The Sports Alliance of Minnesota (SAM) is a unique, non-profit coalition of statewide organizations dedicated to making youth sports the best possible experience for all those involved: youth, parents, coaches, officials, administrators and fans.

SAM’s founding member organizations serve over 500,000 youth in Minnesota annually, and are dedicated to utilizing the transformative power of sports to help our children become happy, healthy and self-assured while participating in youth sports.

Founding members include the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, the Minnesota State High School League, Minnesota Youth Athletic Services, Minnesota Hockey, Minnesota Youth Soccer Association, the Minnesota Sports Federation, North Country Region USA Volleyball, Respect Sports, Hennepin County Health Department, Tobacco Free Youth Recreation, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association.

The Sports Alliance of Minnesota identifies parents, coaches, players, administrators, game officials, spectators, and community members as the builders of trust and respect in sports. The creation of a positive sports environment begins with active engagement of all participants. The following objectives and goals outline the key components needed to assure a positive sports environment:

Objectives
• Promote fun, participation, and competition for the athletes.
• Develop strong personal character traits.
• Foster healthy lifestyles.
• Encourage sportsmanship.
• Believe in ethical behaviors of players, coaches and parents.
• Create a safe environment.
• Require the involvement of everyone in the betterment of the community.

Goals
1. To have all activities of the team align with the mission and objectives of the program.
2. To teach good sportsmanship to players, coaches, spectators, and parents.
3. To teach life skills and character development to the participants.
4. To train officials who will ensure fair play, sportsmanship and a safe environment.
5. To educate parents, players, and coaches on the rules of the game.
6. To educate parents on how to be a good role model for their children.
7. To promote those teams and participants who decide to follow the program.
8. To educate the coaches on the mission statement, basic coaching skills, how to work with parents, and how to establish/enforce the rules.
9. To evaluate and assess the program through surveys to coaches, players, and parents.
10. To commit to the betterment of their community by giving of their time and resources