Loeb and Joseph Speak at the Community Forum on Casinos in Springfield

Casino Proposals in Springfield, MA

                 Last night, two veteran coaches (now college students and leaders in the program), one of our graduate fellows who grew up in Springfield, and I attended the Community Forum for the two casinos (MGM and Penn National) who are attempting to build in Springfield, MA. Listening to the proposals was an informative experience, both of our veterans remarked how much they learned about the projects, what a nice job the companies had done preparing, and how exciting the prospects seemed for the city. I was struck by how few of the 300 audience members appeared under the age of 30. As a former resident and teacher in the city of Springfield, I was worried that the youth of the city had not come out to hear about such an important possibility and change. When it came time for community members to ask questions, I noticed that our two young men appeared to be among an incredibly small number of youth in line to ask these companies about their plans, their commitment to the city, and their ability to help Springfield. Yet, I could not have been more proud to see and hear Loeb and Joseph speak about our program and ask about the potential for these companies to support community building organizations like ours. 

 Loeb Rosario and Joseph Wray address the executives from MGM and Penn National 

          As you can see in the video, our young men were incredibly poised and well spoken, especially considering the large crowd, the people they were addressing (CEOs and COOs), and the fact that they were one of the first in line to ask a question. What struck me during and after this was that this event was not just important for our program, the possibility of connecting with these casinos, and our never ending quest for a beautiful facility in the north end; this was incredibly important for the two men who took a chance, had a great experience, and supported a program that meant so much to them. Afterwards, both Loeb and Joseph Wray were interview by NECN and Fox 6. A portion of that aired on both stations last night. Furthermore, the Young Professionals Society invited both young men to their next luncheon. In an email this morning, Loeb wrote, "I just really want to say thank you. Thank you for believing in me and trusting me throughout the past 6 years of my life. I know I could count on you all for anything." He continued on to say, "It seriously means a lot to me that you trust me talking about Project Coach to such important people." This solidified my belief that getting our name out, creating an opportunity to partner with these casinos, and promoting Project Coach, did not live up to the fabulous opportunity we had just given these young men. The chance to speak and be received as well as they were was undeniably powerful. 

MGM Gives Answer to Loeb and Joseph's Question

MGM Thanks Loeb and Joseph for Coming and Their Courage to Speak 

Penn National Echoes MGM's Support for Our Youth Leaders and the Program

       As all of the videos show, the two companies were both eager to discuss opportunities to partner with Project Coach and other organizations developing youth in Springfield. MGM's diversity leader commented how interested they were in organizations that have youth involved in mentoring and developing other youth. Loeb and Joseph were excited by the opportunity in their responses and will be visiting the offices of both companies this week. We are all excited and encouraged and would love to create a partnership with either organization. Stay tuned for more updates on this opportunity! 

Successful Family Night! 

           Last week, Project Coach held its first Open House Family Night for the first semester. Planned by our Purple Shirts, veteran coaches in local colleges who have leadership positions in the program, the first Family Night surpassed all expectations. Following our normal Wednesday programming (literacy, sports, and dinner for our participants), a crowd moved from the Gerena cafeteria to the gyms. So many families showed up, that the large hall leading to the gyms was packed with siblings, parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Over 75 parents attended, with and overall attendance around 150 people. The gyms were full of activity including basketball games, volleyball with parents and kids, and PC youth coaches leading games from the week's practices. Walking around the gyms, PC staff were thrilled to see such a wonderful event with amazing attendance happening in the community. 

  

           During the activity, our Purple Shirts were getting parents to sign up for an adult North End Volleyball League they are starting. Over 40 parents signed up and received free PC Volleyball t-shirts. Parents also talked with their children's coaches and staff about how much the program means to them and their community. Many parents offered excellent suggestions on follow-up Family Nights and ideas for other ways we could connect to the North End. Meanwhile, the gyms were filled with sports, play, and laughter. Looking forward, our Purple Shirts are already planning a Project Coach Family Carnival Night with more fun games, stations, and other chances to enjoy active time with their children, PC coaches, and other members of the community. 

NYC and College Trips by Red Shirt Joe

It was a real pleasure to spend the day on Thursday with Kayleigh (Director), Kelly (Sports Director), Jon, Efrain, Loeb, and Joe (Purple Shirts).  Generally spending eight hours with anyone during a day is something I try to avoid, especially in the confines of a fast-moving van.  In this case, I enjoyed the company immensely.  What made the day enjoyable was how comfortable everyone was with each other.  I think that getting away does that, which is why I think that trips will be a great tool going forward to get to know our home teams better.

We first made our way in to Manhattan.  We arrived a bit early, so we ate at one of my favorite pizza places.  Here is a picture of Kelly mashing food into his face and Kayleigh apparently carrying on a conversation with a pizza pie.

From there we headed to the BCNY building in lower Manhattan to meet with three representatives from the clubhouse.  I was impressed with the questions and answers that each of the Purple Shirts offered--they knew that this was a business trip first and foremost.  We then got stuck in some rush hour traffic, but the guys did get to meet some of the BCNY high school students from Queens who are using the Project Coach curriculum.  One goal for me is to get BCNY to come up to Springfield--I think it'd be great for the Blue Shirts to share their coaching experiences with other students in different locations.  From there, we headed north to lovely Bethlehem, CT where my dad had cooked up a great meal.  Jon Cotto can sure eat.  Then it was back to Springfield.

Sunday was equally enjoyable.  We met Liam at UMASS and he led a tour of his old stomping grounds.  We got some pizza delivered to the basketball courts near the dorms, which is where this happened:

College!

