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With a bold mission to train 25,000 coaches across California in positive youth coaching by the end of 2025, the California Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Wellbeing has teamed up with the Susan Crown Exchange‘s Million Coaches Challenge (MCC) to launch 25×25: The California Coaches Challenge.
Currently, only half of Californian youth participate in sports and 70% of children drop out of organized sports before reaching high school. The 25×25 Challenge intends to create a more positive and inclusive sports and fitness culture that keeps young people engaged and helps them develop the skills needed to thrive. Through in-person and virtual training, coaches will learn a range of youth-centered strategies to foster a sense of belonging for all.
Despite the pivotal role coaches play in fostering youth development, many feel unsupported due to barriers such as cost, time constraints, and a lack of resources. To address this challenge, the MCC seeks to empower coaches with the skills and knowledge needed to help young athletes thrive on and off the field.
“When coaches are trained to prioritize character development, teamwork, grit and emotional resilience, young people are more likely to stay engaged in sports and build essential life skills,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. “A positive and empowering youth sports culture is critical to the mental health and overall wellbeing of our children.”
Through the Council’s Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind campaign, MCC partners Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport (CHJS) will spearhead a statewide effort to teach youth coaches on positive youth development, social-emotional learning, healing-centered practices and culturally responsive coaching. Coaches will learn a range of youth-centered strategies, including creating safe spaces for young people and coaching with empathy. The American Institutes for Research (AIR), which leads the multiyear implementation study of the MCC, will provide research support for the 25×25 California Coaches Challenge.
Through existing relationships with parks and recreation systems, schools, community-based organizations and clubs, PCA and CHJS will provide training to at least 25,000 coaches across the state by December 2025. The initiative will also focus on reaching communities with significant need and underrepresentation in youth sports. The trainings will be available both in-person and virtually. CHJS will host a public virtual training focused on healing-centered sport on November. A self-paced online option is also available for the public through PCA. Both opportunities are free and interested coaches can sign up here.
Funded by the Susan Crown Exchange, the organizations of the MCC are working to create evidence-based training programs for coaches across the U.S. To achieve its mission, the organization invests in and champions the work of its 60,000+ network of professionals and advocates in service of equity, climate-readiness and health and wellbeing. Investments include professional development, advocacy, grants and programs, research, publications and more.
CHJS is an expert partner of our Head In The Game program powered by Z Zurich Foundation. There are currently Head In The Game Coaches Training sessions available across the U.S. to help improve youth coaches’ ability to serve and support young people’s mental wellbeing. Find out more and register here.
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