Playworks Metro Boston welcomed 145 Junior Coaches from 31 Boston Public Schools to the 5th Annual Junior Coach Leadership Convention. We partnered with our friends at Northeastern University’s Sport in Society to give our students the opportunity to learn from one another, meet new friends and play during the break. With the help of our 15 AmeriCorps Program Coordinators and several Sport in Society volunteers, our junior coaches were able to experience two days of leadership development, goal-setting, college exploration and fun!
In seven different breakout groups, our 15 AmeriCorps Program Coordinators led discussions surrounding an anti-bullying curriculum. In these groups, junior coaches discussed their roles as leaders in and out of school and how to engage bystanders to help end bullying. Furthermore, junior coaches set SMART goals to bring back to their school to complete by the end of the school year.
Many of our junior coaches were exposed to the college lifestyle for the very first time during the JCLC. In fact, 72% of junior coaches said this was their first time on a college campus. They were able to explore the college campus through a chaperone-led scavenger hunt. Additionally, they were given the opportunity to ask questions to 13 Northeastern University student athletes about their school life, personal life or future plans during an open-ended student panel. These two events allowed our junior coaches to become more interested in attending college and pursuing their dreams.
Overall, the students had a great time at the 5th Annual JCLC. 96% of junior coaches agreed that they learned new skills to help become a better leader and junior coach during the convention. Through the combination of fun activities and thought-provoking activities, these junior coaches are now prepared and able to advocate for a bully-free environment at their school.
