Coaching Corps, CSN Bay Area Announce 3rd Annual “Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards,” Top Bay Area Athletes to Honor Influential Coaches and Mentors

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“Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards” Presented by Levi’s®
Airing Sunday, Jan. 29 at 9 p.m. on CSN Bay Area

 

Golden State Warriors Forward Draymond Green, Oakland Raiders Head Coach

Jack Del Rio, San Francisco 49ers Linebacker NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco Giants Pitcher

George Kontos and Oakland A’s Pitcher Kendall Graveman to Honor their Coaches and Mentors

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – January 12, 2017 – Coaching Corps (@CoachingCorps) and CSN Bay Area (@CSNAuthentic), the home of “Authentic Bay Area Sports,” today announced the 3rd Annual Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards, presented by Levi’s®, airing Sunday, Jan. 29 at 9 p.m. This event supports Coaching Corps’ mission to provide youth from under-resourced communities access to trained coaches and the benefits of sports. The Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards will feature top Bay Area professional athletes celebrating the profound influence of coaches on their lives and in the community.

The presenters – prominent Bay Area athletes whose lives have been shaped by the mentorship and transformative influence of caring coaches and other important persons – include:

  • Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors 2016 All-Star forward and Olympic gold medalist, honoring his college coach Tom Izzo, Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Michigan State University;
  • Jack Del Rio, Oakland Raiders head coach, honoring his Hayward High School coaches (Hayward, CA.)  Jim Bisenius (baseball), Charley Kendall (basketball), and Jeff Rankin (football);
  • NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco 49ers linebacker, honoring his Suitland High School (Forestville, MD) football coach David "Nick" Lynch posthumously; 
  • George Kontos, San Francisco Giants pitcher, honoring Niles West High School (Skokie, IL) Freshman A Baseball coach Chris Schwarz; and
  • Kendall Graveman, Oakland A’s pitcher, honoring his father Gary Graveman.

For the pinnacle moment of the evening, the Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards will honor Annette Lopez with the Coach of the Year Award.  Annette is a Stanford graduate and is currently studying Occupational Therapy as a graduate student at CSU-Dominguez Hills. She credits her love of sports to her first coach, her father, and played sports throughout her time at Stanford. While in college, she was a part of Stanford’s national championship women’s rugby team. Annette became a Coaching Corps coach because she believes in the power of sports to bring youth together, and values the importance of coaches who encourage kids to be their best selves.

The 3rd Annual Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards, a 90-minute program, is hosted by CSN Bay Area’s Dave Feldman (@FeldyCSN) and Ahmed Fareed (@AhmedFareedCSN). The awards ceremony will be taped on Friday, Jan. 27 at The Fairmont in San Francisco.  After the broadcast debut (Sunday, Jan. 29 at 9 p.m. on CSN Bay Area), the show will re-air on CSN Bay Area on Monday, Jan. 30 at 12 p.m. and Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m.  Visit CSNBayArea.com for additional air dates and times.

“Youth from underserved communities are less likely to have a mentor outside of the home compared to youth from more resourced communities. Coaching Corps is committed to ensure that all youth, regardless of their zip code, have access to dedicated and trained coaches and mentors; and the opportunity to learn the vital life lessons that come from playing sports,” said Coaching Corps Executive Director Janet Carter. “We are motivated by the excitement around the Game Changer Awards and look forward to broadening our impact both in the Bay Area and nationwide.”

“This unique event is a true demonstration of teamwork in sports. Without the support of CSN Bay Area, Levi’s, and every professional Bay Area team, the Game Changer Awards would not be what it is today,” said Coaching Corps Founder and Chairperson of the Board Wally Haas. “This event allows us to raise funds to better serve the youth, community partners, and coaches who believe in sport as a vehicle for positive character development and social change. We are thrilled to honor extraordinary coaches who have dedicated their time to making a difference, one person at a time.”

“We are pleased to be a part of the Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards, an event highlighting the organization's mission to provide all kids, especially those in the most under-resourced communities, with the opportunity to be on a team with a professionally trained coach,” said Tom Stathakes, Senior Vice President and General Manager of CSN Bay Area and CSN California.  “Dedicated coaches can help kids create positive peer relationships, to become inspired by leadership, and to learn the many life lessons that sports can teach.  We’re especially grateful for the participation of the Bay Area sports teams in this extraordinary event.”

Twitter & Instagram:  @coachingcorps, @CSNAuthentic

Hashtags:  #CoachingCorpsGCA17, #coachingcorps, #coacheschangethegame

 

About Coaching Corps:

Since 2002, Coaching Corps has been dedicated to harnessing the power of service and sports to inspire and mentor youth in underserved communities. Coaching Corps recruits, trains and supports thousands of volunteers who create opportunities for kids to participate in high-quality afterschool sports programs that allow them to embrace a healthy lifestyle and reach their full potential. Based in Oakland, California, Coaching Corps is a 501(c)(3) organization. More information about Coaching Corps can be found at www.coachingcorps.org.

Facebook: Facebook.com/coachingcorps

Twitter & Instagram: @coachingcorps

About CSN:

CSN Bay Area and CSN California, both part of NBC Sports Regional Networks, serve more than four million households in Northern California, Nevada, Southern Oregon and Hawaii. CSN Bay Area, the television home of MLB’s San Francisco Giants, NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and the official regional sports network of the San Francisco 49ers, also features a robust lineup of Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and original programming. CSN California offers live coverage of MLB’s Oakland Athletics, NBA’s Sacramento Kings, NHL’s San Jose Sharks, MLS’s San Jose Earthquakes and is the official regional sports network of the Oakland Raiders. Collectively, these networks deliver more than 600 live sporting events per year, over 1,500 live studio shows, including SportsNet Central, SportsTalk Live, Pregame Live, Postgame Live, Press Conference Live, as well as compelling digital content, up-to-the-minute scores, highlights and breaking news via www.CSNBayArea.com and www.CSNCalifornia.com.  Follow both networks on social media –Twitter: @CSNAuthentic; Instagram: CSNAuthentic; Snapchat: CSNAuthentic; and Facebook: facebook.com/csnbayarea.

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