California celebrates National Coaches Day by revolutionizing youth sports with 25×25 Coaches Challenge

What you need to know: California leads the nation in cultivating a positive youth sports culture by training 25,000 coaches, setting a new standard for empathy and equity in sports.

SACRAMENTO - Today, Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom announced a new milestone of 25,000 coaches trained in positive youth development practices, as California leads the nation in cultivating a youth sports culture that empowers young athletes on and off the field.

I'm so proud to share that more than 25,000 California coaches have completed the 25×25 Challenge. As both a former student-athlete and a mom of four kids in competitive sports, I know how much the culture around youth sports shapes childhood. For too long, that culture has leaned on pressure, high costs, and exclusion. With this achievement, we're proving that youth sports can be about joy, growth, and belonging. Thanks to the commitment of our partners across the state, thousands of young athletes in California will carry with them not just skills for the game, but confidence and resilience for life!

First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom

As parents and athletes ourselves, Jen and I have firsthand experience of the role sports can play in shaping kids' lives, and the impact of sports on their physical and mental health. As we're seeing increasing levels of disconnectedness and mental health concerns, sports are a hugely important tool for helping kids develop teamwork, confidence, and physical and mental health. Coaches are critical to that experience, acting as role models, and offering guidance and encouragement. So 25,000 California coaches equipped with the tools to best support young people both on and off the field? That's a game changer.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Launched one year ago on National Coaches Day, the 25×25 California Coaches Challengeset out to equip coaches with a range of youth-centered strategies, including creating safe spaces for all young people, fostering a sense of belonging, and coaching with empathy.

To achieve the goal of training 25,000 coaches by the end of the year, the Governor and First Partner teamed up with the California Governor's Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-being and the Susan Crown Exchange's Million Coaches Challenge(MCC). Through the Council's Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind campaign, the statewide training is led by MCC partners Positive Coaching Alliance(PCA) and the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport(CHJS).

PCA and CHJS partner with California parks and recreation systems, schools, community-based organizations, and club teams, to offer in-person and virtual training to coaches across California. Training is available free of cost through December 2025. The Governor's Advisory Council will continue to promote the initiative statewide, reaching communities with significant need and underrepresentation in youth sports.

Why this matters

Physical activity and sports participation rates are declining nationally, and California is no exception. Today many children in California are not meeting daily physical activity recommendations, and only half of California's youth participate in sports. With around 70% of children discontinuing organized sports before reaching high school, the 25×25 California Coaches Challenge aims to create a more positive and inclusive sports and fitness culture that keeps youth engaged in sport and helps them develop the skills needed to thrive.

The California Governor's Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-being

Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind is a California campaign launched in 2023 by the Governor's Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being, with a goal to provide guidance and resources on physical activity and mental well-being for Californians of all ages; increase awareness among all age groups about the benefits of movement, sport, nutrition, and overall mental wellness; encourage intergenerational physical fitness activities; promote equitable access to outdoor and physical activities for underserved communities; and facilitate collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies, education, business and industry, the private sector, and others in the promotion of movement and mental wellness. The campaign provides easy ways for Californians to get active and to take steps to increase mental well-being. Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind provides resources for both individuals and organizations.

The Million Coaches Challenge

The Million Coaches Challengepartners have embarked on a journey to grow a generation of coaches trained in youth development. Coach training is essential to creating quality sports experiences and MCC envisions a world in which all young athletes, regardless of their family's income, their gender, their race, or their ability status, have access to coaches who are well-versed in youth development and skill-building techniques that help kids succeed on and off the field. The first step: train one million coaches in youth development practices by 2025. The Million Coaches Challenge is funded by the Susan Crown Exchange.