When she took over as executive director of PAL three years ago, Woodruff-Long set out to revamp the PAL volunteer program, in big ways and small — in short, to make PAL more volunteer-friendly.

Something was missing from Steve Symanovich’s life … until he became a PAL soccer coach. A tale of how one soccer Dad signed up for the PAL referee clinic and transformed his life overnight!

Early graduates of the Summer Cadet Academy say the program changed their lives, as they look to embark on careers in law enforcement. Meanwhile, many elect to stay in the PAL program until they get a job with law enforcement or “age out” at 21.

Plenty of dads coach their kids’ sports teams, but few have achieved what Bernard Sandoval has. He coaches three PAL sports —baseball, basketball and soccer—and does it year-round.