The event is expected to draw more than 250 girls in grades 2 through 8 for a morning of basketball instruction, mentorship and access to community resources. Families will also have the opportunity to connect with local organizations focused on health, wellness and youth development.

Coaches and players from the city’s Big 5 women’s basketball programs — Drexel, La Salle, Penn, St. Joseph’s, Temple and Villanova — will lead the basketball clinic.

“Girls deserve the same opportunities to play, grow and lead through sports,” said Beth Devine, executive director of PYSC. “Philly Girls Got Game is about creating access and building confidence, but also about showing families that sports can be a pathway to healthier, stronger and more connected communities.”

According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls are twice as likely as boys to drop out of sports by age 14, and nearly one in three girls who have never played sports show moderate to high levels of depression symptoms. The Philly Girls Got Game initiative aims to close that gap by offering supportive environments and mentors to help girls stay engaged.

The event is free and open to all girls and youth who identify as girls in grades 2 through 8. Parents and guardians can register here. Contact Malcolm Davis at Mdavis@pysc.org for any questions.

AmeriHealth Caritas serves as presenting sponsor. Additional support is provided by The Wawa Foundation, PURE and the city’s Big 5 universities.

This citywide conference will bring together football and cheer coaches from across Philadelphia for a day of high-energy, hands-on training and fresh insight from some of the city’s most dedicated youth sports leaders. Whether you’re a seasoned coach or just getting started, the event is designed to sharpen coaching skills, strengthen peer connection, and elevate the standard of youth sports across neighborhoods. Sessions will focus on youth development and practical strategies for building safer, more inclusive environments on and off the field. Attendees can expect live demonstrations, panel discussions, resource sharing, and opportunities to win raffles and prizes throughout the day.

“This is more than just a coaching clinic,” said Dontae Privette, PYSC’s Director of Community Engagement. “It’s about investing in the leaders who shape young lives every day. With everything happening in our city, this kind of community-centered training matters now more than ever.”

The event is hosted in partnership with the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and supports PYSC’s ongoing work to use youth sports as a tool for violence prevention, mentorship, and long-term community impact.

For more information or to register, visit our registration page or contact PYSC at info@pysc.org.

The event will feature special guests including State Senator Christine Tartaglione and representatives from the Parker Administration, who will join PYSC in announcing the newest recipients of the Philly Youth Sports Fund. Launched in 2024, this city-backed initiative provides micro-grants to small, neighborhood-based youth sports organizations—helping ensure that every child, in every Philly neighborhood, has a chance to play.

More information.

The Summit will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring conversations with a dynamic group of speakers.

Learn more here and register.

Informational flyer.

The Summit will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring conversations with a dynamic group of speakers:

• Jameer Nelson, former NBA All-Star and current general manager of the Delaware Blue Coats.
• Sinead Farrelly, former professional soccer player and outspoken advocate for athletes’ rights.
• Ariana Ramsey, USA Rugby 7s National Team player and 2024 Olympic medalist.
• Chris Therien, former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman, author and current podcast host.

Attendees will also hear from an NFL panel featuring Dominique Curry and Tim Massaquoi, discussing the specific mental health challenges faced by football players.

From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., a series of practitioner workshops will provide hands-on sessions designed to equip attendees with tools and strategies to support mental health in youth sports.

The summit is honored to welcome representatives from all five major Philadelphia professional sports teams, making this event truly special. This level of collaboration underscores Philly’s commitment to advancing youth sports and mental health.

Beth Devine, executive director of PYSC, expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming event. “We are excited to bring experts, athletes, and coaches together for a meaningful discussion on this important topic. At PYSC, we know that sports support not just physical health, but mental and emotional health for young people. So we are proud to lead this conversation and continue working to improve out­comes for youth through sports,” Devine said.

Media requests should be directed to Steven Giannino-Malatesta at sgiannino@pysc.org.

Learn more and register.

Use promo code SUMMIT24 for a discounted ticket price.

We’re thankful for the community and sponsor support that’s fueled this initiative thus far. Our lineup of inspiring speakers and special guests is set to empower and inspire us all.

Learn more and register. Tickets are limited so register now.

At PYSC, we are deeply passionate about youth sports in our city. This year’s summit spotlights a crucial theme: Women in Sports. We’re thankful for the community and sponsor support that’s fueled this initiative thus far. Our lineup of inspiring speakers and special guests is set to empower and inspire us all.

More information and sponsorship opportunities.

This session led by CLA Accounting will cover the nuances of non-profit financial statements and what board members need to know to best serve their organizations.

Date and Time: Wednesday, December 8th, 5:00pm (via Zoom)

Register.

Leaders from the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport, King County Play Equity Coalition, Laureus USA, Lawrence Sports Leadership Academy, Milwaukee Youth Sports Alliance, Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative, and Project Play (WNY and MI) will be on hand to lead discussions on organizing, governance, advocacy and more.

Date and Time: Thursday, October 21, 11 am to 2 pm

RSVP here to attend the half-day convening hosted by the Movement for Sport Equity on October 21st.

Date and Time: Tuesday, November 9th, 10:00am-11:30am, (30 min break), 12:00pm-1:30pm (via Zoom)

Register.

The mission of CHJS is to make sport healing for all youth, everywhere, through training, consulting, and movement building. They believe that underneath the fun and camaraderie, sport can be used as a vehicle to provide creative and accessible solutions to some of society’s biggest issues.

The Collaborative is partnering with CHJS to host a special launch event on August 23, 10:00-11:30 AM where we will introduce the work and vision of CHJS, highlight some of the amazing work happening in Philadelphia, and continue the conversation around how the Philadelphia SBYD community can continue to push our field forward.

