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Tampa Bay Coaches Win Positive Coaching Alliance’s National Double-Goal Coach® Award Presented by TeamSnap

03.09.2021

Tampa, FL – Today, Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) announced its coveted National Double-Goal Coach® award winners presented by TeamSnap to coaches for making a positive impact on youth in sports.

The Double-Goal Coach® Award recognizes coaches who teach their teams to strive to win while also pursuing the important goal of teaching life lessons through sports. Twenty-five national winners have been named and each will receive a certificate, $500, recognition within the websites and newsletters of PCA, and an invitation to PCA’s virtual National Youth Sports Awards and Benefit on April 18, 2021. One grand-prize winner will be honored as the PCA National Coach of The Year and win the $10,000 Taube Family Prize in Recognition of Excellence in Coaching ($2,500 to the coach and $7,500 to the youth sports organization or school of his/her choice).

PCA - Tampa Bay is proud to recognize three (3) coaches as recipients of this national award: Courtney Draper, Chris Harrison and Elijah Weaver.

Courtney Draper is the founder and head volleyball coach at St. Pete Volleyball Club and a teacher at Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, FL. She was a member of the Florida State University volleyball team and has coached for twenty years at all youth levels, as well as collegiately at the University of South Florida, Eckerd College, Jacksonville University, Duke University, and Florida State University.

“Coach Courtney infuses positive reinforcement into every coaching opportunity and is a powerful motivator,” says Chris Field, parent of a club player. “She has a high skill level and vast knowledge of the game, having coached at the college level for many years, and has the ability to develop players beyond their own expectations.”

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Courtney Draper, Founder & Head Volleyball Coach at St. Pete Volleyball Club

More Info On Courtney

Chris Harrison is the Assistant Recreation Program Supervisor at Northdale Recreation Center in Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation Department (HCPRD). Harrison grew up attending HCPRD programs where he developed his love for competition and sports and continued them into high school and college where he played football. As a Parks coach, he has led many programs to include after-school, summer camp, Youth Leadership Council, and numerous sports teams and tournaments.

“When Coach Chris enters a group, the children automatically start to feel more empowered,” says Rebecca Mendoza, Recreation Program Supervisor at Northdale Recreation Center.  “Coach Chris helps the children develop the mindset that they can achieve success in any game, no matter how big or small; he is always their cheerleader and celebrates every victory with the group.”

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Chris Harrison, Assistant Recreation Program Supervisor at Northdale Recreation Center in Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation Department

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Elijah Weaver is the head Flag Football coach at Lakewood Ranch High School in Manatee County. He was a multi-sport athlete in high school and continued his love for sports by playing football at the University of South Alabama. Coach Weaver’s athletes comment they feel their voices are always heard and value his guidance and lessons on and off the field.

“Coach Weaver teaches the person, not just the player,” says Shivanie Ghansiam, a senior on the Mustangs’ team. “This allows each athlete to be in control of her abilities and enhances each player's strengths in the sport and in life.”

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Elijah Weaver, Head Flag Football coach at Lakewood Ranch High School in Manatee County

More Info On Elijah


"Great coaches can truly make a difference in the development of kids, both as athletes and as people," said Mason Cathey Brady, Executive Director of PCA-Tampa Bay, the local Chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance. "It has been tremendous to meet this year’s award winners and to hear from their peers, the parents, and the kids they work with on what a difference each coach is making every day, season after season. We are fortunate to have them represent us in Tampa Bay."

PCA-Tampa Bay’s 2021 Regional Double-Goal Coach award winners include:

Alex Burrell, Florida Rush Soccer Club; Marquel Cason, Canterbury School of Florida; Justin Pelliccia, Cypress Creek High School; Jason Rinard, Brooks DeBartolo High School; and Jeff Saxton, Florida Premier Volleyball

• Join PCA on April 18 for the virtual National Youth Sports Awards & Benefit.

• List of 2021 National Double-Goal Coach Award Winners.

• List of 2021 Regional Double-Goal Coach Award Winners. 

About Positive Coaching Alliance

As a catalyst for a positive youth sports culture, Positive Coaching Alliance provides research-based training and resources for coaches, parents, athletes, and leaders to ensure a positive youth development experience for ALL kids, in all communities across the U.S., through sports. PCA ensures sports are ‘done right’ with programming that is research-based and designed to have impact at three levels in a youth sports organization or school:

  • YOUTH experience improved life skills and character development.
  • COACHES become more positive and increase their focus on using sports to teach life lessons.
  • YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS AND SCHOOLS see their cultures become more positive and everyone involved has more fun.

PCA believes that all youth can benefit from a positive, inclusive sports culture that develops social and emotional skills, molds character, and prepares them for competition and life. In more than two decades of work, PCA expanded from a small local nonprofit to a strong, nationwide organization that provides programming in all 50 states, reaching thousands of organizations around the country and positively impacting millions of youth athletes every year. PCA has now partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations nationwide to deliver more than 20,000 live group workshops, reaching over 20 million youth.

To learn more about Positive Coaching Alliance, contact:

Mason Cathey Brady
Executive Director, PCA-Tampa Bay
mason_cathey@positivecoach.org
352-514-2797

OR 

Jennie Wulbrun
Program & Events Administrator
Positive Coaching Alliance
jennie_wulbrun@positivecoach.org
650-210-0815

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