Sammamish Rowing Association has established a three-year partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a national non-profit developing "Better Athletes, Better People" by working to provide all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building sports experience.

The partnership provides SRA access to PCA’s training for coaches, sports parents, student-athletes and administrators, comprising live group workshops, online courses, books by PCA Founder Jim Thompson and additional online resources, such as e-mailed follow-up tips and reminders.
 
PCA has partnered with roughly 3,500 youth sports organizations, schools, districts, conferences, and park-and-rec departments to create a Development ZoneTM culture, where the goal is using youth and high school sports to develop Better Athletes, Better People, Thompson said. “We look forward to working with SRA to create the best possible experience for the youth athletes. Our research-based materials combine the latest in sports psychology, education and practical advice from top pro and college coaches and athletes that help improve athletic performance while also ensuring kids take life lessons from sports that will help them throughout the rest of their lives.”
 
“Our coaches and staff are driven by the opportunity to positively impact the lives of our rowers,” SRA Executive Director Steven Freygang said. “The PCA partnership will help us expand on that opportunity and strengthen the connection between coaches, parents, and rowers.”
 
The workshops are scheduled to begin on September 8.  For information about the dates and locations, please contact Steven Freygang and click here to learn more about the partnership.
 
About Positive Coaching Alliance
Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) develops BETTER ATHLETES, BETTER PEOPLE through resources for youth and high school sports coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes. In addition to more than 1,800 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.
 
PCA resources, which have reached more than 8.6 million youth, strive to transform high school and youth sports into a Development Zone® culture, where the goal is to develop Better Athletes, Better People and the following become the prevailing models in youth and high school sports:

• The Double-Goal Coach®, who strives to win while also pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports
• The Second-Goal Parent®, who concentrates on life lessons, while letting coaches and athletes focus on competing
• The Triple-Impact Competitor®, who strives to impact sport on three levels by improving oneself, teammates and the game as a whole.

 
PCA gains support from a National Advisory Board, including National Spokesperson and 11-time NBA Champion Coach Phil Jackson, and many other top coaches, athletes, organization leaders and academics who share PCA’s mission.
 

Sammamish Rowing Association is excited to announce the hiring of Ethan Currie and Elizabeth Wilson. Ethan and Elizabeth will be filling positions with the junior men's team and the 5am master's team starting this fall.
 
Ethan comes to SRA from Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia and the Forman School in Litchfield, CT. He is currently the head coach of the junior summer program at Vesper Boat Club and worked as an assistant coach and history teacher at Forman, a private boarding school that specializes in students with learning differences. Ethan also worked for Mendota Rowing Club in Madison, WI for three years coaching their masters programs. Ethan will be coaching the junior experienced boys with Head Coach Eliza Dickson, and also the 5am masters with Head Coach Tom Woodman.
 
Elizabeth joins SRA having recently graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in sports management. While at Florida Elizabeth served in student government for four years and was also a program assistant and lead fitness instructor for University of Florida Department of Recreational Sports. Elizabeth is currently working for the PGA Tour in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL in human resources. Prior to college, Elizabeth rowed for Winter Park High School in Winter Park, FL.
 
"I am so excited to be joining Sammamish Rowing Association and I am ready to get back into the rowing community," Wilson said. "This sport has given me countless friendships and memories that I will cherish forever and I am so excited to create more. Rowing, in my opinion, is the most physically demanding sport there is, but it teaches you so much about grit, leadership, teamwork, and humility. I am thrilled to be given to opportunity to pass on the lessons I've learned from the sport to others." Elizabeth will be coaching the junior novice boys with Novice Coach Simon Williams, and also the 5am masters novice rowers with Head Coach Tom Woodman.