Today, several Project Coach members spent a few hours working in Morgan Hall on their college applications and college essays.  The room bustled with activity.  Several Smith students volunteered their time to work with and advise the blue shirts as they began the college process.  Owen brainstormed ideas for his college essay.  Besides being a great coach, he also helped build a house with his class!  Loeb and Efrain started thinking about transferring to their target schools.  Lai'shaa worked on her essay, and she's only a sophomore!  Priscilla started her common application, and she's only a junior!  This kind of initiative is so impressive, and important to staying on top of a complicated process.  A big thanks to the Smith students--Anna, Perry, Glendean, Julia, Haley, Dena, and Carlie--for working with us today.  And now, a college-themed quote to send all of our readers on their way.  A prize for the first commenter to name the movie that this quote is from*:

"You know, a lot of people go to college for seven years."
"I know, they're called doctors."














*Prize is the satisfaction of being published on the Project Coach Blog.

Texas' motivational speech

Texas captivates his audience with a great message about working towards success!

          During our last Monday night coaching academy session, Texas (a graduate fellow or Red Shirt) delivered an amazing motivation speech about wanting success and how to work towards it. His speech told the story of a young man who wanted success very badly and sought the help of a famous guru. The guru agreed to help and told the young man to meet him at the beach at 4am the next day. The young man complied, showing up in a suit. The guru, instructed the young man to walk into the ocean until he was up to his neck in water. The guru held the young man's head under water and let him up just before he passed out. The young man, convinced the guru was crazy, was relieved to catch his breath. The guru told the young man that when he wanted success as badly as he had just wanted to breathe, then he will get it. Texas used this story to explain that wanting success is great, but without hard work, heart, utilizing your resources, and setting goals that success will remain elusive. 

          Texas shared that in order to work towards success, people must surround themselves with individuals who are already where they want to be. Many coaches nodded their heads and even said "yes!" out loud after this statement. Texas shared how many of us around the table have people who say they are there for us and supportive, but in reality are not. He pushed the coaches to find people who will help them towards success and spend time with those people. The room broke into smiles when he described inviting all of your friends over and then surprising them with a study party! 

         Towards the end of the speech, Texas moved towards a focus of Project Coach -- Goal Setting! He explained that goal setting needs to start with short term goals and "winning the day." Only by winning the day can you hope to win a month, a year, or a few years. Many coaches nodded in agreement as Texas spoke about setting small goals that lead you to success. After his speech, the whole group clapped vigorously. Then our teenage coaches split up into their home teams and discussed with their Red Shirt what resonated with them. They also worked to set new SMART goals and discuss possible obstacles. This was a very timely activity for our group since grades for the first quarter of high school close this week. Many of our coaches continued to reach out for more help academically during the week, and quite a few coaches asked for help in addition to the usual tutoring sessions. Clearly, Texas' message was well received by all! 

F Level MA Youth Soccer Training

October 21st, 2012

             On Sunday, red shirts, blue shirts, and purple shirts all came together for an excellent training on how to coach youth soccer. Starting at 9am, coaches and staff were engrossed in a review of the G level training, and on their way to starting the F level. The training was free of cost for all of us, thanks to our great partnership with MA Youth Soccer. After learning about the way to plan a successful practice, the big ideas of coaching children, and the variables we should remember when planning practices, the whole group went over to the beautiful Smith soccer fields to learn through playing. We started off with activities on dribbling, and a great 1 vs. 1 dribble tag game. Within minutes we were all taking off our jackets and sweating. Before long, we were working on coaching dribbling techniques, headers, and more exciting small sided games. When lunch finally arrived, the group was so hungry! 

          The most exciting part of the training were all of the things we took away to improve our coaching. Some that really stuck with many of us were the importance of demonstrating everything you want your players to do in slow motion, giving players as many touches on the ball as possible, and what ethics means and how ethics relates to coaching. We had a great dialogue about making hard (but correct) decisions as a coach, making sure all players have fun, and the importance of games. We also learned some great coaching points relating to tactics and coaching defense. By the end of the eight hours, everyone in the group was pretty worn out, but as Loeb Rosario said we all learned a lot! Thanks to our instructor, Evan Holmes, and MA Youth Soccer for this great opportunity! 

PROJECT COACH ATTENDS THE PUERTO RICO PHILHARMONIC SYMPHONY

            Dressed to the nines, 15 coaches and 6 adults stood outside Symphony Hall awaiting the start of an exciting night. In spite of the rain, the steps to the historic building were filled with people coming out to see a unique orchestra all the way from Puerto Rico. Thanks to our partnership with the New North Campus Coalition, Project Coach was able to invite all of our coaches and staff to attend this formal, and important, cultural event. Sharing an auditorium with incredibly talented musicians, multiple dignitaries (including the mayors of both Holyoke and Springfield), Project Coach enjoyed three hours of beautiful music. 

         During the performance, many of us exchanged whispers about how amazing the violinists were, how the vocalist gave us chills, and how inspiring it was to watch the orchestra play. During one song, Efrain (a veteran coach in our program), translated the beautifully sung Spanish lyrics to help some of us better appreciate the tragic love story being told. The peak of the performance, a rendition of the score from West Side Story, captured the history of clashing cultures and the hope of cultures coming together and living in harmony. Notably, the audience listening to this score was a magnificent mix of Springfield's many cultures, ages, and backgrounds. 

        After intermission, it was announced that tickets to this symphony guaranteed a free ticket to an upcoming classical orchestra visiting Springfield. The moment after it was announced, all of the teenage coaches looked down the line with excitement and commented that they couldn't wait to attend that one as well. As coach Efrain Lopez commented about the night, "It was like a breath of fresh air. I loved the combination of Hispanic culture and classical music." The experience certainly made an impact on all of the coaches, and PC is already scheduling the second orchestra outing.