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Our next National Double-Goal Coach Award winner feature is Jaye Carlson, who coaches for Guilford Public Schools Unified Sports and Central Shoreline Special Olympics “Jaye helps her athletes win in their sports and beyond,” said Beth O’Neill Maloney, Executive Director of PCA-New England, the local Chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance. “By creating a positive, character-building youth sports experience and serving as a Double-Goal Coach, Jaye helps youth develop into better athletes and better people.” Working primarily in basketball, soccer, track and field, and volleyball, Carlson brings youth with intellectual disabilities into sports with a fully-abled “partner” to guide, assist and compete with them. This environment can lead to a more mainstream general life experience for the intellectually disabled, and the cooperation occurring in sports often extends to the court or field. “We explain that we expect you to be friends,” Carlson said. “We expect you to be a good teammate and to be respectful of each other. There are numerous individuals who will now call athletes up and say, ‘Hey, do you want to go to the movies?’ So, they are taking what we hope they are learning on the court and applying it off the court. “My son, Anders, who is 21 years old and has Down syndrome, sometimes is not home when I get here. I’ll text to ask where he is, and he’s at the deli with Cody or at the movies with Joe. These are kids who are out of the school system already and still doing things with the individuals they met through our program. That’s exactly what we want. We want them to make life changes for each other.” Carlson’s approach demonstrates the role sports can play in the development of youth, O’Neill Maloney said. “Our Chapter’s employees, board and supporters are thrilled that Coach Carlson is getting national recognition for her work. Having an award-winning Double-Goal Coach in the community provides an example for other coaches to emulate, so thousands more youth and high school athletes in our area can benefit from a positive, character-building sports experience.” Congratulations, Jay!
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