EvenField's Method
Our Method
Stories make an event or concept meaningful and memorable. Sports provide a commonly shared interest for parents and their children.
Even Field's Peer Into Character® educational programs present engaging stories connected to sports, to captivate the interest of young people and the adults in their lives. Role modeling, mentoring, and positive peer influence also play important roles in our interactions with these groups.
Even Field's mission is to cultivate integrity and ethical behavior in sports and life by teaching the next generation that The Way You Win Matters.
We present stories, observations, and life lessons from athletes, coaches, and others involved in sports at all levels. These personal experiences provide insight, perspective, and teachable moments about character and core values that help us connect these qualities with young people and adults.
To engage these groups, our year-round Peer Into Character programs use multimedia to continually present positive character messaging to young people, and the adults in their lives.
Our presentations are both live and recorded. They are interactive and tailored for each age group and setting. These programs are designed to match our stories, presenters, and medium with each audience to provide peer-relatable and relevant content.
We interact with audiences through public and private schools, colleges and universities, playing fields, gyms, youth groups, community organizations, and through interactive and online media.
Even Field's Peer Into Character Speaker Series is an umbrella for our customized programs presented as conferences, seminars, clinics, or workshops depending on how we've tailored the approach to the academic or sports setting.
Our Peer Into Character Forums, Videos, and recognition program provide additional ways for Even Field to interact with stakeholders.
Our educational programming largely is focused on working with the adults of school-age children, especially in the youth sports environment. They are vital in our efforts to improve ethical awareness, perspective-taking and conflict-resolution skills, and to foster values-based thinking.
During our initial phase, we have engaged with the parents and youth coaches, as well as young people in grades 1-thru-8 (ages 6-14). We have chosen this age range because these children are in various stages of developing reasoning skills. Some are beginning to apply critical thinking and starting to prioritize their values system. So, consistent positive character messaging is especially important in this time of their lives.
We also have initiated programs for high school students, and the adults in their lives. In time, we intend to bring our program initiatives to the entire 6+ age group. Parents, coaches, and other mentors will continue to be the focal point because they are critical to learning success.
Working with others
Even Field has a philosophical belief in working with others. We strongly value collaboration and will actively pursue relationships with organizations and individuals who are mission-aligned. We also endeavor to support, assist, and cooperate with youth-centered groups, organizations and individuals when we can.
Varied Learning Environments
- Public & private schools
- Sports leagues and teams
- Other youth activities
- Interactive and social media
Infusing Ethics
- Raises awareness of ethical dilemmas
- Cultivates ethical reasoning skills
- Reinforces positive behaviors
- Promotes a duty beyond self-interest
Collaboration
- Enhances programs
- Improves efficiency
- Combines organizational skills
- Cost effective
- Strengthens fundraising
Adult influence
A major emphasis of Even Field is our interaction with the adults in children’s lives. Our programs raise visibility of character-building through sports. We interact with schools, youth sports leagues, coaches, and parents on ways to improve the youth sports culture by emphasizing the importance of having fun, developing skills, and promoting character and positive core values on and off the playing field. These programs are designed to help adults in their pivotal role of modeling, mentoring, and reinforcing positive behaviors.
In the Classroom
- Public & private schools
- Captures and sustains interest
- Makes peer-level connection
- Complements existing programs
On the Playing Fields
- Promotes sportsmanship & fair play
- Creates “Teachable Moments”
- Improves perspective-taking & conflict resolution skills
- Builds leadership & team-building skills
Through Youth Activities
- After-school clubs
- Community Groups
- Trips & Special Events
- Summer Camps
- Interactive media
Moving ahead
During its initial four years of operation, Even Field focused its efforts on challenging misguided attitudes about the purpose of youth sports, and on “shining a light” on the critical need to reintegrate character development into youth sports competition.
We directly reached more than 10,000 youth and adults, through some 100-presentations to high school and middle school coaches, administrators, parents, team captains, and student-athletes; sports organizations, community groups, and youth leadership conferences throughout New England.
These presentations provided parents and coaches with tools and strategies to improve the youth sports culture and featured observations and life lessons for youth, shared by coaches and former professional athletes, including members of the New England Patriots.
Even Field’s public advocacy and live presentations have raised awareness about challenging current attitudes responsible for some alarming trends in youth sports. We now are preparing to assume a greater catalytic role to integrate our “The Way You Win Matters®” philosophy into the youth sports culture, through a 3-year pilot initiative beginning in 2019.