UW Center for Leadership in Athletics
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CoachUp! Washington

In 2021, the University of Washington Center for Leadership in Athletics (UW CLA), in collaboration with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), launched CoachUp! Washington. This strategic initiative aimed to elevate the standards of school-based coaching throughout Washington State, supported by grant funding from the Susan Crown Exchange as part of the Million Coaches Challenge. CoachUp! Washington was designed to provide comprehensive training to all Washington school-based coaches, supported by curriculum development and research conducted by UW CLA. The initiative also prioritized professional development opportunities specifically crafted for women and non-binary coaches, reflecting a commitment to inclusivity and equity within the coaching community.

“We are proud of the work that was generated through the CoachUp! Washington project in partnership with the WIAA,” said Dr. Hannah Olson, Director of the CLA. “A foundation has been built that has the potential to change the way we are approaching coaching education on a regional scale and greatly impact coaches and student-athletes.”

Curriculum Development

Over 3,000 Washington coaches and students from diverse backgrounds and experiences collaborated in the development and testing of two foundational courses, now available for free to a national audience. Both courses are approved for Washington state clock hours (meets WIAA coaching standards in two of the four required content areas).

Developing Youth Through Sport

Course Overview: 

  • Developing Youth Through Sport provides an understanding of fundamental coaching strategies to promote safe spaces and positive experiences in sport. Coaches will learn about how they can help the students on their team build their skills through sport, foster physical and emotional safety, create an environment for learning, and model positive behavior for their team.

Course Feedback:

  • 88% of coaches acknowledged the benefits of the content for their future coaching endeavors.
  • 89% of coaches expressed willingness to recommend the training to their peers.


Take the Course!

Centering Student-Athlete Needs

Course Overview: 

  • Centering Student-Athlete Needs focuses on adolescent development and how to be responsive to the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional needs of teen athletes.

Course Feedback:

  • 93% of coaches found the training informative and useful.
  • 97% believed that applying concepts from the course would positively impact their athletes.
  •  91% recommended the training to fellow coaches, emphasizing its role in broadening coaching perspectives.


Take the Course! 

Both courses are available online at My24/7Ed via MyWIAA, free for Washington state school-based coaches, and Developing Youth Through Sport is available for a national audience at NFHS Learn.

Instructions for Accessing Courses on my247ed:

  1. Navigate to the my247ed app website > Sign in to your account or register for a new account, which is complimentary and necessitates only an email address and password
  2. Choose the ‘Online Course Catalog’ tab located on the left-hand side of the interface
  3. Scroll through the page until you locate the Foundations of Coaching courses section
  4. Click on ‘Enroll’ adjacent to the course title
  5. Enter the course!

Professional Development

The Game Changers Initiative (GCI) was a one-year experience designed to support women in the early stages of their coaching journey. GCI connected communities of female coaches across Washington State through professional development, mentorship and training. Participants engaged in a two-day kickoff event centered on professional development and community building in Seattle, WA. Throughout the year, they networked monthly through virtual meetings, alternating between regional huddles, sport-specific groups, and quarterly professional development sessions. Additionally, participants engaged in online learning, collaboration, discussions, and further professional development. The program culminated in an end-of-year event and a half-day of focused professional development.

Hear from coaches who attended the 2024 Game Changers’ End of Year Coaching Workshop, designed to empower women at the start of their coaching careers.