kids a chance to learn more about positive play, sportsmanship, and confidence when interacting with their teammates and coaches.”

The Sports Commission’s Urban Youth Initiative aims to provide children from the City of Cleveland with opportunities for physical activity, access to unique experiences, and health and wellness education. Through NEOCycle, the kids receive educational opportunities and become more familiar with and aware of cycling. Participating students track their daily behavior and progress based on the lessons they learned throughout the Field Day. The top 150 scorers of the program, based on Field Day participation and the tracking of activities, will receive a new bicycle, helmet, and lock and learn about bike safety at the Distribution Day on July 7. The goal is not just to provide free bikes, but to ensure that the kids are educated and aware of the impact they are making each time they go for a ride.

Greismer added, “PCA ultimately helped to emphasize our Urban Youth Initiative goals and provided education in a fun and unique way.”


The PCA sessions focused on helping kids understand the importance of being an energy raiser, and through a series of games and group huddles, taught kids specific ways to make themselves, their teammates, and their families and communities better.

Marty Mordarski, PCA-Cleveland Chapter Executive Director, explained, “We’re proud and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Sports Commission’s efforts to improve the quality of health and wellness education and create unique experiences for Cleveland youth that keep them engaged in positive activities that build healthy habits and stronger character.”

When asked what made the kids’ experience with PCA unique, Greismer said, “Freeman was a great addition at Field Day and knew the right way to get not only the kids, but also the chaperones involved in the activities. By providing interactive and competitive games for the kids…they walked away not only realizing how to positively Fill Emotional Tanks and to best Honor the ROOTS of the Game, but [also realizing] their own leadership skills and what they could offer to others in the future.”

“We’re very excited about this partnership with the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission,” says Mordarski. “Through their vision and programming, we have the ability to more directly impact kids and coaches throughout the City of Cleveland who otherwise may not have access to a resource like PCA, and we look forward to collaborating and creating more opportunities like this in the future.”

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