1 of 16

2/19/2026

Jr. Giants Commissioners Camp -

Oracle Park

Power in Partnership

2 of 16

About PCA

MISSION

To change the culture of youth sports so that every child, regardless of social or economic circumstance, has access to a positive youth sports experience.

WHAT WE DO

We build coalitions, train coaches, and partner with youth sports organizations, parents, sports leaders, and communities to make youth sports more positive, equitable, and accessible to all kids regardless of social or economic circumstances.

3 of 16

Your Coach for Today

Khali Blackman-Newton

4 of 16

Biggest Challenge?

A) Recruiting coaches

B) Engaging families

C) Aligning partners

D) Something else?

5 of 16

SafeSport Coaches Survey

Coach Survey Key Findings

92%

46%

76%

56%

35%

6 of 16

Coach Recruitment Map

Reflect: Where can you go to recruit trusted adults at scale?

7 of 16

Recruitment in Action

Keep a year-round coach interest list
Share updates via email/social media
Recruit from schools, colleges, retirees
Time your outreach (pre-season, mid-season, deadline)
Table at community and campus events
Use social media ads (if budget allows)

8 of 16

Community Engagement Framework

Community Engagement is collaborating with and through affiliated groups (geographic, special interest, or similar) to address issues impacting their well-being. It drives environmental and behavioral changes that improve community health. It often involves partnerships and coalitions to mobilize resources, influence systems, change relationships, and catalyze policy, program, and practice changes.

We use this framework to identify key community leaders/stakeholders.

Our Community Engagement Framework and Coalition Model are grounded in the following Guiding Principles:

Recognition: We balance our own beliefs with the real, lived experiences, expertise and knowledge that already exists within communities where we work.

Respect: We recognize ALL community members, individually and collectively, have unique experiences, knowledge and capacity to make decisions for their community.

Equitable Partnership: We ground our work in relationships and transparency, All members of a partnership must see, and understand, the benefits to themselves, their organizations and their community, emerging from the engagement. When we engage in a community, we are part of the community.

Cultural Humility: Bring curiosity, a willingness to learn, and recognition that our various cultural lens are not better, worse or the only way to engage in the world.

9 of 16

Engagement vs Outreach

Outreach = we inform

Engagement = We collaborate and co-create

10 of 16

Leveraging Voices

Engagement

Impact

Youth advisory councils
Parent ambassadors and leadership groups
Feedback loops before and after each season
Community forums before program expansion

11 of 16

Strategic Partnerships

Strategic partnerships are structured, mission-aligned relationships that leverage complementary strengths to expand access, remove barriers, and build sustainable youth sports ecosystems.

12 of 16

Asset Mapping

Write down:

One thing your organization does really well.
One thing you struggle with.

13 of 16

Your Ecosystem

Coaches

Community

Partnerships

ACCESS & EQUITY

14 of 16

90 day Commitment

In the next 90 days I will:

Recruit from __________
Engage families by __________
Strengthen a partnership with __________

15 of 16

East Bay Youth Symposium

Date: Saturday, February 28, Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Location: Cal State East Bay

16 of 16

ALL OF US TOGETHER

Khali Blackman-Newton

khali.b@positivecoach.org

408-489-2234