Coaches Against Gun Violence

Coaches Against Gun Violence (CAGV) was a national public education campaign to help school communities raise awareness for the prevention of gun violence. While gun violence rips neighborhoods apart, high school sporting events bring communities together and foster healthy, positive relationships among students. CAGV asked schools to dedicate one high school sporting event to the prevention of gun violence. During the selected game, coaches worked with students to organize brief halftime game dedication ceremonies with speakers who promoted positive messages about keeping communities safe from gun violence. Student activists also distributed gun violence prevention information and resources to students, parents, and members of the school faculty.

Game dedication ceremonies often included an opening moment of silence, performances by the cheerleading team and school band, signs in the stands, eight students in black symbolizing the eight young lives lost each day to gun violence in America, and more.

"Nothing feels better than a winning season, and nothing sounds better than a cheering crowd," said former NBA coach and campaign spokesman Don Casey. "But nothing is more devastating than the silence that surrounds me as I think about the loss of another life due to gun violence. I'm proud to be a part of the Coaches Against Gun Violence campaign to help make schools a safer place."

Beyond the game dedication events, Alliance for Justice provided schools and student groups with youth advocacy training, technical assistance and other resources to help student activists organize gun violence prevention activities throughout the school year.

Click here to download the Coach's Playbook: A Guide to Organizing a Game Dedication. The Coach's Playbook is a step-by-step organizing manual that helped coaches and students plan a game dedication.