A New PCA Chapter (PCA-Mid-Atlantic) to go with the New Stanley Cup!

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA)—a national non-profit developing Better Athletes, Better People through youth and high school sports—has launched PCA-Mid-Atlantic (serving D.C., Maryland, and Virginia), its 18th chapter in the United States.

We are extremely proud to announce this new Chapter, and even more excited to do it after the Washington Capitals FIRST Stanley Cup title! The Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, which supports the charitable efforts of the Washington Capitals, Mystics, Valor and Wizards and Baltimore Brigade, supports PCA-Mid-Atlantic as a Chapter Founding Partner.

PCA-Mid-Atlantic hosted a "launch event" to open the Chapter earlier this week at Nationals Park on June 5, with fifteen local community leaders in business and sport joining PCA national staff to host this inaugural meeting.

The chapter has received tremendous support from DC-based sports teams and local foundations, with the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, The Clark Foundation, and The Bruhn-Morris Family Foundation. However, the launch of this Chapter would not have possible without support from ACAC Fitness & Wellness Centers, Together Rising, and umttr.

PCA currently partners with nearly 50 organizations around D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, including Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association, DC Scores, and The First Tee of Greater Washington, DC, among others. “Now that we have a Chapter Board in place we can greatly accelerate our impact’” said PCA Founder and CEO Jim Thompson. “We look forward to serving the schools and youth sports organizations in and around the Mid-Atlantic area through our workshops for youth and high school sports coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes. We are also proud to offer free online resources for those groups at www.PCADevZone.org.”

Board Chair Nigel Adams (Owner, Adams Consulting) expressed his excitement for PCA's Newest Chapter, stating:

The launch of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter is a great step for our region and the young people, coaches and parents who will be touched by the PCA experience. Each will begin to have a better experience in youth sports and more importantly recognize how life lessons on the field build character and leadership skills for a lifetime.

Joining Nigel on the newly-installed PCA-Mid-Atlantic board is: Livingston Cheng (President, Heat Sports Sciences, Inc.), Rory Coakley (President, Coakley Realty), Joe Del Guercio (SVP, Clark Investments, Managing Director, CNF Investments, LLC), Courtney Geduldig (EVP, Public Affairs, S&P Global), Mari Hern (SVP, Global Head of Service Asset and Configuration Management, Wells Fargo), Alycen McAuley (Managing Director, High Five Marketing), Polly Middleton (Community Philanthropist), Alex Mistri (VP, Government & External Affairs, Hess Corporation), Andrew Niebler (General Counsel & SVP, Calvert Investments), Daryl Nirenberg (Partner, Steptoe & Johnson), John Nolan (Co-Chair, Smithsonian Postal Museum Advisory Board), Rebecca Valentino (Senior Associate, Alston & Bird), Mimi Vishio (Counsel, Zelle), and Joe Wall (Managing Partner, Office of Government Affairs, Goldman Sachs).

Jake Wald, who has been with PCA since 2012, steps in to lead the Mid-Atlantic Chapter as the first Executive Director. Jake, who has served in several roles at PCA, is thrilled to bring a chapter to the region:

Alongside our newly formed Chapter Board, I would like to thank our Founding Partners and Chapter Sponsors for enabling us to bring the positive coaching movement to DC, Maryland, and Virginia. We are excited to serve the schools and youth sports organizations in our Mid-Atlantic region and look forward to developing Better Athletes, Better People through sports.

Jake Wald

Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic