510-478-4988
The California Academic and Athletic Academy or CAAA is a non-profit sports-based youth-development and educational organization based in Northern California. The CAAA creates opportunities and provides support for promising youth to fulfill their potential in the classroom, on the court and in the community. Our mission is to educate and empower promising underserved youth to be leaders, champions and student-athletes by developing the skills necessary for success in high school, college and life. Specifically, our organization uses basketball as a “hook” to engage young men and women in the program, help them access high quality educational opportunities, and instill in them the values and life skills that will prepare them for success in life beyond sports.
Sports Based Youth Development
We aim to use the sport experience to facilitate learning and life skill development in youth, which contributes to positive youth development.
SBYD is based on the idea that sport programs should be intentionally designed to ensure youth have a positive, not negative, experience. SBYD programs are defined as sports programs with the following features:
● Physical and psychological safety
● Appropriate structure
● Supportive relationships
● Opportunities to belong
● Positive social norms
● Support for efficacy and mattering
● Opportunities for skill building
● Opportunities to foster cultural competence
● Active learning
● Opportunities for recognition
● Strength-based focus
● Ecological and holistic programs
● Integration of family, school, and community efforts
