Little League of Somerville MA: News Releases

Monday, February 5











The Little League of Somerville Announces a Partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance

Every so often an opportunity comes along with the potential to bring a strong positive impact. We are very pleased to announce that the board of directors has decided to partner with Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), because we are convinced that this particular program has that potential.

Positive Coaching Alliance is a non profit organization based at Stanford University whose mission is “to transform youth sports so sports can transform youth.” PCA was created to change the culture of youth sports by replacing the "win-at-all-cost" coaching model with a "double-goal coach" model, whereby coaches want to win but have a second, more important goal of using sports to teach life lessons.

Our board members, managers, coaches, and parents will all play a critical role in the implementation of this program. Our parent reps will also have a key role as Culture Keepers and help define "the way we do things here." If you would like to volunteer and help make this program a success in Somerville, please contact any board member.

Training schedules will be made available soon.







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Wednesday, February 21

                    SLL Logo Round                                 PCA                  


                                                                                                                                                                                               


For Immediate Release





Little League of Somerville Announces new gameplan to give kids a positive sports experience



Partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance aims to teach kids how to score bigger goals than just on the athletic field



February 17, 2007, Somerville, MA – As part of a targeted effort to provide the most positive experience for its young athletes, Somerville Little League has established a partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA).  PCA, a Stanford University-based non-profit organization, works with coaches, organizational leaders and parents to more effectively teach young athletes not only how to win, but also about teamwork, discipline, respect and goal-setting through their sports experience.


The Little League of Somerville will utilize online PCA workshops for coaches, parents and leaders in the organization’s youth sports programs. The online workshops are scheduled to begin in March.  For additional information about the online courses, please visit the Somerville Little League web site at www.somervillelittleleague.org, or call 617.625.1101 to request additional information.


“Working with hundreds of youth sports organizations around the United States, we've developed practical tools and guidelines to help youth athletes, their coaches and parents realize that winning is not only reflected in game scores, but also in the effort players give, the learning and improvement they achieve, and the ability they develop to bounce back from mistakes,” said Jim Thompson, founder and director of Positive Coaching Alliance. “We’re excited that the Little League of Somerville recognizes the tremendous potential sports participation offers for today’s youth and is stepping up to realize that potential by emphasizing a positive environment for their players, coaches, and parents.”



“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to partner with PCA,” said Joe Janeiro, Somerville Little League President. “Every so often an opportunity comes along with the potential to bring a strong positive impact.  The Somerville Little League Board of Directors has decided to partner with PCA, because we are convinced that this particular program has that potential.  Our kids deserve the very best that we can offer and this program will have a tremendous impact on our ability to deliver on that pledge.  You know the message is worth hearing when championship coaches and athletes like Phil Jackson, Dean Smith, Summer Sanders, Barry Zito and Larry Brown support PCA and its message to kids, parents and coaches.”



About Positive Coaching Alliance


Positive Coaching Alliance was formed in 1998 to transform youth sports so that all young athletes enjoy a positive, character-building experience.   PCA offers workshops nationwide for coaches, parents and youth sports leaders to equip them to positively impact today's young athletes. The organization is headquartered at Stanford University and has offices in Los Angeles; Sacramento; Washington, D.C; and New York. The Institute for International Sport honored Positive Coaching Alliance and its founder, Jim Thompson, with the "Power of Good" award in 2002. In late 2002, PCA launched a national membership campaign to unite coaches, parents and youth sports leaders in creating a "social epidemic" of Positive Coaching. Since 1998, PCA has conducted more than 1,700 research based training workshops for 68,000 coaches, parents and leaders, helping to create a positive sports environment for more than 680,000 young athletes.


For more information, visit www.positivecoach.org.



About the Little League of Somerville


For more than fifty years Somerville Little League has provided the opportunity for Somerville youth to learn and enjoy the game of baseball.  The Little League of Somerville is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, with more than a hundred volunteers consisting of administrators, managers, coaches, and other parent volunteers.  The organization currently provides baseball and softball programs to more than 400 Somerville youth ages 5 through 16, with the goal of continuing to accommodate every Somerville child that dreams of playing the Game!


For more information about the Little League of Somerville, please visit www.somervillelittleleague.org.  We are now accepting on-line registrations.




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