CAC Launches Women Led Choice For Women
Choice For Women, a specialized women-led organization working within Coaches Across Continents, was unveiled today. Choice For Women aims to equip girls and women with the tools to become global Active Citizens, achieve UN SDG 5.1, and create a more gender-equal world. By utilizing CAC’s extensive resources, Choice For Women will amplify the voices of girls and women, and empower women-centered organizations, corporations, and initiatives across the globe.
While Choice For Women is new, CAC’s work in this area is not. UN SDG 5.1 (to end discrimination against women and girls) has served as a target for CAC since its inception, and has inspired many initiatives over the years. CAC’s ASK for Choice Curriculum: Attitudes Skills and Knowledge for Choice, was designed in 2014 and has since been used by over 100 of our community-based partners. Our Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) curriculum was created in 2019 as part of a nationwide initiative in Tanzania and is now used internationally. Additionally, the Step Up program, which focuses on career development for female professional athletes, is the first of its kind. Step Up provides athletes with the opportunity to gain vital work experience while developing their social voice with global impact!
In addition to the aforementioned initiatives, CAC serves many female educators and coaches, women-led organizations, and girl-focused groups. Choice For Women grew out of a need to consolidate all of CAC’s existing women’s-centered programming under one umbrella, and have a space solely dedicated to advancing the lives of women and girls that operates with the full thrust of CAC.
Thus, Choice For Women’s structure mirrors that of CAC, and is divided into four divisions: Influence, Innovate, Impact, and Instruct. Choice for Women Influence advises governments, confederations, global NGOs, policy makers, and key donors. Choice for Women Innovate creates Corporate Social Purpose and Cause Marketing legacies for corporations and foundations. Choice for Women Impact advances local organizations by delivering year-round sustainable, strategic resources. Choice for Women Instruct uses Purposeful Play and Education Outside the Classroom to develop women as leaders and educate young people through on-field activities and gender-sensitive curriculum.
If you would like to support Choice For Women, one opportunity is to participate in our live Auction and Raffle. Our esteemed auction item is a 1999 Women’s World Cup Ball signed by the championship-winning US Women’s National Team (including signatures from Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Brianna Scurry, Michelle Akers and Tracy Noonan). We are also raffling a mini-ball signed by the 2021 NWSL Champions: The Washington Spirit, led by Kelley O’Hara, Andi Sullivan, and Trinity Rodman. Bidding and raffle ticket sales close on December 13, 2021 at 11:59pm EST.
For all inquiries, please contact us at .
Our New Collaborative Initiative With EngenderHealth
Coaches Across Continents and EngenderHealth Receive Gift to Develop New Collaborative Initiative
Tracy Noonan, member of the ’99 Women’s World Cup championship team, is proud to support the partnership between Coaches Across Continents and EngenderHealth to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality in communities worldwide.
“We are supporting the collaboration between EngenderHealth and Coaches Across Continents because we believe in the strength of cooperation and the power of sport and purposeful play to deliver critical messages concerning sexual and reproductive healthcare,” said initiative donor Ben Kahrl. “We are particularly impressed with Coaches Across Continents’ innovative approach and the work they have done already in Tanzania. We are also impressed with EngenderHealth’s programming, transparent leadership, and commitment to promoting local leaders and honoring meaningful partnerships.”
For 14 years CAC has been using our play-based and question-based educational methodology to provide a unique alternative to sexual health education with partners in more than 100 countries. We are thrilled to be combining our efforts and integrating our approaches with EngenderHealth to amplify our collective impacts. Thanks to the Kahrl family, more young people and more communities will have access to the resources and information they need to lead safe and healthy lives.
Coaches Across Continents is the global leader in using Purposeful Play and Education Outside the Classroom to address the UN SDGs and UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our two brands, Creating Legacies 17 and CAC work at all levels, from advising governments and creating corporate social purpose to advancing community organizations, developing coaches, and educating young people.
EngenderHealth envisions a gender-equal world where all people achieve their sexual and reproductive health and rights. To achieve this vision, EngenderHealth implements high-quality, gender-equitable programs that advance sexual and reproductive health and rights. All of our work is guided by five core values—reflection: we question, challenge, learn, and adapt; inclusion: we are committed to equality, justice, and leaving no one behind; integrity: we are principled and honest, and we walk our talk; respect: we value the wisdom and agency of our collaborators, and appreciate our differences; and transformation: we seek bold ideas and opportunities to innovate for progress.
New CL17 Website
We are delighted to present our new Creating Legacies 17 website. Creating Legacies 17 (CL17) is the consultancy brand of Coaches Across Continents. CL17 is the only business consultancy brand committed to addressing the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals through strategic partnerships. Specifically, we work with:
- Corporations to build your sustainable Social Purpose and Cause Marketing strategies.
- Foundations to connect you with locally owned programs globally.
