UACS SFH Group Leader

UACS SFH Group Leader

The UACS Sports, Fitness, and Health (SFH) Group Leader supports during-school and after-school programming at six University-Assisted Community School (UACS) partner sites in West Philadelphia.

UACS uses athletics as a vehicle for youth development, leadership, mentorship, and community engagement. The UACS SFH Group Leader helps deliver high-quality, age-appropriate sports programming while supporting a cross-grade leadership model connecting Penn Division I student-athletes, high school student leaders, and K-8 youth.

A primary focus of the position is Young Quakers (YQ), Penn's youth athletics initiative designed to expand access to high-quality sports programming for K-8 students. The position works with Penn student-athletes to translate their sport expertise into engaging, developmentally appropriate practices and helps them strengthen their skills as youth coaches and mentors.

The position also supports the Cross Grade Sports (CGS) program, which prepares high school students to coach and mentor younger participants. Through training, observation, and feedback, the position helps student leaders develop communication, facilitation, teamwork, and leadership skills while creating positive experiences for K-8 youth.

• Sports Programming & Coaching
• Leadership & Youth Development
• Enrichment & Program Support

• Support implementation of sports-based programming across UACS partner schools.
• Collaborate with Penn student-athletes and coaches to develop age-appropriate practices, drills, games, and skill-building activities.
• Help student-athletes adapt their sport expertise for elementary and middle school participants of varying ages, abilities, and experience levels.
• Provide guidance on practice structure, skill progression, group management, inclusive coaching, and youth mentorship.
• Support consistent, engaging, and developmentally appropriate programming across sports and school sites.

• Train and coach high school students serving as mentors and coaches for K-8 participants.
• Provide observation, feedback, and ongoing support to Penn student-athletes and high school student leaders.
• Integrate leadership and social-emotional learning into sports programming, including teamwork, communication, resilience, confidence, accountability, and conflict resolution.
• Foster a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment that promotes sportsmanship, healthy competition, and positive relationships.
• Help students reflect on their experiences and develop their identities as leaders, mentors, and community members.

• Connect athletics to academic and career enrichment when appropriate, including math, data analysis, communication, and critical thinking.
• Introduce students to educational and career pathways related to sports, such as coaching, sports medicine, analytics, athletic administration, business, and media.
• Coordinate with UACS staff, Penn coaches and student-athletes, and high school leaders to support schedules, practice plans, communication, and daily programming.
• Observe programming and provide constructive feedback to strengthen quality and consistency.
• Support additional program activities and responsibilities as needed.

• Experience coaching, teaching, mentoring, or working with K-12 students.
• Knowledge of youth sports and age-appropriate coaching practices.
• Experience working with student-athletes, coaches, or youth leadership programs preferred.
• Ability to coach and develop student leaders through modeling, observation, and constructive feedback.
• Strong communication, organization, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
• Commitment to youth development, educational opportunity, inclusion, and reducing barriers to sports participation.
• Ability to work effectively with students and colleagues from diverse backgrounds and levels of experience.
• Experience with sports analytics, academic enrichment, or career exploration is a plus.
• Education:
  
  High school diploma required, College degree preferred in early childhood education, education or social service fields
• Experience:
  
  minimum of 3 years work experience with elementary-aged children and/or high school youth development programming
• Ability to be excited and actively and constructively engage youth in a variety of activities
• Completion and passing of funder-required compliance documentation and all Federal and State background checks/clearances
• Experience with working in School District of Philadelphia, urban settings and diverse student populations
• Ability to be flexible and work on a team
• Excellent interpersonal, organization and communication skills
• Punctual and regular attendance; availability Monday-Friday 1:00PM - 6:00 PM.

Once or while you are completing the University of Pennsylvania onboarding process, you will need to complete additional documents that are largely required by Netter Center funders.

• Act 168 UPENN…