Brown, Positive Coaching Alliance-New England to Host Free Coaching Symposium on Sunday
3/22/2019 1:04:00 PM | General
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University Athletics and Positive Coaching Alliance-New England (PCA) are set to host a free coaching symposium in honor of Maddie Potts featuring PCA trainers, Brown coaches and student-athletes, and Maddie's mother, Stephanie Potts, on Sunday, March 24 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Brown's Olney-Margolies Athletic Center.
The symposium is free and open to anyone who cares about kids and sports, but registration is recommended.
The symposium will include: PCA workshops for coaches, parents, and student-athletes (elementary school through college); a panel discussion with Brown University coaches Kathy Flores (Rugby) and Kia McNeill (Soccer); panel discussions with Brown student-athletes moderated by Kerri Heffernan, Director of the Global Sports Leadership Initiative at Brown's Swearer Center; and remarks by Stephanie Potts of the Maddie Potts Foundation.
The theme of the symposium is Done Right, Sports Teach character, leadership, grit, discipline, perseverance, teamwork, accountability, and so much more that can help kids succeed on and off the field of play. PCA has studied the research and the best practices of top coaches and athletes, and knows that kids perform best, have more fun, and keep playing when their team is positive, and their parents and coaches are supportive. PCA and Brown coaches and athletes will talk about what it takes to create a positive sports environment or team culture, and the power of positive coaching with truthful, specific praise, and constructive criticism.
"Brown University is humbled to partner with Positive Coaching Alliance and host a coaching symposium in honor of Maddie Potts," Brown Director of Athletics Jack Hayes said. "PCA's purpose and Maddie's legacy are a constant reminder of the positivity and spirit that comes from sport."
"PCA is deeply appreciative of the opportunity to honor Maddie Potts and celebrate her life as a kind, compassionate, competitor and friend to so many on and off the field," Executive Director of PCA's New England Chapter Beth O'Neill Maloney said. "Maddie's tragic death after suffering a brain aneurysm on the soccer field in September 2017 has been painful for her family but they have persevered and established a foundation to share Maddie's powerfully positive mentality. PCA hopes that the symposium will inspire everyone there to be the best coach, parent, or athlete they can be."
Maddie Potts' mother and co-founder of the Maddie Potts Foundation, Stephanie Potts, explains that she learned about PCA the day after her daughter's funeral through a public service announcement during a Big 10 football game.
"We quickly realized the PCA stands for everything Maddie did in her short 17 years," Stephanie Potts said. "Our kids spend as much time with their coaches and teammates as with their families. Why not give their coaches the tools to help inspire them for life, under the same values we do as parents? That's why, within a month of Maddie's passing, we began to collaborate with PCA and began to work to bring PCA and Maddie's legacy, what we call the #MaddieMentality, to our already outstanding RI community."
"We are honored and excited it has become a reality," Stephanie Potts said about the Maddie Potts PCA Coaching Symposium on March 24. "We may never find a reason for our devastating loss, but we are determined to find a purpose. The PCA is one of those purposes. Not everyone can become a better athlete, but we can all become better people, through sports done right."
The symposium is free, but registration is recommended. Registration can be found here.
About Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA)
PCA develops Better Athletes, Better People through resources for youth and high school sports coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes. In addition to nearly 1,500 free multimedia tips and tools at www.PCADevZone.org, PCA has partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations nationwide to deliver more than 20,000 live group workshops, along with online courses and books that help those involved in youth and high school sports create a positive, character-building youth sports culture.
PCA is committed to supporting the development of character, grit, discipline, teamwork, resilience, and more in young athletes through sports done right. PCA gains support from a National Advisory Board comprised of top coaches, athletes, leaders, sports and developmental psychologists, and academics who share PCA's mission, including New Englanders Kristine Lilly, Tom Beckett, Tommy Amaker, Katey Stone, Brad Stevens, Jerry York and, from across the country, Carol Dweck, Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers, Steve Young, and more. For more about PCA in New England, go to: https://www.positivecoach.org/chapters/new-england/.
