$2M+ in funding awarded to ten organizations working across policy, research, narrative change, and organizational practice in coaching

CHICAGO, IL, June 23 — The Million Coaches Challenge (MCC), with support from the Susan Crown Exchange (SCE), today announced the inaugural cohort of Partners selected for Empower Every Coach (EEC)  — a national effort designed to dismantle systemic barriers to quality coaching across the United States.

The EEC initiative builds on MCC’s milestone achievement of training one million coaches in youth development practices. Now, through a new portfolio of systems-level projects, MCC and its Partners are focused on transforming the structures, policies, narratives, and organizational practices that shape youth sports nationwide.

The selected organizations represent leaders across research, policy, public health, coach education, and youth development. Together, they will participate in a collaborative learning community while advancing projects aligned with MCC’s Calls to Action — a field-wide roadmap released in 2025 to strengthen quality coaching in America.

“Reaching one million coaches was never the finish line — it was the beginning,” said Susan Crown, founder and chairman of the Susan Crown Exchange. “Empower Every Coach is about building the systems that make quality coaching the norm rather than the exception. These Partners are leading the kind of bold, collaborative work that can create lasting change for young people and the adults who support them.”

The 2026 Empower Every Coach Learning Community includes the following Partners and projects:

• The Ad Council — Building a National Communications Effort for Youth Mental Health Through Sports & Coaching
• Adelphi University — Piloting Mental Health Guidelines for Youth Sport in the United States
• Center for Healing and Justice through Sport – Spearheading the Healing-Centered Sport Movement through Storytelling, Research, and Resources
• FundPlay Foundation — Advancing State and Federal Policy and Revenue Streams
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) — Changing Local Policy to Embed Quality Coaching Standards and Youth Development Principles into Parks & Recreation Operations
• The Sport Industry Research Center at Temple University — Youth Sports Tax & Revenue Policy Consortium
• LiFEsports at The Ohio State University and the Ohio High School Athletic Association – Coach Beyond: Building Statewide Coaching Infrastructure that Advances Cross-Sector Collaboration, Data, and Free, Evidence-based Training
• Positive Coaching Alliance – Partnering with Leaders Across the United States to Make Sports More Positive, Equitable, and Accessible—so Every Child Can Experience Sports Done Right
• United States Soccer Federation — Redesigning its National Framework for Coach Licensure Around Athlete-Centered Learning
• University of Washington Center for Leadership in Athletics (UW CLA) and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) — Growing and Strengthening the Pipeline of Women Coaches in High School Sports

Facilitated by Aspen Institute’s Project Play, Partners will collaborate over the next 18 months through quarterly convenings, shared learning opportunities, and collective problem-solving designed to accelerate systems-level impact across the youth sports ecosystem.

The Empower Every Coach initiative reflects MCC’s belief that quality coaching is not solely an individual responsibility, but a systems challenge that requires coordinated action across sectors. The selected projects span four interconnected areas identified in MCC’s Calls to Action: Insights, Narrative, Organizational Practice, and Policy.

“These projects recognize that empowering coaches requires more than training alone,” said Kevin Connors, Managing Director, Susan Crown Exchange. “It requires stronger policies, better funding structures, more inclusive systems, and a cultural understanding that coaches play a critical role in young people’s development and wellbeing.”

About Million Coaches Challenge

The Million Coaches Challenge is a national initiative launched by the Susan Crown Exchange in 2021 to transform youth sports by training coaches in evidence-based youth development practices. Backed by leading organizations across sports, research, and youth development, MCC works to equip coaches with the tools to create positive, inclusive environments where young people can thrive on and off the field. Learn more about the Million Coaches Challenge and the Empower Every Coach initiative, www.millioncoaches.org.

About Susan Crown Exchange

Susan Crown Exchange (SCE) is a grantmaking foundation with a mission to prepare youth to thrive in a rapidly changing world. SCE supports organizations that promote social and emotional learning and youth wellbeing, explore the relationship between technology and society, and build critical life skills through youth sports.

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