Inherently, there are leadership opportunities on the field for our Beyond Soccer players, but we take it to the next level by giving our youth, teens, and young adults the chance to volunteer and earn money, coaching, refereeing, and participating in year-round leadership camps and conferences.
- Summer Youth Jobs Program: We hire 12-20 full and part-time high school and college-age students from Lawrence to run 100% of our busy summertime sport, health, academic, and leadership camps and clinics, which usually get 500+ kids playing and moving in June, July and August! Our first youth jobs program
- Coach Mentor Program: We also hire, train, and retain Lawrence teens and young adults as Coach Mentors to coach our Lawrence Youth Soccer and In-City recreational teams and leagues during the school year.
- Junior Coaching Program: Players in Grades 7-10 access to beginner coaching courses in partnership with Mass Youth Soccer so they can assist our Soccer & Wellness Camp and City-wide Recreational Program, or soccer feeder system for 4-12-year-olds, as “Junior Coaches.”
- Leadership Conferences/Programs: We partner with organizations, like long-time partner, Dream Big!, through its Female Leadership Conference, that provide our student-athletes access to meaningful leadership events outside the City. Other examples include Julie Foudy’s Sports Leadership Academy in NJ and our own Sports Leadership Academy in Lawrence!
- Referee Program: This program is in development. We are recruiting current players for this leadership-through-sport opportunity to step up and get support as volunteer referees for our in-city program to referee Saturday games. Their involvement can and will lead to future paid referee positions in partnership with Essex County Youth Soccer and Massachusetts Youth Soccer.
Some key Partners!
#CHJS provides sports-based youth development training for all of our staff, youth jobs, too so they’re more confident and comfortable leading the younger players they serve!
Other key leadership and youth jobs partners are Mass Hire through its Youth Works program, that’s now become a year-round opportunity. Also, DCR’s Summer Nights grant offsets almost $20,000 in out-of-school time wages!