For more information, contact:
Beth O'Neill Maloney
Executive Director, PCA-New England
617 460-5181
beth_maloney@positivecoach.org
The symposium is free and open to anyone who cares about kids and sports, but registration is recommended.
The symposium will include: PCA workshops for coaches, parents, and student-athletes (elementary school through college); a panel discussion with Brown University coaches Kathy Flores (Rugby) and Kia McNeill (Soccer); panel discussions with Brown student-athletes moderated by Kerri Heffernan, Director of the Global Sports Leadership Initiative at Brown's Swearer Center; and remarks by Stephanie Potts of the Maddie Potts Foundation.
The theme of the symposium is Done Right, Sports Teach character, leadership, grit, discipline, perseverance, teamwork, accountability, and so much more that can help kids succeed on and off the field of play. PCA has studied the research and the best practices of top coaches and athletes, and knows that kids perform best, have more fun, and keep playing when their team is positive, and their parents and coaches are supportive. PCA and Brown coaches and athletes will talk about what it takes to create a positive sports environment or team culture, and the power of positive coaching with truthful, specific praise, and constructive criticism.
"Brown University is humbled to partner with Positive Coaching Alliance and host a coaching symposium in honor of Maddie Potts," Brown Director of Athletics Jack Hayes said. "PCA's purpose and Maddie's legacy are a constant reminder of the positivity and spirit that comes from sport."
"PCA is deeply appreciative of the opportunity to honor Maddie Potts and celebrate her life as a kind, compassionate, competitor and friend to so many on and off the field," Executive Director of PCA's New England Chapter Beth O'Neill Maloney said. "Maddie's tragic death after suffering a brain aneurysm on the soccer field in September 2017 has been painful for her family but they have persevered and established a foundation to share Maddie's powerfully positive mentality. PCA hopes that the symposium will inspire everyone there to be the best coach, parent, or athlete they can be."
Maddie Potts' mother and co-founder of the Maddie Potts Foundation, Stephanie Potts, explains that she learned about PCA the day after her daughter's funeral through a public service announcement during a Big 10 football game.
"We quickly realized the PCA stands for everything Maddie did in her short 17 years," Stephanie Potts said. "Our kids spend as much time with their coaches and teammates as with their families. Why not give their coaches the tools to help inspire them for life, under the same values we do as parents? That's why, within a month of Maddie's passing, we began to collaborate with PCA and began to work to bring PCA and Maddie's legacy, what we call the #MaddieMentality, to our already outstanding RI community."
"We are honored and excited it has become a reality," Stephanie Potts said about the Maddie Potts PCA Coaching Symposium on March 24. "We may never find a reason for our devastating loss, but we are determined to find a purpose. The PCA is one of those purposes. Not everyone can become a better athlete, but we can all become better people, through sports done right."
The symposium is free, but registration is recommended. Registration can be found here.
About Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA)
PCA develops Better Athletes, Better People through resources for youth and high school sports coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes. In addition to nearly 1,500 free multimedia tips and tools at www.PCADevZone.org, PCA has partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations nationwide to deliver more than 20,000 live group workshops, along with online courses and books that help those involved in youth and high school sports create a positive, character-building youth sports culture.
PCA is committed to supporting the development of character, grit, discipline, teamwork, resilience, and more in young athletes through sports done right. PCA gains support from a National Advisory Board comprised of top coaches, athletes, leaders, sports and developmental psychologists, and academics who share PCA's mission, including New Englanders Kristine Lilly, Tom Beckett, Tommy Amaker, Katey Stone, Brad Stevens, Jerry York and, from across the country, Carol Dweck, Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers, Steve Young, and more. For more about PCA in New England, go to: https://www.positivecoach.org/chapters/new-england/.
For more information, contact:
Beth O'Neill Maloney
Executive Director, PCA-New England
617 460-5181
beth_maloney@positivecoach.org
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