BOSTON, November 13, 2018 — Positive Coaching Alliance-New England welcomes Matthew D. Cohn, a partner in the corporate group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP as one of its newest Chapter Board Members. At Kirkland & Ellis, Matt serves as lead counsel representing large and middle market private equity funds and other financial sponsors as well as public and private companies in complex mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, growth equity and minority investments, joint ventures and corporate reorganizations.  Matt has experience counseling clients in a variety of industries, including technology, financial services, business services, software, sports, media, entertainment, energy and infrastructure, healthcare, education, retail, consumer products, and manufacturing.

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national nonprofit committed to the development of Better Athletes, Better People through sports done right.  Founded 20 years ago at Stanford University, PCA delivers workshops and free online resources to young athletes, their coaches, parents, and sports leaders in New England.  PCA workshops and resources are based on a combination of top coaches’ best practices and sports psychology to support the development of character, grit, resilience, teamwork, and more in kids through sports done right. PCA gains support from a National Advisory Board comprised of top coaches, athletes, leaders, sports psychologists, and acdemics, who, like Tommy Amaker, Kristine Lilly, Brad Stevens, Jerry York, and Julie Foudy, share PCA’s mission. Here in New England, PCA-New England partners with about 100 youth sports organizations and schools.

Matt is committed to help PCA deliver powerful resources to schools and youth sports organizations throughout New England.  Matt noted, "With three young children, I’ve seen firsthand how much of an impact team sports and positive coaching can make. The lessons kids learn through playing sports are invaluable throughout their lives. Great coaching teaches life lessons that make a difference on the playing field, at home, in the office, the boardroom, and beyond."  Matt believes in the power of sports done right to transform lives.

PCA-New England Executive Director, Beth O’Neill Maloney noted, "Having someone with Matt's background join our movement is terrific for PCA.  Matt is someone who truly understands what it means to take the positive lessons gained from sports into other facets of life."

PCA-New England’s Chapter Board Members and other key supporters comprise a “who's who” of sports, business and philanthropy, including the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Cannons, Deloitte, Fenway Sports Management, Fidelity Investments, New Balance, Porchlight Equity, Regan Communications, WBZ-TV/CBS Boston. In addition, the Chevy Dealers of New England and CBS EcoMedia recently provided a grant to enable PCA to deliver workshops throughout New England.

Matt joins PCA-New England Board Members including: Mark Melito (Deloitte); Kim Beckett; Tracy DeForge; Greg Gordon; Brian Hogan (Fidelity); Vona Hill (Managing Perspectives); ­Julie Kahn (Regan Communications); David Krauser (Porchlight Equity); Mark Kristiansen; Matt LeBretton (New Balance); Mark Lev (Fenway Sports Management); Mark Lund (WBZ-TV/CBS Boston); Sean Quirk (Boston Cannons & Endicott College); Shawn Sullivan (Boston Celtics); and Bob Sweeney (Boston Bruins Foundation).

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About Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis is a global law firm with 2,200 attorneys representing clients in private equity, M&A and other complex corporate transactions, litigation and dispute resolution/arbitration, restructuring and intellectual property matters. The Firm has 14 offices around the world: Boston, Beijing, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Shanghai and Washington, D.C

About Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA): PCA develops BETTER ATHLETES, BETTER PEOPLE through resources for youth and high school sports coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes. In addition to nearly 1,500 free multimedia tips and tools at www.PCADevZone.org, PCA has partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations nationwide to deliver more than 20,000 live group workshops, along with online courses and books by PCA Founder Jim Thompson that help those involved in youth and high school sports create a positive, character-building youth sports culture.

For more information, contact:

Beth O’Neill Maloney
Executive Director, PCA-New England
617 460-5181
beth_maloney@positivecoach.org