OAKLAND, Calif. & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (@CSNAuthentic), the home of “Authentic Bay Area Sports,” today announced a partnership with Coaching Corps (@CoachingCorps) to air the inaugural Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards presented by Levi’s® on Friday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. This event supports Coaching Corps’ mission to provide youth from under-resourced communities access to trained coaches and the benefits of sports activities and team-based learning. The Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards will feature Bay Area professional teams honoring coaches for their work on the field and in the community.
The honorees chosen – top coaches and Coaching Corps volunteers who have made considerable contributions to their teams, as well as the Northern California community – include:
- Tim Flannery, former San Francisco Giants third base coach and three-time World Champion
- Chip Hale, former Oakland A’s bench coach and current Arizona Diamondbacks manager
- Fred Biletnikoff, Oakland Raiders Hall of Famer
- Tom Rathman, San Francisco 49ers running back coach
- Al Attles, Golden State Warriors legend and recipient of the Coaching Corps Lifetime Achievement Award
For the pinnacle moment of the evening, the inaugural Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards will honor Volunteer Coach of the Year award winner, 22-year-old Bay Area native Andrea “Dré” Quinones-Rivera. Coach “Dré,” now a medical school student at the University of California, San Francisco, launched the UC Santa Cruz Chapter of Coaching Corps as an undergraduate. “Sports have done so much for me in terms of my development and my confidence,” she says. “I’m so glad I have the chance to pass that on.”
The Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards, hosted by Comcast SportsNet’s Dave Feldman (@FeldyCSN) and Ahmed Fareed (@AhmedFareedCSN), along with KNBR 680 and NBC Bay Area’s Kate Scott (@katetscott), will feature Giants manager Bruce Bochy, A’s manager Bob Melvin and NBA Legend Jerry West presenting Flannery, Hale and Attles their awards; a special musical performance by Flannery and his band, Lunatic Fringe; and speeches and appearances by Bay Area sports legends and other dignitaries.
Additionally, viewers will be treated to a special shooting competition among the Warriors’ Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and Coach Steve Kerr, as they engage in an epic game of C.O.A.C.H. (a variation of H.O.R.S.E.).
“As a network that delivers sports programming throughout the region, we understand the power of sports to change lives,” said Ted Griggs, President and General Manager of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and Comcast SportsNet California. “We’re excited to be able to produce an event that celebrates the impact of coaching and inspires others to get involved with Coaching Corps. With the honorees and attendees that will be in the building, it promises to be a wonderful evening.”
“Opportunities to play organized sports with a trained coach are just not there for many kids living in lower income neighborhoods,” said Janet Carter, Coaching Corps’ Executive Director. “We’re excited by the opportunity to raise funds, reach more kids and increase our impact. To ensure that all kids get a chance to play sports requires committed partners, so cultivating greater community and corporate involvement is important,” she said. Since its founding, Coaching Corps volunteers have reached 50,000 kids through sports. Its members use coaching to teach kids life lessons that build character traits critical to success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. “There is no life lesson that sports can’t teach,” Carter said.
“We’re incredibly grateful that so many local partners are lending their support,” said Wally Haas, Coaching Corps founder and Board President. “Between Levi’s as the presenting sponsor, Comcast SportsNet and our local teams, we’re excited by the opportunity to broaden our impact and ensure that all kids have the opportunity to benefit from playing sports.”
The Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards will be taped Thursday Feb. 5, at The Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco. After the broadcast debut (Friday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m.), Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards, a 90-minute program, will re-air on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m., Monday, Feb. 9 at 9 p.m., Tuesday, Feb 17 at 9 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 9 p.m. Visit CSNBayArea.com for additional air dates and times.
Twitter & Instagram: @coachingcorps, @CSNAuthentic
Hashtags: #coachingcorps, #supportcoachingcorps
About Coaching Corps
Every day, Coaching Corps coaches change the game for kids living in low-income neighborhoods. Partnering with afterschool programs, schools and community organizations, we ensure that all kids have the chance to play sports with a trained coach and benefit from all the life lessons sports can teach. Persistence. Empathy. Self-regulation. Optimism. Since its founding, Coaching Corps has connected 50,000 youth in underserved communities to caring and capable coaches recruited from the community and nearby colleges and universities.
To learn more, visit us at: www.coachingcorps.org.
About Comcast SportsNet Bay Area
Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and Comcast SportsNet California, both part of NBC Sports Regional Networks, serve more than four million households in Northern California, Nevada, Southern Oregon and Hawaii. Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, the television home of MLB’s San Francisco Giants, NBA’s Golden State Warriors, AFL’s San Jose SaberCats 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. Comcast SportsNet 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, Yahoo 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 Twitter via @CSNAuthentic.