Youth Sports & Leadership Coach

Gary Comer Youth Center; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 24,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

The Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago, IL offers an opportunity to coordinate and deliver year-round youth sports and enrichment programs for 11–18 year olds. You will mentor participants, integrate SEL across activities, and ensure inclusive, engaging lessons aligned with PYD principles.

Responsibilities include data entry, grant compliance tasks, coordinating events, and collaborating with staff to achieve attendance and enrollment targets. CPR/First Aid certification is preferred.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of experience in youth development or after-school programming.
• Ability to teach multiple sports and physical activities.
• Strong understanding of Positive Youth Development (PYD) and SEL frameworks.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and follow-through skills.
• CPR/First Aid certification preferred (or willingness to obtain).

Responsibilities

• Plan, implement, and facilitate sports and recreation programming year-round.
• Use sports as a platform to teach leadership, self-regulation, teamwork, communication, accountability, and resilience.
• Integrate social-emotional learning (SEL) and positive youth development principles into all activities.
• Serve as a mentor and positive role model, building strong, trusting relationships with youth ages 11–18.
• Create inclusive, engaging, and age-appropriate lessons that meet youth at varying skill and ability levels.
• Manage groups using strengths-based behavior guidance and conflict resolution strategies.
• Foster consistent youth participation and support recruitment and retention goals (target ADA >= 80%).
• Maintain accurate attendance records, participant documentation, and data entry in required systems for grant and program compliance.
• Draft and submit program reports, statistics, assessments, and narratives as required.
• Support program marketing and communication, including flyers, newsletters, announcements, and outreach materials.
• Maintain sports equipment and supply inventory, ensuring materials are safe, organized, and available.
• Collect, organize, and submit permission slips, waivers, and required compliance paperwork.
• Support operational needs, including room setup, cleanup, supervision transitions, and adherence to schedules.
• Participate in required staff meetings, trainings, and professional development.
• Follow all GCYC policies, procedures, safety guidelines, and employee handbook expectations.

Skills

Youth development

Positive PYD

SEL integration

Coaching

Data entry

Organization

Communication

Mentorship

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

The Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago, IL offers an opportunity to coordinate and deliver year-round youth sports and enrichment programs for 11–18 year olds. You will mentor participants, integrate SEL across activities, and ensure inclusive, engaging lessons aligned with PYD principles.

Responsibilities include data entry, grant compliance tasks, coordinating events, and collaborating with staff to achieve attendance and enrollment targets. CPR/First Aid certification is preferred.