Project Coach Goes Global: Andy Wood in France

By Andy J. Wood, Project Coach Director

Sports do not build character. They reveal it.

Heywood Broun, US journalist (1888 - 1939)

MARSEILLES, FRANCE: The brisk sea breeze, a pleasant 55 degree temperature, and faint sounds of the familiar early morning routine - all while the Eagles and Redskins battled it out live on Monday Night Football with painful French dubbed announcing - were all stark reminders that this certainly wasn't Western Massachusetts anymore. Indeed, while the Project Coach fellows and youth coaches were about to hit the hay after another Monday night academy session, the program was just waking to a whole new audience 3500 miles west, in Marseille, France.

PC Director Andy Wood in Marseilles, France.

As a part of the Institute of Training and Development's partnership with the State Department, I'm currently attending a series of meeting and workshops in France's southernmost city to help develop an exchange program between French and American youth over the next 18 months. Our series of appointments began early this morning, with an opening breakfast hosted by the interim Counsel General at the American Consulate in Marseille - Philip Richards - who expressed his gratitude and delight that youth from his region had been selected to take part in the program. Accompanied by the wonderful Madame Josette Steinbach - a former high school teacher from Strasbourg fluent in four languages, who has spent over twenty years in the Public Affairs departments of various US Consulates - we were able to establish the criteria for selecting the ten prospective youth coaches from the city, as well as devise an appropriate application and interview procedure for evaluating the candidates.

Shortly following this meeting, I attended a planning session with Francois Noel -  the Head of Sports Facilities and Planning in Marseilles (no small feat in the second largest city in France) - Madame Steinbach, and Mrs Julie Hooks-Davis of the organizing agency, ITD. In addition to exchanging ideas (where possible in our foreign tongue, although the astute translator Ned was on hand when this wasn't possible), all members of the planning committee placed utmost importance in selecting youth of excellent moral character and leadership potential, over sporting ability or competitive prowess. Mr Noel - a former professional judo champion himself - espoused the very same values of PC in this respect, and it became quickly apparent that the goals of the Marseille Sports Bureau aligned very neatly with those of PC and ITD.

The remainder if the late afternoon and evening was devoted to meeting with prospective youth at two of the ten potential sports clubs shortlisted from the 150+ in Marseille, informing them if the program and fielding their questions. In the spirit of PC, we even managed a couple of games of 'freeze tag' and 'sharks and minnows', the latter of which was played with particular gusto and energy by a group of French u16 national players at the first club we attended!

Tomorrow promises to be equally fruitful, when we will meet with members of the mayors office, attend a luncheon hosted by the consulate, and visit 4 more sports clubs in the city for potential applicants. 

Andy Wood - 11/16/10.

Here's Johnny! A Closer Look At The Man Behind The Scenes!

Anyone who has spent time in the North End has probably run into John Rodriguez.  The lifelong resident of the North End recently told me about some childhood memories, reflections about the North End today, and why he loves Project Coach.

John was born in Springfield’s North End in 1964, and remembers the neighborhood as family oriented when he was a boy.  The parks were always filled with picnics and kids played baseball after school and on the weekends. 

John went to school at Brightwood Elementary, down the street from the fields now used by Project Coach.  North End children today, he says, are not like they were in the ‘70s.  John sees too much drug and crime activity on the streets now, and observes that kids today are more street smart.  They have learned to adapt to their environment.  He observes another difference: growing up in the North End is tough on a lot of kids because their parents aren’t around.  John estimates that in any crowd of 20 kids, only 3 live with both parents.  And then he shakes his head.

I asked John why he works as a School Monitor at Gerena Elementary School.  John’s answer was much more complex than I anticipated. John is quiet and friendly man who defies the image of a School Monitor.  For years he worked in a nearby juvenile jail.  He saw a lot of good in the kids he worked with there, but also a lot of despair. The job was tough.  He gravitated to Gerena because he wanted to work with kids and give back to his community.  But he also wanted intercept these kids and help them chose the right path so they would not end up at the juvenile jail. 

John believes in Project Coach.  He values it because it offers consistency and a foundation to kids who do not experience much routine or comfort outside of school.  And he especially appreciates the confidence that emerges in the children.  At the beginning of John’s first year working with Project Coach, he remembers a shy small elementary school girl standing at the fence watching kids play soccer with the program.  He went over to her and invited her to play.  “Oh no, I’m too shy,” she answered.  With a little persuasion she joined the program.  John beams as he reflects on the way that little girl blossomed in Project Coach.  He chuckles as he tells me that she’s a confident and popular middle school student now.  His compassion shines through, he can’t hide it.

