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🧠Stay Curious and Keep Learning
Jason Sacks - President of PCA
Jason Sacks is the President of Positive Coaching Alliance and an adjunct professor at Northwestern University. He was born and raised in Southern New Jersey. He has been passionate about the Syracuse basketball team since childhood and always dreamed of becoming a sports announcer. His passion for sports led him to a successful career in various aspects of the industry, including college basketball, sports television production, the NBA, and non-profit organizations.
Find out what you don’t want to do:
Identifying what you want from your job, industry, or position is crucial. Jason pursued broadcast journalism at Syracuse University and worked with the student radio station WAER, the same place Bob Costas and Mike Tirico started their careers, where he accompanied the men's football, basketball, and lacrosse teams to broadcast on the radio. During his college years, he interned at HBO Sports, which made him realize he did not want to be a media personality. Instead, he discovered that producing behind the scenes allowed him to get to more significant events quickly. After graduation, Jason worked at the USA Network and covered the US Open, the New York City Marathon, and NBA All-Star Weekend. However, he wanted to return to school and better understand sports management. He missed coaching basketball and helping teams and players, so he enrolled at NYU for his master's degree and worked in sports information. Later, he was hired as an assistant coach for the NYU Men's basketball team.
Jason tried to tap into his network as much as possible while exploring opportunities within the NBA. While at a Knicks game, Jason delivered a handwritten letter to Frank Vogel, then an assistant coach in the NBA. Frank was a counselor at a youth basketball camp Jason attended as a kid, so there was a familiar connection. Vogel was able to provide advice for navigating the NBA team job search. Jason landed a role with the NY Knicks and grew in his career. Although working for an NBA team was once his career goal, he knew there was more to explore. After various experiences, Jason figured out his preferences and dislikes, and he believes it is okay to be uncertain of what you want to do. He draws inspiration from Ted Lasso and encourages everyone to stay curious and keep learning. Jason has always been interested in expanding his knowledge and never assumed that he knew everything.
The work is there to do:
In January 2006, he returned to New Jersey and left the Knicks to start coaching high school basketball. He then found an opportunity with Positive Coaching Alliance, a non-profit company based in Stanford, CA. They needed someone on the East Coast, and he started working remotely for them in March 2006. After two years in his initial role, he was promoted to National Sales Director. He continued until 2010, when he became the Executive Director for PCA’s Chicago Chapter until 2015, while also coaching high school basketball in Chicago. He then accepted a national position overseeing all revenue, fundraising, and external partnerships with professional leagues and national governing bodies. In 2021, as part of a merger, Jason was appointed president of PCA. Although Jason has achieved a lot, he always feels that more work still needs to be done.
Non-profits in sports:
Jason is passionate about working with PCA's staff and the people they serve. Since 2006, he has been with the company and has significantly contributed to its growth and development. Initially, he needed to see the connection between professional and youth sports. However, he realized that investing in youth sports could lead to future fans and consumers for professional leagues. PCA works with many professional leagues, including a recent partnership with the NWSL, to train their coaches, front office staff, and general managers. Jason has worked with many pro sports leaders throughout the country's major sports brands through his work with PCA. Nowadays, the focus is on ensuring all children have access to a positive youth sports experience from a young age. He believes in learning from everyone around him and has had experiences that have helped him become more well-rounded to lead his organization and serve others.
What’s Happening in Sports
Patrick Mahomes rallies the Chiefs to a second straight Super Bowl title, 25-22, over the 49ers in overtime.
Nebraska upsets No. 2 Iowa as Caitlin Clark inches closer to breaking the NCAA women's basketball scoring record held by Kelsey Plum.
Around 26% of American adults, equivalent to 67.8 million people, spent $39 billion on Super Bowl 58, as estimated by the American Gaming Association.
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