Up2Us Sports’ Up2Us Coach (UC) program supports a network of sports-based youth development programs in the nation’s most underserved communities. UC provides coaches trained in youth development and mentoring strategies with a focus on healthy living.
Study Goals:
The goal of this study was to evaluate UC’s implementation across 68 sites during the 2016-17 program year.
Research Questions:
The research questions were:
- To what extent does working with a UC coach at a host site improve the physical fitness of youth participants?
- To what extent does working with a UC coach at a host site increase the development of attributes that contribute to healthy decision making?
- To what extent does working with a UC coach at a host site improve the nutritional habits of youth participants?
- What elements of program implementation contribute most to positive outcomes?
Findings:
The evaluation found the following:
- UC had real fitness benefits.
- Youth were much more likely to report significant improvements on each of their high-impact attributes and nutritional habit outcomes when they perceived:
- That their coach was someone they could look up to, go to for help, and trust; and
- That the program was helpful.
- Participation in the program was associated with improvements in nutritional habits.
- Different group structures, based on characteristics of the coaches, were associated with greater levels of improvement.
For more information, download the full report and appendix.
Full report
Further information
Program/Intervention
Up2Us COACH ACROSS AMERICA
Implementing Organization
Up2Us, Inc.
Intermediary(s)
Up2Us, Inc.
AmeriCorps Program(s)
AmeriCorps State and National
Age(s) Studied
6-12 (Childhood)
Study Type(s)
Impact
Study Design(s)
Quasi-Experimental (QED)
Level of Evidence
Strong
Researcher/Evaluator
G. Roger Jarjoura| Jessica Meckes
Published Year
2018
Study Site Location (State)
District of Columbia