We hope you all can join us. REGISTER HERE.

Our goal with the new website is to provide visitors with an easier way to learn about the Collaborative: who we are and what we do, as well as easily navigate information regarding our member organizations, ongoing initiatives, and mission to create equitable access for all children to high-quality sports-based youth development programs in their own schools and neighborhoods.

Visit the new website.

The comprehensive study, Sports-based Youth Development: Hitting a Home Run in Social and Emotional Learning Outcomes, was conducted by Hello Insight and surveyed more than 60 SBYD programs and nearly 10,000 young people nationwide, including 14 Collaborative member organizations using the survey and reporting tool Hello Insight: Sports.

• Boys in SBYD programs are significantly more likely to develop SEL skills compared to boys in non-sports programs.
• More girls in SBYD programs succeed in the area of growing Social Skills than did their peers in non-sports programs.
• Young men of color in SBYD programs do not have significantly different scores than their white peers, showing that ethnicity does not impact SEL growth in SBYD programs, unlike non-sport youth programs.
• Developing Positive Relationships with Coaches promotes a statistically significant growth in SEL; however, growth is driven by different methods for boys and girls.

These findings are particularly critical at a time where space, funding, and capacity will be limited as youth programming begins to reflect pre-pandemic activity. With participation rates down by nearly 84% in youth sports programs serving low-income communities (2020 SBYD National Survey, Youth Sports Collaborative Network), it is evidently clear that now more than ever, the children and families of Philadelphia need programs that not only focus on the physical development of a child, but also their mental, social, and emotional wellbeing. The Collaborative has always believed that sports provide a unique environment for positive youth development experiences, but this study adds further evidence that the work of our member organizations is critical and highly impactful on the youth of Philadelphia.

Learn more here.

Register here.

Register here.

Register here.

February 16, 10:00-11:30 AM – Supporting Athletes with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities – Led by Special Olympics PA.

This session will serve as an introduction to intellectual and developmental disabilities with a primary goal of sharing tools and knowledge to help make youth sports programs more inclusive and welcoming for all participants. Topics will include health and behavior characteristics of various disabilities, and considerations for inclusive communication.

Register here.

This FREE app is a one stop shop for high-quality sports drills, workout routines, and fun games to keep kids healthy and safe while working from home.

The app is loaded with tons of sports and fitness content created by experienced coaches specifically with kids in mind, but it’s a great way to get the entire family involved! Try new sports, develop new skills, or simply focus on working up a sweat.

Click here to download the free app!

Course Description:
Philadelphia is quickly becoming a national leader in the sports-based youth development field. More and more youth-serving organizations are committing to the process of delivering high-quality programs that are accessible and affordable. We define quality sports-based youth development programs as a conscientiously designed effort to enable positive social, emotional, and physical growth in every child. We know that coach/mentor education is essential to these quality programs, and that quality coaches can transform young lives.

This course has been thoughtfully designed to deliver a comprehensive curriculum that will support coaches in their role as teachers and mentors. By focusing on the development of the child, the Coach Education Program will arm each participant with the necessary tools and knowledge to meet each young athlete where they are and support positive development through the all-important coach/mentor relationship. Coaches typically learn their trade from those who have coached them – a pass it down approach. This program is designed to equip coaches with critical knowledge of youth development, and to help them develop techniques that truly make a long-term positive impact on growing young people.

A series of professional coach educators will deliver the following topics over four half-day sessions:

Module 1: COACHING TECHNIQUES
● Developing your own personal coaching philosophy and style
● Teaching technical and tactical skills
● Practice and season planning

Module 2: YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
● Specific age/stage information
● Expectations and activities by age
● Age appropriate development guidelines
● Gender differences
● Urban/trauma-sensitive development

Module 3: STRATEGIES
● Positive youth development myths and approaches
● Teaching life skills
● Incorporating inclusion & diversity into your coaching practice
● Coaches as mentors

Module 4: BUILDING YOUR COACHING CULTURE
● Developing your team’s culture
● Leadership & Motivation
● Handling mental health challenges
● Best practices

Course will be offered to cohorts of 50 coaches with four in-person sessions with seasoned coach education partners, as well as online collaboration and professional support in between sessions.

Course dates:
● January 11, 2020
● February 22, 2020
● March 21, 2020
● May 16, 2020

Course cost:
Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative members: $75 per coach
Non-Members: $125 per coach

Please note: A typical non-credit certificate course at Temple University in the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management is $2,835. This program is heavily discounted through the support of the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative.

CLICK HERE TO ENROLL

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeOcPxfUpg16SCGcX_pmmVZAkLNuy5RGMynqe5kfedPUPlyKw/viewform

Location: Friends Center, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102

One year ago we published Game On Philly!, the report of the Task Force on Sports-Based Youth Development which detailed recommendations that would make Philadelphia a national leader in providing its children with access to high-quality sports programs rooted in positive youth development. Supported by the great work of our nearly forty member organizations, as well as partners that include the Mayor’s Office of Education, the School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Temple University, Algorhythm, and a host of others, the Collaborative has launched pilot programs in the focus areas of access, outcome measurement, research, and coach education.

As these efforts and the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative continue to grow, we invite you, supporters and key stakeholders in this mission, to join us as we detail the encouraging work of the past year and brainstorm the next steps that we must take as a city to bring true equity in access and quality to sports-based youth development programs for our children.

We are excited to reconvene the many stakeholders who truly understand the role that sports and physical activity led by trained coaches and mentors play in the development of Philly’s youth.

Please save the date, Wednesday September 18th from 8:00am to noon.

We will provide additional details as well as the full agenda as we get closer. We can’t wait to see you there.