Help Positive Coaching Alliance Develop the Best Expansion Model 

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national non-profit with the mission to provide all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building youth sports experience. Since its 1998 launch at Stanford University by Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jim Thompson, PCA has impacted more than 4 million youth athletes.  PCA reaches youth and high school sport leaders, coaches, athletes, parents, and officials through live workshops, online courses, published books and articles, and a series of alliances with nationally-recognized coaches, athletes, academicians, businesses and national youth sports organizations.  

Much of our work is fueled by Jim Thompson's expertise in organizational culture. Before launching PCA, for more than 10 years, Jim was director of the Public and Global Management Programs at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he also taught courses in leadership and non-profit issues.  In March 2004, Jim was named an International Fellow by Ashoka: Innovators for the Public -- an organization that recognizes outstanding social entrepreneurs. Jim is a member of the faculty in Stanford University’s Continuing Studies Program where he teaches courses in coaching, leadership and sport and spirituality.

PCA is supported and championed by nationally recognized professional coaches, athletes, academians and business leaders including:  Phil Jackson, Ronnie Lott, Doc Rivers, Barry Zito, Steve Young, Shane Battier, Dusty Baker, Larry Brown, Ruthie Bolton, Bill Bradley, Bill Campbell, Nadia Comaneci, Bart Conner, Brandi Chastain, Tony Dorsett, Joe Ehrmann, Dick Gould, Jack Kemp, and Ted Leland. 

Throughout PCA's existence, Jim and the team he has assembled have continually innovated products and services that ultimately serve youth, including:

• Our School and Youth Sports Organization (YSO) Partners:  We've partnered with more than 1,700 schools and youth sports organizations (YSOs) throughout the U.S. to bring training to their rosters of coaches, parents, athletes and leaders.

• Our Live Workshops:  Research-based content developed with the help of leading coaches and sports and educational psychologists, delivered by more than 100 dynamic PCA Trainers across the country.

• Our Online Courses: Translating the outstanding curriculum of our live workshops to engaging, interactive online courses that reach tens of thousands of coaches, parents, and athletes each year. 

• Our Books:  With eight published titles to his name, Jim Thompson has been recognized by the Institute for International Sport as one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators.

PCA has grown rapidly around the county with five chapters in Boston, Chicago, North Texas, Houston and Sacramento. We also have offices around the country including Hawaii, New York, San Francisco, Southern California and Washington, DC. 

PCA would like to engage an HBS Community Partners team to present some best practices for growth through Chapter expansion. This would include some analysis of PCA’s current Chapter infrastructure and to present recommendations to PCA for the best operating models.