Juvenile Athletic Association Struggles to Get More Coaches

The South Gate Juvenile Athletic Association (SGJAA) has one simple mission: to provide children between ages 5 to 16 with a sports league to help build their athletic skills while they have fun.

“There is no pressure to be the top athlete like in a travelling or high schools sports team,” said Alan Flores, a coach and commissioner of the SGJAA, which relies on an all-volunteer coaching staff. "We try to organize a league where kids can have recreational outlet and get better.” 

SGJAA is struggling, however, to carry out its mission; it no longer has the coaches it needs to meet the demand. The key reason is people have less time to volunteer as they work longer hours to survive in a difficult economy.

“People are just too busy these days,” said Flores. “So you have athletes that want to play, but we don’t have coaches to coach them.”

The SGJAA offers basketball, baseball and softball leagues throughout the year. Around 400 players and 50 coaches participate in the basketball leagues while 800 players and about 80 coaches take part in the baseball and softball leagues.

The league has turned down over about 100 kids for each league because of the lack of coaches, and those who do coach overextend themselves.

“You have coaches that have to coach teams in two or three divisions,” said Flores. He coaches two basketball teams himself. “This is [a loss for] both teams, because I do not have the time to focus on one.”   

The training young athletes receive playing in the sports leagues allowed some to become successful in more competitive leagues.

Candace Esquivel, a coach and SGJAA board member, participated in the league when she was 5 years old playing basketball, softball and, even for a while, baseball with the boys. She played both varsity basketball and softball while in high school. Esquivel’s skills in softball were so good she was the starting pitcher in her freshman year in high school.

“Everything that I accomplished in my high school softball career I learned [at the SGJAA],” said Esquivel. “We need to put out the word that people need to volunteer so our program can continue to strive.”

Young athletes who are trained by the association coaches and play at the varsity level sports also gain discipline and can qualify for scholarships.

“I don’t think that there is anybody out there who can go through their childhood without playing and getting the skills to make the high school team,” said Councilman Gil Hurtado, also a coach for several of the sports offered and president of the SGJAA board. “This is a great place to get [those skills].” 

Organizers say the time commitment required to be a coach is flexible and is not as demanding when there are enough coaches.

“If I take on a team, I will try to practice twice a week, along with the couple of games a week once the season starts,” said Hurtado.

A few times Hurtado has been able to convince a parent to serve as a coach with him. “That way if one of us can't make a practice or game, the other one can.”

If you would like to volunteer as a coach for the SGJAA, or learn more about other ways to help, you may call them at 323-566-4700.