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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday accepted $750,000 to fund the Coach LA initiative, which aims to enhance training and play experience at participating park and recreation locations.
Council members voted 11-0 to authorize a partnership agreement with the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and Nike to deliver the program. Council members Kevin de León, Heather Hutt, Monica Rodriguez and Imelda Padilla were absent during the vote.
Coach LA, also known as the Citywide Coach Plan, is the successor program developed in response to the 2019 Women Coach LA pilot program. It was developed beginning in 2021 by the LAPF, Nike and the city's Department of Recreation and Parks.
The goal of the initiative is to promote equitable coaching in parks throughout the city, according to city documents. A key part of the program is the Coach LA Playbook to establish coaching standards and assist volunteers.
In April 2023, the Coach LA Summit was held at Dodger Stadium, where city Recreation and Aquatics staff were introduced to the playbook. City officials said the summit was successful in inspiring partners and full-time staff to provide early positive sport and play experiences to young people.
The next phase of the partnership will focus on promoting and implementing the use of the program as a standard throughout all recreation centers. City officials and the program's partners will look to increase staffing of volunteers and more part-time staff later this spring.