Youth Development Professional (High School) – Sports and Recreation Coach

Boys & Girls Clubs of San Leandro•San Leandro, CA

9d•$20 - $25•Onsite

About The Position

The Youth Development Professional (YDP) – High School Sports and Recreation Coach works directly with high school students at the Teen Clubhouse, providing coaching and leadership during daily sports programs, recreational program support, and facilitation of sports leagues throughout the year. This role balances relationship-based youth development with structured program support to help teens stay active, build character, and develop their skill in that respective sport. This role is also responsible for assisting with the facilitation of sports leagues throughout the year and supporting leadership programming. Our Values in Action: Transformative Leadership: We aspire to transform possibilities into probabilities. By embodying emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and empathy, we foster positive change with humility, authenticity, and continuous self-improvement. What that looks like in this role: A transformative YDP is not simply someone students enjoy being around. They are a consistent, credible adult presence who builds meaningful relationships with young people beyond their athletic abilities. They understand who is thriving, who may be withdrawing, and who could benefit from additional support. Through intentional engagement, they create an environment where teens feel seen, respected, challenged, and psychologically safe. They use everyday moments, including practices, competitions, conflicts, victories, and setbacks, as opportunities for learning and growth, while holding students to high expectations and supporting them in reaching their full potential. Resilience: We approach every situation with a growth mindset, demonstrating flexibility and courage, and reframing challenges as opportunities. We acknowledge our current state, embrace change, and adapt as needed, maintaining a solutions-oriented approach throughout our growth journey. What that looks like in this role: Resilience begins with a young person knowing they have a trusted adult who sees them, believes in them, and remains present when challenges arise. A resilient Youth Development Program (YDP) coach builds strong relationships by learning each teen's strengths, interests, and goals, while paying attention to signs that a young person may be struggling or disengaging. They create consistency and predictability, offering a stable and supportive presence that fosters trust and belonging. Rather than solving problems for teens, they provide encouragement and guidance that helps young people develop confidence in their own abilities. They also create space for teens to process difficult experiences, setbacks, and challenges, turning those moments into opportunities for reflection, growth, and resilience. Youth Centered: Every organizational action or maneuver is designed to directly impact and benefit the youth we serve. We value and prioritize the youth perspective, making decisions with a focus on their needs and well-being, rather than adult convenience. What that looks like in this role: A youth-centered YDP starts by getting to know young people not just as athletes, but as individuals with unique strengths, interests, aspirations, and experiences. This means taking the time to understand what sports they enjoy, what sparks their curiosity, what motivates them, and what they hope to learn. It also involves recognizing what helps them feel included, what may cause them to feel excluded, what leadership opportunities interest them, and what barriers may prevent their full participation. By learning what youth value about the Clubhouse and listening to their perspectives, YDPs can create more meaningful and responsive experiences. Rather than beginning with a predetermined set of programs and asking youth to fit into them, a youth-centered coach adopts the mindset of first understanding who is present, what they need, and what they want, then designing opportunities that reflect and support those needs and interests.

Requirements

Minimum of 1-2 years of experience in youth development, including planning and supervising activities for teens.
Minimum of 1-2 years of coaching experience in multiple sports, particularly basketball.
Ability to drive a 10-passenger van for field trips
Consistent weekly availability Monday through Friday required, with Saturday availability for league games.
AA degree or BA degree (minimum of 60 units). Preference in education or youth related fields.
CPR/First Aid certification or willingness to attain one is required.
Ability to work the entire school year, adhering to the scheduled hours.
Genuine belief in the mission of BGCSL and the responsibility that comes with serving youth and the community.

Nice To Haves

1–2 years of experience with managing sports leagues
Multi-conversational language skills a HUGE plus (Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Tagalog).
Ability to handle stress, analyze problems, work with interruptions, concentrate for long periods, and perform routine math calculations.
High emotional intelligence (EQ) can “read the room” and gain the trust and confidence of a diverse group of teens. Ability to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
Extremely patient and able to work under pressure or emotionally volatile situations.

Responsibilities

Facilitate daily sports, fitness, and recreation activities for high school-aged youth, including structured and drop-in programming.
Teach and reinforce fundamental skills, rules, strategies, teamwork, sportsmanship, and healthy competition across a variety of sports, with an emphasis on basketball.
Encourage teens of varying skill levels and athletic experience to participate in physical activity and develop confidence, teamwork, and healthy habits.
Support the development and implementation of organized sports leagues, tournaments, clinics, and special recreation events throughout the year.
Maintain sports equipment and recreation spaces and communicate equipment, facility, or safety needs to the Sports & Recreation Coordinator.
Build positive, trusting relationships with teens and create a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment that promotes positive engagement and participation.
Maintain appropriate supervision and a structured, respectful recreation environment aligned with organizational standards and Clubhouse rules.
Use positive behavior management and trauma-informed practices to address conflict, competition, sportsmanship, and peer interactions.
Model positive behavior and provide appropriate behavioral guidance before, during, and after sports and recreation activities.
Independently plan, organize, promote, and implement sports and recreation programming Monday through Friday between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., serving as a lead facilitator for assigned activities and spaces.
Assist with planning and facilitating seasonal sports leagues, tournaments, clinics, field trips, and special events, including Saturday league games as scheduled.
Collaborate with the Sports & Recreation Coordinator and Teen Clubhouse team to develop engaging, teen-appropriate programming based on youth interests and needs.
Support program setup, transitions, breakdown, and the maintenance of clean, organized, and welcoming recreation spaces.
Track and document daily attendance and participation in sports, recreation programs, leagues, tournaments, and special activities.
Communicate with teens and families regarding league schedules, practices, games, tournaments, field trips, and other program-related information.
Document notable youth progress, participation concerns, behavioral incidents, injuries, and other relevant information according to organizational procedures.
Collaborate with the Sports & Recreation Coordinator and Teen Clubhouse team to identify participation trends, barriers to engagement, and opportunities to strengthen programming.
Collaborate and communicate effectively with Teen Center staff, Program Managers, Coordinators, tutors, mentors, partners, and other colleagues to achieve program goals, share best practices, and improve program effectiveness.
Support program setup, transitions, special events, and the maintenance of clean and organized learning spaces.
Travel to other sites as needed to meet ratio requirements and provide temporary program support.
Assist with additional site needs and operational responsibilities necessary to support program success.
Participate in required trainings and staff meetings.
Perform other duties as assigned to meet the evolving needs of the program and organization.