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Raise the Bar

Raise the Bar

The RAISE the BAR pledge is an organizational commitment to yourself, your athletes and parents, your coaches and to the greater sport community that highlights your commitment to supporting quality adult leadership in youth sport with strong standards, quality coaching education and an on going commitment to support and develop coaches in all levels of your organization.

Through your organizational efforts, mission statements, policies AND actions, you can demonstrate and support the following concepts in all your sport programs.​

  • Recognize the need for improving physical, personal, and social-emotional skills in young people (sport skill mastery and fostering positive youth development)

  • Athletes first – their needs and interests are considered in sport programming

  • Inclusiveness – all individuals are respected and included

  • Safe environment both physically and emotionally

  • Enjoyable atmosphere encouraged in all sport programming

​THE

  • ​Be educational – commit to educating coaches to achieve mission goals and objectives
  • Active physically – getting kids closer to meeting NPAP standards for physical activity
  • Relationship building – support and care for athletes, parents, and staff

Why Take the Pledge to Raise the Bar

Your organization believes sport can be a positive experience for kids. But, with the growing competitive focus and pressures in youth sport today, it can be challenging to maintain the safe, fun, developmentally appropriate environment that kids need. For most organizations, volunteer coaches are a crucial part of any season. Recruiting, organizing, educating, and retaining quality coaches is critical to your overall mission.

The PLEDGE is designed to support your offers and to provide free on-going coach development support for your organization from the United States Center for Coaching Excellence (USCCE), a non-profit organization dedicated to quality coaching education and development.

Through the RAISE the BAR PLEDGE initiative, the USCCE helps organizations who are doing the right things for youth sport athletes get the recognition and support they deserve!

ORGANIZATION BENEFITS

  • Receive professional feedback from the USCCE on how to improve your organizational mission and objectives related quality coaching education and development.

  • Receive the free USCCE’s coaching education and development support newsletter and updates.

  • Pledge taking organizations are listed on USCCE’s national RAISE the BAR website.

  • Receive the RAISE the BAR pledge seal for all your organizational promotional materials

  • A ready to go press release for your local news agency highlighting your pledge commitment to Raise the Bar.

  • Create consistent materials and terminology to use with your coaches, parents, and athletes

  • Facilitates a better understanding for coaches and parents about the mission of your organization to enhance and enrich youth sport.

ATHLETE, PARENT & COACH BENEFITS

  • A safer environment for athletes

  • More consistent experiences for athletes and coaches from team to team and season to season

  • Increased athlete enjoyment, resulting in athletes who are more likely to return next season

  • Parents and coaches who are more informed and therefore, more connected to the program

  • Parent coaches who feel more confident about volunteering

FAQs and What You Need to Know

What does it cost?

Nothing. There is no cost associated with the PLEDGE.  USCCE is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving athlete experiences in sport through better coaching education, coach development and coach support.

Who should take the pledge?

ANY organization that recruits, organizes, hires, educates or works with coaches, paid or volunteer and who shares a passion for programs that are athlete centered and designed to provide a safe, developmentally appropriate, fun sport experience for athletes.

Who should complete the form?

Ideally, the individual in your organization who is responsible for recruiting, hiring, organizing, educating and/or scheduling coaches should complete the Pledge.  However, the application can be completed by anyone familiar with your organization.

How long will it take?

Once you have all your materials, it will just take about 15 minutes to complete the easy on line organizational pledge form.

Resources

NASPE 2009 Coaching Code of Conduct

National Standards for Sport Coaches

Shape America's Inside Coach's Toolbox

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