Connecting Kids, Building Resilience: Steve Coan on National PAL's Bold Vision for the Future

Today's young people are growing up in a world unlike any generation before them. While every generation has faced challenges, today's youth are navigating a unique combination of digital overload, social isolation, anxiety, cyberbullying, and constant connectivity—all while trying to discover who they are and where they belong.

As conversations around youth mental health continue to grow, so does the need for practical, community-based solutions that help young people develop confidence, resilience, and meaningful relationships with trusted adults.

For more than 80 years, the National Association of Police Athletics/Activities League (National PAL) has been committed to connecting young people with caring mentors through athletics, leadership, and community engagement. Today, the organization is entering an exciting new chapter—one that expands its mission beyond physical well-being to include emotional wellness, leadership development, STEM education, and preparing young people for the rapidly changing world around them.

At the heart of this evolution is G.R.I.T.—an initiative centered on Growth Mindset, Resilience, Initiative, and Tenacity. Often described as "emotional first aid," G.R.I.T. helps young people better understand themselves, develop healthy coping skills, build resilience, and strengthen meaningful relationships with mentors who genuinely care.

In this conversation, National PAL President Steve Coan shares why this transformation is happening now, how mentorship continues to be the foundation of PAL's mission, and why helping young people feel seen, heard, and supported may be one of the most important investments we can make in the future.

Steve, for readers meeting you for the first time, can you share a little about yourself and what inspired your vision for the evolution of National PAL?

I have been involved in youth development programs throughout my career and have tremendous respect for the work of PAL.  It is really extraordinary what PAL does in terms of serving some of our nation's most vulnerable and neediest youth.  This is a full circle experience for me, as I began my career working on the front lines with youth in Boston and Appalachia. So, I am passionate about this work, and I know the challenges that front line staff and volunteers face in trying to meet the needs of kids and that is where my inspiration comes from - the people who are trying to help kids every day.  National PAL needs to evolve to better support those front-line workers, and today's kids who are facing new challenges that might not have existed just a few years ago.

National PAL has a rich 80-year history rooted in community policing and youth athletics. Why was now the right time for such a significant transformation?

As we come out of the pandemic era, the world has fundamentally changed.  Technology has evolved during the last five years in rapid fire succession, including how we communicate and interact with social media, the use and potential use of Artificial Intelligence, the use of live video, and the ability to manipulate video, images, sound, and so forth.  Social isolation became a norm during the pandemic, and many of today's youth who grew up isolating are finding social interaction to be a challenge. The net combination of so much change, the implications of it happening so quickly, and the uncertainties that have been unleashed, demand a more rapid, comprehensive, and systematic set of interventions and programs.  The basic premise of PAL - connecting kids and cops - remains unchanged.  How we do this, however, has to change because the world that both cops and kids live in has changed dramatically.

Young people today are facing unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety, digital overload, and social isolation. What concerns you most about the current state of youth mental health?

Anyone who has ever worked in the youth development field has worried about being able to reach kids - not only to find those most in need, but also to get through to them. What worries me most today is that this has become vexing in the post Covid environment.  It's really tough to get kids to socialize and to put down digital distractions. And there is so much stress induced by the lack of boundaries on new technologies, especially the ready ability to post images, videos, and words that can be quite hurtful and even harmful.  In addition to values, morals, and faith, the most important thing we need to help kids with is resiliency - the ability to keep going not only through what you might call traditional trials and tragedies, but also through this new world which is hard to navigate.  It almost seems like what we used to experience as a fun house at an amusement park - distorted images, mirrors that exaggerate or twist reality, feelings of being trapped or alone - these are everyday experiences for kids today, and that makes it very tough to be a kid right now.

The G.R.I.T. initiative focuses on Growth Mindset, Resilience, Initiative, and Tenacity. Why are these qualities so important for young people today?

These are approaches to life - essential skills that can help any of us look towards a future that is better, a process for getting us to that future, the tools and willpower to make it happen, and an understanding that can help us jump the hurdles and obstacles that we will face.  These skills could apply to any generation in any era, but they are particularly important for us to teach right now, because they are easily lost in a period of rapid change, uncertainty, and frankly fatigue, especially amongst kids, who are dealing with rapid changes that are evolving without clear boundaries.

You’ve described G.R.I.T. as “emotional first aid.” What does that mean in practical, everyday terms for students and families?

One component of GRIT is to teach emotional first aid - to help raise awareness about mental health, the indicators of when someone is struggling with mental health, and the steps that we can take to help.  To be clear, this does not replace the need for professional intervention or mental health assistance.  In fact, the most important thing that we emphasize is when and how to reach out on behalf of someone who may be in need of professional help.  But there are so many times, too, when just like when someone might fall and scrape a knee, we might encounter someone who has fallen emotionally or who is facing a challenge and it helps to practice and know how to effectively listen and point them towards resources to help them heal.  You know, the most important thing that we can do for someone who is experiencing depression, loneliness, despair, is to let them know that someone sees them, hears them, and acknowledges them. 

One of the most powerful parts of PAL seems to be mentorship and trusted relationships. Why do positive adult role models matter so much in youth development?

The core of PAL is mentoring. Research on the positive impact of mentoring on anyone in any circumstance, really, abounds.  Kids need adults in their lives who can help them navigate, affirm them, challenge them to grow, and care about them.  It seems self-evident how important this is, but so many kids grow up without someone in their life who is there for them - that's why PAL is so important - we are there for kids every day in ways that build trust.

National PAL is also integrating STEM education, drone programs, digital storytelling, and major sports partnerships. How do these initiatives help prepare young people for the future?

 It's important for PAL to help all kids have access to the skills and knowledge that they need to fully participate and thrive as adults.   We want to provide opportunities for kids coming to PAL not simply to have fun but also to learn and grow in meaningful ways that will help them succeed.  

How has the organization worked to modernize while still honoring the original mission and values of PAL?

While we have new programs and new initiatives, the core principle of connecting kids and cops remains the same as it was in 1914 when PAL was created.  Also, PAL continues to be organic in nature - rooted in the needs of local communities.  We have many different models of what a PAL looks like and that is because PAL has traditionally been nimble, less building bound or based than similar programs, and highly focused on collaboration and partnerships that bring multiple resources to kids at the neighborhood level.

What role do community, emotional wellness, leadership, and belonging play in helping young people build resilience and confidence?

One of the basic premises of PAL is that kids and families need safe communities to thrive.  Everything that we do at PAL is geared towards building healthy, supportive, and safe communities.

If you could leave parents, educators, mentors, and communities with one message about supporting today’s youth, what would you most want them to remember?

All it takes is a moment to care and that moment can change a young person's day.  Several moments can change their week.  A commitment to care about kids can change the world forever.

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One of the most powerful takeaways from our conversation with Steve Coan is that supporting young people doesn't always begin with having all the answers—it begins with showing up.

Whether you're a parent, educator, coach, law enforcement officer, volunteer, or simply someone who cares about the next generation, every positive interaction has the potential to change a life. As Steve reminds us, resilience isn't built in isolation. It grows through trusted relationships, caring communities, and adults who are willing to invest their time, encouragement, and belief in young people.

National PAL's continued evolution demonstrates that youth development is about much more than sports or activities. It's about creating environments where children and teens feel safe enough to grow, confident enough to lead, and supported enough to overcome life's inevitable challenges.

Perhaps Steve says it best:

"All it takes is a moment to care, and that moment can change a young person's day. Several moments can change their week. A commitment to care about kids can change the world forever."

We couldn't agree more.

To learn more about National PAL, the G.R.I.T. initiative, local chapters, or ways to become involved, visit NationalPAL.org.