LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Athletics has established a partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a national non-profit developing "Better Athletes, Better People" by working to provide athletes and coaches a positive, character-building sports experience.

The partnership provides Siena access to PCA's training for coaches, sports parents, student athletes and administrators, comprising live group workshops, online courses, books by PCA Founder Jim Thompson and additional online resources, such as e-mailed follow-up tips and reminders.
 
PCA has partnered with roughly 3,500 colleges, universities, schools, districts, conferences, youth sports organizations and park-and-rec departments to create a Development Zone^TM culture, where the goal is using sports to develop Better Athletes, Better People, Thompson said. "We look forward to working with Siena to create the best possible experience for the student athletes. Our research-based materials combine the latest in sports psychology, education and practical advice from top pro and college coaches and athletes that help improve athletic performance while also ensuring athletes take life lessons from sports that will help them throughout the rest of their lives."
 
"We look forward to this association with PCA," said Siena Vice President and Director of Athletics John D'Argenio. "We met with their New York area executive director Darrell Johnson and partnership manager Emily Archibald several times, and are confident that we have developed a program specific to Siena and its student athletes and coaches that will reinforce Siena's values through the outstanding curriculum offered by PSA. We examined how PSA interacts with Colleges and Universities and found those working relationships to be positive and productive."
 
The workshops will be held throughout the academic year, starting on Oct. 18 with the fall semester workshop. This will be broken into two sessions, one with coaches/staff/administrators and one with members of the Saints Leadership Academy. Each session will be 90 minutes.
 
"Partnering with PCA will produce real, tangible results and have a significant, long-term impact on and off the playing fields for our student athletes and coaches," said Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator Lori Anctil. "This program will provide Saints leaders with the skills, strategies, and insights needed to help our athletic department succeed on the playing fields, in the classroom, on campus, and in the community. This partnership will create a strong leadership team within our athletic program, while equipping us with the skills needed to tackle the tough issues that come with being a responsible and respected team leader."  

About Positive Coaching Alliance
Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) develops BETTER ATHLETES, BETTER PEOPLE through resources for youth and high school sports coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes. In addition to more than 1,800 free multimedia tips and tools at www.PCADevZone.org, PCA has partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations nationwide to deliver more than 20,000 live group workshops, along with online courses and books by PCA Founder Jim Thompson that help those involved in youth and high school sports create a positive, character-building youth sports culture.
 
PCA resources, which have reached more than 8.6 million youth, strive to transform high school and youth sports into a Development Zone^® culture, where the goal is to develop Better Athletes, Better People and the following become the prevailing models in youth and high school sports:

• The Double-Goal Coach^®, who strives to win while also pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports
• The Second-Goal Parent^®, who concentrates on life lessons, while letting coaches and athletes focus on competing
• The Triple-Impact Competitor^®, who strives to impact sport on three levels by improving oneself, teammates and the game as a whole.

 
PCA gains support from a National Advisory Board, including National Spokesperson and 11-time NBA Champion Coach Phil Jackson, and many other top coaches, athletes, organization leaders and academics who share PCA's mission.
 
About Siena College
Siena College is a learning community advancing the ideals of a liberal arts education, rooted in its identity as a Franciscan and Catholic institution.  The College is a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and supports 21 sports that compete at the NCAA Division I level.
 
For more information about Siena Athletics, please visit www.sienasaints.com.