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An Inside Look At PCA's Impact On Forney ISD

07.10.2017

Forney ISD Athletic Director Neal Weaver has been instrumental in growing the PCA movement in the Forney community. He connected PCA-North Texas with Forney Parks and Rec and we have built a partnership with the area baseball, softball, soccer and youth football organizations so that every coach in Forney, from youth leagues to high school, will be Double-Goal Coach® certified!


Read the Q&A below to learn more about Forney ISD and how PCA has been instrumental in helping shape it's culture.

Q: A brief background on Forney ISD Athletics

A: Forney ISD Athletics includes four secondary campuses: Warren and Brown Middle Schools (grades 7-8) and Forney High School (enrollment 1,355) and North Forney High School (enrollment 1,456). Approximately 100 coaches, athletic trainers, and administrative support staff are employed in our athletic department. We have over two thousand athletic participants and dozens of team managers, student trainers, and other related participants.

Q: Why does Forney ISD partner with PCA?

A: Forney ISD partners with PCA because we believe school sports deliver a tremendous personal growth potential to students, and there are best methods for participation. There are also optimal roles for athletes, coaches, and parents defined by PCA, and we believe a shared understanding of these roles will enable students’ personal growth to be maximized. We strive to do things well, but first they must be done right. PCA helps reaffirm this path.

Q: How long have you been a PCA partner? What groups have you provided workshops for?  

A: This will be our third year of partnership with PCA in Forney ISD. We are expanding from coach workshops to sharing the message and methods directly with parents and students this year. Our vision is to define a model for athletic participation for every child who plays a sport in Forney and every adult who coaches.

Q: What has the impact of partnering with PCA been in your organization? 

A: We have begun to incorporate elements of the PCA model into school sports in Forney. We have seen a growth in positive culture, and we’ve begun to actively recognize and chart a course away from negative coaching. But this is not enough. We hope to move to a more immersive PCA model this year, and eventually share a common language and vision with all our athletic shareholders.

Q: As we work together to change the culture of youth sports in North Texas, what would you tell another youth sports organization about PCA?

A: Every day in sports we get a little better or a little worse. This is applicable most importantly for the athlete who is experiencing the growth curve dramatically, but us is also the case for coaches and parents. We get better or worse in fundamental skill, in competitive ability, and most critically for youth sports, in a myriad of personal characteristics beyond skill and ability. We grow a little or we slip a little.

PCA’s message is simple and direct. Its resources are rich, diverse, and helpful, no matter a person’s role in sports. Its methods are proven. The genius of PCA, it seems, is that it all seems so intuitive. Through PCA we realize where and when sports stray from what is best for kids, and we are clearly shown the course back to positive growth.  We are reminded through the PCA’s culture of the right way.  So we can get better, because that is what it is truly all about.

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