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Coaches have long served as the backbone of youth sports, nurturing generations of minds, bodies and souls. In an effort to recognize these special individuals, the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) is urging all its members to support the Up2Us coalition’s House resolution to recognize Sept. 13-19, 2009 as National Coach Appreciation Week.
Last January, Congressional Caucus on Youth Sports Co-chairs U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan and the Up2Us Coalition crafted and submitted a resolution (HRES 6 IH) calling for a national effort to increase the number of adults coaching youth sports by recognizing their critical role in young people’s lives during National Coach Appreciation Week, to be observed Sept. 13-19, 2009.
For this to happen, between now and August 100 representatives must agree to sponsor the resolution to bring it to Congress for a vote. NAYS members, friends and supporters can do their part by signing a petition letter urging their local representatives to support the resolution.
"Youth sports is more than a game, it's a course in life's most valuable lessons,” said Paul Caccamo, President of Up2Us. “Young people who play sports are higher achievers. They are more likely to attend college, land jobs with more responsibility and greater pay, and less apt to fall to drug and alcohol abuse. With dropout rates and gang activity on the rise in our urban cities, we cannot afford to stand by when we know there's an alternative. National Coach Appreciation Week recognizes the men and women who have dedicated their time to give our children better, brighter futures."
“We are extremely eager to get on board with the National Coach Appreciation Week initiative,” said John Engh, chief operating officer for NAYS. “We strongly urge all our members and friends to support this resolution because without volunteer coaches dedicating countless hours of their time youth sports simply could not work.”
Up2Us is a national coalition that is leading a movement to redefine the role of sports in the lives of young Americans. Its members are committed to using community sports programs to help young people apply valuable life lessons, make smart choices and bring real change to their communities. To learn more visit www.up2us.org.
