Jason Sacks: Positive Coaching and Centering Athlete Wellbeing in Sport

Lisa Schwartz

Jason Sacks
Positive Coaching and Centering Athlete Wellbeing in Sport

Jason has been with Positive Coaching Alliance since 2006 and currently serves as President. He oversees national partnerships, fundraising, and regional operations, working with professional sports leagues and youth organizations. Previously, he held roles such as Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of PCA’s Chicago chapter. Jason began his career in sports television production and worked with the New York Knicks’ Basketball Operations. He holds degrees from Syracuse University and NYU. Outside PCA, Jason teaches at Northwestern and coaches youth sports.

We are huge fans of youth sports but understand there are lots of challenges in youth coaching. We also know that with challenges, come opportunities. Positive Coaching Alliance does a masterful job of training not only coaches, but also parents and athletes to be better, more effective members of the sports system to enable everyone involved to have a positive experience.

For more information on the work Jason is doing, check out PCA and follow them on Instagram.

Points of interest in the episode: 

04:20  The biggest challenges in youth sports today
06:45  Positive Coaching Alliance – origins, mission, and how it works
09:40  PCA is not anti-competition, but is focused on making sure everyone has a positive experience
10:48  We’ve missed the point on specialization
14:05  How can parents fight the year-round pressure of sport
15:20  100-point exercise
18:20  How can parents work with coaches to eliminate consequences for taking breaks or skipping some of the year-round obligations
20:30  The center of all coaching should be the wellbeing of the athlete; Ted Lasso; Sam Walker
22:20  Mental Models: Steve Kerr get results from athletes, but in a better way
26:10  Sports creates a framework to teach kids about stress, sleep, nutrition, failing, belong, etc
26:50  Volunteer coaches
28:35  Soft skills are the hardest to pick up
29:50  We need to reset and reframe what a coach should be
33:15  Training and resources for coaches
41:28  Joy; Steve Kerr’s philosophy: “Joy, Mindfulness, Compassion, & Competition”
43:23  Youth sports (done right) are more important than ever
43:55  Early talent vs. developing talent
48:04  Belonging by Owen Eastwood
49:40  Communication
52:13  Emma Hayes, model coach
54:30  Culture Summit
55:50  As a parent, what warrants speaking with the athlete’s coach
58:52  Playing time; Steve Magness
60:40  The money piece
64:05  Training your child to be a better teammate and competitor; Triple Impact Competitor
67:05  Expanding access in underserved communities
70:40  Donate to PCA; Impact

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