Our Mission
Coach gritty student-athletes for success in life.
Our Vision
A national team positively influencing the people around them.
Coaching for Success in Life
Kids can learn many life lessons from their athletic experiences - including the value of having a good coach. With that premise, Handshake America unites gritty and coachable student-athletes from various high schools and teams them up with successful professionals (our Coaches) who help translate lessons from the field to success in life. We coach - not "mentor" - these students on the true meaning of success and the fundamentals (our 5Ps, Perseverance, Passion, Positivity, People, and Presence) to achieve it - which includes giving a good handshake!
What's in it for the student-athletes? Those selected participate in our one-year “5 Practices of Success” Coaching Program with other student-athletes and are assigned to a Team with three “Coaches”. Following the successful completion of our program, students are awarded a postsecondary scholarship.
What's in it for our Handshake America Coaches? Without requiring a lot of time, they get to meaningfully and directly 'give back' to students who want to be coached. They also build valuable relationships with other like-minded Handshake America Coaches.
What's in it for the community? First, we are developing the leaders of tomorrow. Secondly, because each school is limited to just one male and one female student-athlete, the Handshake America Program brings student-athletes together from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds creating a unified national team positively influencing the people around them.