Chris Moore to Succeed Founder Jim Thompson as CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), the leading non-profit dedicated to transforming youth sports to provide character development in youth athletes, announces today that Chris Moore will succeed the organization’s founder as CEO.  With leadership experience at some of the country’s largest and most influential youth sports organizations, Moore will continue to build on founder Jim Thompson’s mission since he established PCA two decades ago: to transform youth sports so sports can transform youth. Moore will report to PCA’s Board of Directors and will be charged with taking the organization to the next level of growth while leading the national effort to promote positivity in youth sports as a way to increase participation and enjoyment for kids and develop them as people of character.

“I’m proud of all we’ve achieved in the past 20 years, but we have only scratched the surface of youth sport’s potential to develop the kind of high-character people our world will need to face the coming daunting challenges,” said Thompson. “I am excited about Chris taking PCA to the next level of impact. He has the experience, skills, passion, character and vision needed to do so and I will do everything I can to help him.”

PCA has conducted thousands of live group workshops nationwide and offers invaluable educational resources with its online Development Zone Resource Center for high school and youth sports leaders, coaches, parents and athletes.  The organization has grown to a national presence of 18 local chapters, a staff of 70 and nearly 200 trainers creating a positive, character-building youth sports environment for millions of youth athletes.

“As a PCA partner for more than four years, I have seen first-hand what this organization’s focus on the character-building benefits of youth sports can accomplish,” said Moore. “I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to capitalize on the national awareness and training structure that Jim and his amazing team have created and solidify PCA’s position as a leading voice on youth sports in America.”

A veteran of the industry, Moore has driven considerable growth at both nonprofit and corporate organizations over the past 25 years. Most recently, as CEO of US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sports organization in the country, Moore accelerated revenue growth by creating value for its 55 local state associations and more than 6,000 clubs and leagues across the country. He also increased sponsorship and partnership engagement, rebranded the Association and mobilized an army of nearly one million grassroots volunteers to help transform the lives of 3 million youth soccer participants. 

Prior to US Youth Soccer, Moore was president and chief operating officer of GENYOUTH, where he facilitated the organization's growth from a start-up to a high-performing, youth empowerment organization dedicated to creating healthier kids, schools and communities nationwide. While at GENYOUTH, Moore convened leaders in the public and private sectors, media, schools, health professional organizations and the National Football League, to collaborate on a nationwide platform to improve the health of our nation’s youth. He also led GENYOUTH’s partnership with former First Lady Michelle Obama to promote Fuel Up to Play 60, in conjunction with her signature "Let’s Move" program to reduce the incidence of obesity in the U.S.

Chris serves as a champion on the Aspen Institute’s “Project Play 2020,” a collaborative effort by leading sports, health, media and other organizations to increase national sports participation rates and related metrics among youth. He also advises the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in their effort to change the culture of youth sports by creating a national youth sports strategy. Moore graduated from Lake Forest College and received his MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

“I’m delighted to have Chris stepping forward to provide leadership to our formidable movement of talented and committed Staff, National and Chapter Board Members, Trainers, Leadership Council Members, National Advisory Board Members, Partner Youth Sports Organizations and Volunteers. He is the right person to do this,” Thompson added.  “A special thanks to Greg Santore of Odgers Berndtson, Search Chair Karen Francis DeGolia and the entire Search Committee for identifying a perfect fit to join and lead a team so committed to our mission of developing Better Athletes, Better People.”

About Positive Coaching Alliance

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national non-profit organization with the mission of creating a positive, character-building youth sports environment that results in BETTER ATHLETES, BETTER PEOPLE.

Youth sports currently involves 40M children, which presents a tremendous platform on which to develop youth character and life skills. Research has shown that in order for youth to accrue these benefits from sports, sports needs to be done in a way that creates a positive youth development culture. PCA ensures sports are ‘done right’ with programming that is research-based and designed to have an impact at three levels in a youth sports organization or school:

• Youth experience improved life skills and character development.  They also perform better!
• Coaches become more positive and increase their focus on using sports to teach life lessons.
• Youth Sports Organizations & Schools see their cultures become more positive and everyone involved has more fun.

Since its founding in 1998, PCA has established 18 chapters nationwide, partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations to deliver more than 20,000 live group workshops, reaching 19.2 million youth. PCA offers interactive online courses and has thousands of multimedia tips and tools for coaches, parents, athletes, and leaders available free of charge on PCADevZone.org. PCA also runs two annual awards programs: a scholarship programfor high school student-athletes and a coach award programto recognize youth and high school coaches who strive to win and teach life lessons.

PCA gains support from aNational Advisory Board of elite coaches, professional and Olympic athletes, organization leaders, and academics who share PCA’s mission including Dusty Baker, Carol Dweck, Herm Edwards, Julie Foudy, Phil Jackson, and Steve Kerr. PCA is proud to partner with more than 50 national governing bodies, youth serving organizations and professional leagues and teams including Boys & Girls Club of America, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and US Lacrosse.