- Governments to design and implement your educational policies addressing the SDGs.
- Confederations to deliver your social impact strategies using Purposeful Play.
- Philanthropists and Private Donors (including professional athletes) to develop your social legacies.
If you work for, or own, a brand interested in having a Social Purpose please contact Creating Legacies 17 at .
Coaches Across Continents Launches Global Day of Play
Coaches Across Continents is excited to launch the first-ever Global Day of Play on the 27th of August 2021 – an annual celebration on the positive impact of play.
This year we want individuals, organisations and communities who believe in the importance of play to take the #PledgeToPlayEveryday HERE!
On the 27th of August we are asking communities and organisations to join us by holding an hour of safe, fun and inclusive play with people in your community. Please tag us @coachesacross on social media with the hashtag #PledgeToPlayEveryday.
Research has shown that young people are playing less and one of the main barriers to children and young people participating in play is a lack of time. Play is often seen as ‘silly’ and ‘non-educational’ but as Albert Einstein once said “Play is the highest form of research” and is vital in cognitive, emotional and physical development.
Organisations all over the world have already signed up and are excited to celebrate on the day. Organisations from 29 countries, out of CAC’s global network spanning 132 countries, have already taken the pledge. Groups participating range from an Australian Rules football team in Edinburgh, UK to Kusewara (which means PLAY in the Chichewa language) in Malawi.
One example is training4changeS in Stellenbosch, South Africa. International Director Daniel Thomae said “we believe Purposeful Play helps children grow as self-directed learners. For the upcoming Global Day of Play on 27th of August our futsal academy players will design and lead play sessions with their peers. We’re excited to see what these young leaders come up with.”
Jaspreet Kaur from YFC Rurka Kalan in Punjab, India tells us that “at YFC Rurka Kalan, we believe young people are the backbone of society and providing play based activities is crucial to their health and well-being. We are thrilled to be a part of the first Global Day of Play on August 27th and are celebrating with our whole community, including the schools, with lots of different activities and dancing!”
We are also delighted to have generous support from leaders in the sport for social change sector including the Aspen Institute, Beyond Sport, Laureus Sport for Good, Michael Johnson Young Leaders, REMS Brazil, Sportanddev, and streetfootballworld who will all be engaging their global networks.
Together we can work together to raise awareness of the importance of play and #PledgeToPlayEveryday
COVID-19 Recovery
In 2020, Coaches Across Continents (CAC), with the Commonwealth Secretariat, created a play-based educational resource, covering issues such as anxiety, self-esteem, and stress. 96% of CAC partners reported the mental well-being of youth they engage has been affected by the pandemic. The resource seeks to benefit any organisation, community, coach, or teacher who interact with young people. The activities are adaptable to participant numbers and restrictions (distancing, hygiene etc) so they can be used in contexts where social distancing and hygiene measures are necessary.
In many ways COVID-19 has brought the world together as we adapt to the lack of travel and group experiences by connecting online and through messaging platforms. We can increase access to sport for development by designing interactive learning techniques accessible for all such as global video sharing and collaboration, active sport for development video games, and virtual reality technology.
COVID-19 has denied people the ability to socialise, play, and move, causing everyone to re-assess what really matters. One of the key opportunities the COVID-19 pandemic recovery presents to sport and play is that its benefits have been reinforced in people’s minds. We can build back better post COVID-19 by re-emphasising sport and play’s role in the emotional and social development of young people as opposed to primarily its role in elite talent development. Coaches using resources such as our Mental Health through Sport curriculum in their work will transform the perception of play in the minds of young people, parents, teachers, and communities.
CAC’s Creating Legacies 17 and The FBA Educational Partnership
Coaches Across Continents and The Football Business Academy have entered into an agreement that will see the Swiss educational institution collaborate with our global award winning network. Through this partnership, those enrolled in The FBA’s Professional Master in Football Business will have the opportunity to learn from CAC through internships and specific projects and, by doing so, provide new ideas and perspectives that go hand in hand to support our organization’s activities and partners.
“Coaches Across Continents is excited about our official partnership with The Football Business Academy. Having opportunities to work with their Candidates will benefit our Creating Legacies 17 brand that works directly with major entities including the Asian Football Confederation, Bloomberg, CONCACAF, Nike, Pathfinder Foundation, and the United Way. We first met at a Soccerex event and had our first successful internship this past year. We look forward to many more positive exchanges in 2021 and beyond.”
– Brian Suskiewicz, Chief Executive Strategist, Coaches Across Continents
“We are pleased to now officially welcome Coaches Across Continents into The FBA Family. The impact they’ve generated over the years and across the world has been incredible, and it encourages us to see how FBA Candidates can support their great team and partners as part of ongoing developments. CAC offers a great environment for challenge-based learning which can quench the thirst of those who are most passionate about social impact through football.”
– Kristian Dobrev, Chief Partnerships Officer, The FBA