By Kuna Tavalin - Project Coach Fellow 2010-2011

Relationships Across the Years-- What PC Means to our Teen Coaches

By Matt Samolewicz, Project Coach Fellow, 2010

What does it mean to coach? To Teach? Many of us are familiar with the athlete or student perspective, but what does it mean to be on the other end? Twenty three Springfield high school students are learning to take on the role of “coach” and with it, all of the pressures and rewards, as part of Project Coach.

This past Friday, October fifteenth, my mind hummed with a weeks full of preoccupations as I made my way to Gerena Community School’s cafeteria. Waiting for me, as almost always, were four of Project Coach’s high school coaches. I sat down and into a conversation that sprung me from all internal griping. Two of our returning coaches were observing a group of fifth grader players whom they have known for the past four years:

“We have seen these kids grow up. I mean, we have seen them grow,” said one coach.

Coach Tyree (4-year veteran) demonstrating the web of community

“I know! I can remember these kids when they were in first grade! Now look at them.”         replied the second coach.

“I remember what that was like,” said the first coach, “do you?”

This kind of conversation comes from an aware eye, an empathetic soul, and a teacher who is willing to learn from their students.   As I listened, the weight of the shared recognition seemed to pull on every conception I had made in our first five weeks. The students were not only considering the growing athletes as individuals, but as part of a larger context, one that is ever-changing and unpredictable. They were seeing “the bigger picture,” the one I had been trying all too hard to present, and without any external provocation. The coaches were tapped into what was happening in that cafeteria and reflecting on the significance of their relationships with the kids. By recognizing the children and their growth, the coaches were considering the affect time has on all of us. This insightful look was a result of recognizing the kids, their transformation, and ultimately, their story. Whether or not they knew it, the coaches were showing me how to see.

As I turned the interaction over in my mind, the coaches lined up our attending players for a rainy Friday Project Coach session. We were back into the swing of things and ready to facilitate a great afternoon. The clarity didn’t fade from our Coach’s eyes as they led the children down Gerena’s steps and towards the game.

PC Community Sports Day 1 - Mother Nature 0

Resilience: noun: The ability to recover quickly from illness, change, or misfortune; buoyancy.

This term perfectly summarizes Project Coach on Tuesday.

The sun shown down brightly as the red shirts and coaches walked onto the Roberto Clemente field in Springfield, arms full of sports balls, cones, rope, bats, and a net. All this equipment was in preparation for Project Coach’s 2^nd annual North End Community Sports Day, full of various sports games from volleyball and basketball, to kickball and tug-o-war for the kids in the community.

Sounds of kids laughter and gleeful screaming filled the air as I walked around the field viewing the different activities. Western New England College was also adding to this great atmosphere, leading the volleyball and t-ball stations, thanks to an array of college players and long-time PC supporter Charles Drago. It was so great to have some volunteers from the community showing their support for Project Coach. Red shirts were even getting competitive as they jumped into the games. Excitement was also exuding from the teenage coaches, especially at my personal favorite sport station: tug-o-war! At one point, there were about 15 kids on one end of the rope with 4 male coaches (all very strong). As a spectator, I was convinced all the kids would go flying, however, after a minute or so of tugging, the “kids team” tugged that rope right out of the their coaches’’ hands! What a great victory!

It was so great to scan the green field and see the kids, teenagers, and grad students all playing together with smiles spreading across each face. Sportsmanship and teamwork were also very evident at each station, as team members cheered each other on and high-fives were exchanged between friendly competitors.

However, Mother Nature had other plans for the rest of the day. A dark, looming, cloud floated its way above the field and a major gust of wind swept through, forcing everybody to run for safety indoors. Adults’ faces changed from happy and satisfied to worry and frantic. There were so many children to be accounted for and to fit into the indoor gyms. There was also the question of what activities to use for the kids in the remaining half hour of the day.

Thankfully, Project Coach has taught its coaches resilience and the importance of being flexible and creative when the original plans go awry. This was clear when the coaches immediately organized a bunch of scrimmages for the kids. Different colored sports pennies began appearing on the kids as teams were made and the basketball games began. As quickly as the kids had stopped the outside games and dispersed into the gym, the excitement and high energy level returned. The coaches were immediately on the sidelines coaching their teams to victory. This turn around from having about 70 young kids running around outside to organizing them into teams and starting basketball games indoors was simply amazing; all the children were quickly accounted for, no one was standing around wondering what to do next, and the coaches and red shirts mobilized quicker than lightning to decide what activity they would begin with this unexpected change in plans. The initiative the teenagers took to plan and mobilize their young athletes into new games demonstrated their resilience to any unexpected change in plans, like the change in weather provided that day.

It is because of the Project Coach red shirts and coaches resilience that made this day an incredible success. Not only was the camaraderie seen on the outside field inspiring, but as equally, if not more, inspiring was realizing that nothing could stand in the way of red shirts and coaches making this day the successful and fun for the kids.

Article and photos by Marie Wallace