Out of School Time (OST) Program Hosts Coaches Orientation Ahead of Fall 2023 School Year
The Out of School Time (OST) program is returning on October 2nd! After the end of year celebration for the OST program in May, our team has worked tirelessly to prepare for the Fall School year. Over the summer staff worked together to welcome new coaches to join in the continued expansion of the program. We welcomed a new OST Director who hit the ground running - attending community events like the Impact Services End of Summer Celebration to distribute books with Pat Hardy - and recruiting a cohort of talented coaches.
On Monday, September 25th, Executive Director Jim Hardy welcomed in our new OST Coaching Cohort. Like our athletic programs, our job opportunities offer people with different kinds of experience to expand participation in and access to affordable and quality soccer. We are proud to share that our coaches come from different backgrounds, but are united in their enthusiasm for introducing soccer to Philadelphia’s school-age youth.
Most of the coaches are completely new to KSC, but a few have been involved with our other programs. One such example is Ayanna Smith (pictured below), who traveled to Peru this past Spring with Brianna Banks to compete in professional soccer. Ayanna is a regular at KSC programs like Friday Night Lights, but she isn’t solely honing her athletic abilities. Since her relocation to Philadelphia from New York, Ayanna has sharpened her skills as a coach. Prior to her departure to Peru she was a KSC Prep coach who made a deep impact on the teens. And just the day before orientation, Ayanna was competing with the Women’s Team. KSC offers opportunities for young adults to play soccer while expanding their professional options within the sport.
We can thank our new OST Director Christian Bailey for his dedication to recruiting staff from all over the city, and investing time in preparing a quality training. After Jim’s introduction, Christian’s training agenda included opportunities for OST Staff to meet the rest of KSC’s Office and Administrative Staff throughout te week. Coaches were also given resources and tips by Technical Director, Tim Summiel who draws from his extensive experience in soccer to mentor coaches in our KSC Juniors and Travel programs. Their training was further enhanced by a session with Johnny Collins who has over 15 years of training coaches globally. Coaches concluded the week with more formal information about their sites, and insight into their upcoming term. Christian’s commitment to creating a robust training program for coaches is authentic to the support systems we cultivate at KSC for coaches of different skill levels to hone their abilities on the field.
Christian Bailey: OST Director captured by KSC Parent Jamie Giambrone.
After a year of expanding access to soccer through our School Partnerships, many coaches attended our end-of-year celebrations with profound reflections on the relationships they built at their sites. The impact is mutual: as some of the youth in our recreation and travel programs started their journey in our OST programs. We look forward to seeing what our new cohort of coaches and their Director’s impressions of this powerful program. At this point, we are truly grateful for all of those involved in the execution of this coaches training.
If you are interested in learning more about our OST program, email Christian@KensingtonSoccer.org.