The Washington Youth Soccer Association has entered into a partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance-Seattle that will impact the culture of youth soccer in the state of Washington. Central to the agreement is a series of live, group workshops in separate tracks for coaches, and leaders, all directed at creating a youth soccer environment where the norms are:

• The Double-Goal Coach®, who strives to win while also pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports.
• The Second-Goal Parent®, who concentrates on life lessons, while letting coaches and athletes focus on competing.
• The Triple-Impact Competitor®, a student-athlete who strives to impact sport on three levels by improving oneself, teammates and the game as a whole.

“Over the next year, we will deliver 36 workshops focused on developing better athletes, better people, through soccer,” said Kylie Groetsema, Partnership Manager for PCA-Seattle. The partnership will help Washington Youth Soccer Association develop a character-building youth soccer experience. “Our workshops deliver insights from the world-class sports- and educational psychologists, plus top pro and college coaches who serve on our National Advisory Board,” Groetsema explains.

A certified PCA Certified Trainer leads the workshop, using videos and interactive exercises, such as role-playing, and all the workshop participants receive books by PCA Founder Jim Thompson and follow-up e-mail series that reinforce and add to the practical tips and tools shared in the workshops.

PCA-Seattle already has presented workshops to Seattle Youth Soccer Association, Seattle Sounders Academy Partners (7), Vashon Island Soccer Club, West Seattle Soccer Club, Snoqualmie Valley Youth Soccer Association and Seattle United Soccer Club in the last year. This partnership will be foundational to soccer culture throughout the state of Washington.

Dan Popp, President of Washington Youth Soccer Association, is excited about the impact the PCA partnership will have on member clubs. "WYSA is creating a positive space where kids can play soccer with their friends, develop some skills, and become their best selves," said board member Jane McGillivray.