Coach Bulletin

Purpose: The Coach Bulletin is a bi-weekly email to all coaches that features important information for you to know that week (and beyond). It provides timely updates, key dates and resources, and community highlights. Scroll down for past coach bulletins.

What to expect: Each Coach Bulletin is broken into four (4) parts. 

Best Practices: 

Bi-Weekly Coach Bulletin

Week 4/1 - Your Role Matters!


Coaches, as we step onto the field each gameday, remember that your leadership sets the tone for our poet-athletes and the entire community. Whether you’re coaching, competing, or cheering from the sidelines, we all have a role in ensuring a positive and respectful game day experience.

Fair Play Talk: Setting the Standard

Before every competition, a DC SCORES staff member will lead both teams in the Fair Play Talk to reinforce our shared commitment to respect, teamwork, and fair play. We encourage you to bring these principles into your team huddles and practices to build consistency throughout the season.

Best Practices for Gameday Success

 Read it here: Fair Play Talk Gameday Checklist 

Action Item:

Let’s make every gameday one that reflects our values!


Tierra Stewart

Chief Program Officer, DC SCORES

 



Coach Spotlight


Celebrating Girls at DC SCORES

Stanton Elementary School Coach Ashley Jones helps poet-athletes share their stories. She was recently featured for her support for La'Dae — a poet-athlete who delivered a poem reflecting on parental loss and celebrating her mom’s life at 2024 Eastside Slam.



"Coach Ashley Jones is a dedicated writing coach at Stanton Elementary, inspiring students to find their voices through poetry and storytelling. Her passion and guidance build confidence, creativity, and a sense of belonging, leaving a lasting impact on young writers."

- Josselin Possian

Soccer Program Specialist and Site Manager at Stanton Elementary School





Watch the Reel





Read the Post






Week 3/18 - Get Game Day Ready!

Coaches, it’s game time!


As we gear up for the upcoming matches, we want to ensure that every coach steps onto the field ready to create a gameday experience that reflects our core values, community, inclusivity, and respect. A high-quality gameday isn’t just about competition; it’s about fostering an environment where every poet-athlete feels supported, empowered, and inspired.

To make sure you're fully prepared, take a moment to check in:

Action Item:



Let’s bring our best energy to the field and make this gameday one to remember!


Tierra Stewart

Chief Program Officer, DC SCORES




Coach Spotlight


Boone Panthers Prepare for the Spring Season

Boone Elementary School Coaches Jahlesea Davis and Ianne Payne-Driver put in the work this preseason to build community on the pitch.

"At Boone, the coaches see the athlete, the poet, and the person—guiding poet-athletes to grow in skill, spirit, and character."

- Josselin Possian

Soccer Program Specialist and Site Manager at Boone Elementary School


Week 3/4 - Preparing for a Strong Spring

Dear Coaches,


What an incredible time we had together this past Saturday at Seaton Elementary School! With 120 coaches in attendance, your dedication to the holistic well-being of our youth was on full display. Through your commitment to youth development, community building, and emotional care, you continue to create safe and supportive spaces where young people can thrive.

Thank you for your intentional reflections on your team’s strides in building community, examining the structural barriers that perpetuate inequities, and leveraging youth development strategies to support youth experiencing heightened stress. You all, our Coaches, are exactly what our young people need, and now is the time to adapt, protect, and uplift them.


Action Items and Resources:


For any teachers interested in continued learning opportunities for your school, please reach out to me directly at tstewart@dcscores.org.

We look forward to a spring filled with joy, connection, and community. Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment!


Tierra Stewart

Chief Program Officer, DC SCORES




Coach Spotlight


Coach Tyler Ellis for Completes His USSF C License

"We are incredibly proud of Tyler Ellis for completing his USSF C License, a major milestone in his coaching journey. Ellis's commitment to developing his craft directly strengthens the quality of soccer programming at Thomson Elementary and across DC SCORES. His advanced knowledge and leadership will not only elevate the playing experience for our poet-athletes but also serve as an inspiration for other coaches in our network to pursue their own growth. Investing in coaches like Ellis is essential to our mission of providing high-quality, transformative opportunities for our poet-athletes through soccer."

- Jason Gross, Senior Director of Programs, Soccer and Operations





Week 2/18 - Spring Season Coach Kick-Off

Dear Coaches,


Spring is quickly approaching, and as we step into a new season, we know that our communities and country are facing many challenges. That’s why bringing the joy is more important than ever!


To ensure you’re set up for success, please make sure you have registered for Coach Kick-Off, our in-person training where we’ll ground you in our new Community Building and SEL program quality standards and equip you with new trauma-informed resources to support the emotional well-being of our poet-athletes.


We also want to hear from you! We’re exploring ways to provide additional resources that help you respond with compassion and confidence in challenging moments. Please take a moment to complete this quick form and let us know how we can best support you and your team here. We are hoping to hear from every school!

Action Items and Resources:

Thank you for all you do, let’s make this season one filled with joy, connection, and growth!

See you soon,


Tierra Stewart

Chief Program Officer, DC SCORES

Week 2/4 - Addressing the Current Climate

Dear Coaches,

In these times of uncertainty and heightened challenges, we want to reaffirm DC SCORES’ unwavering commitment to our community and the integrity of our values. As coaches, you are not just leaders on the field and in the classroom, but also pillars of support and safety for our poet-athletes and their families. Together, we have the power to create spaces within DC SCORES programming, where every child feels seen, valued, and supported.

We understand that the current climate may bring stress, uncertainty, and difficult conversations. To help you navigate this, we are working to expand our resources and partnerships. We are actively collaborating with community-based organizations to provide more tools and training, including:

We are exploring how added resources can support you by equipping you with the skills and knowledge to respond with compassion and confidence in challenging moments.

We want to make sure we’re doing our part to meet your needs.

Please take a moment to complete this form to let us know how we can best support you and your teams right now. 

Please know that we are monitoring our current climate closely and working within our capacity to provide the best tools and support possible. 

Thank you for all that you do to uphold the values of DC SCORES. Together, we can continue to foster safe, inclusive, and empowering environments for our young leaders to thrive.

Action Items:

In solidarity,


Tierra Stewart

Chief Program Officer, DC SCORES


Know Your Rights

Immigrants' Rights - 

This resource equips schools and coaches with essential knowledge on their rights and responsibilities in emergencies, providing step-by-step guidance template to create effective emergency preparedness plans. Learn More


We Have Rights

An empowerment campaign to prepare for and safely defend our rights during encounters with Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). We all have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. Learn More

Compiled Resources

Coach Kickoff Materials (Spring 2025)

Review the materials from our Spring Coach Kickoff (sent Week 3/4)

Free Coach Professional Development Opportunities

Upcoming PDs (sent Week 2/18)

Know Your Rights