Somehow, school is almost back in session. You’ve snagged the last-minute clothing sales, replaced that mysteriously vanished charger (again), and double-checked that the notebooks are, in fact, wide-ruled. But one of the most important items might be missing from your back-to-school list — SuperCoaches.
As a mom of three boys in Minnetonka, Jennifer Shawgo ran into an issue so many parents face. “When my younger two needed extra help in language arts, we started the arduous process of finding a tutor, interviewing names the school suggested, and trying to find someone who was a good fit. Plus, my boys also play sports, and instead of signing up for additional camps, I hired local athletes to play lacrosse with my kids. But that process was pretty clunky, having to schedule times through their parents and pay in cash. There had to be an easier way. By the end, I said to my husband, ‘I wish there was a website where I could find local teachers and local athletes who could come tutor and coach my boys.’”
And so, SuperCoaches was born.
Jennifer launched the SuperCoaches’ website, supercoaches.org, this past September, creating a platform for parents to connect their kids with a tutor or coach, offering both in-person and virtual options. Parents can read reviews and ratings to make sure they’re a good fit, view all the tutors’ or coaches’ credentials, skills, and specialties, and, for the icing on the cake, enjoy a seamless process to schedule and pay for their services.
“We’ve absolutely loved our experience with SuperCoaches!” shares Candace Rust, who used the platform for accelerated math support and ACT prep. “The platform has been a total game-changer for our family. The results have been phenomenal. The tutors are top-notch—professional, engaging, and incredibly knowledgeable. They’ve built great rapport with my kids and really helped boost their confidence.”
Finding someone your kids connect with is key. “Our coaches and tutors range from high-school-aged students and college kids to teachers and retired teachers who still love to teach, making it easy to find someone your child bonds well with,” shares Jennifer. “All tutors and coaches on the site pass a background check, and we’ve partnered with the National Association for Youth Sports to provide online training certification for all our sports coaches.”
SuperCoaches not only benefits the kids but also creates a flexible work opportunity for the tutors and coaches. “I’m always a big fan of finding what you love to do and being able to earn while doing it. Coaches and tutors can use the platform as a launch point for their business. They fill out their profile, highlight their expertise and training, and then set their own hours and prices, keeping 95% of their rate and only paying $10 per month to host their profile on the website.”
Kika Cuneo, a recent IB graduate from Tonka and one of the homework helpers on the site, shares, “Being able to coach students on a schedule that works best for the student and myself has been wonderful and is especially helpful if a student needs more support one week and less another, depending on workload and goals. I also love being able to make strong connections with students in my community through one-on-one work.”
“I get so many positive emails from parents,” says Jennifer. “Recently, one parent hired a lacrosse coach for her two little boys, as one was especially anxious about upcoming tryouts. She wrote me afterward and said the experience was better than she could ever have imagined, helping her son feel more confident.”
SuperCoaches also added the ability to search for neurodiverse tutoring options, allowing parents to find tutors and teachers who specialize in helping kids with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism, giving both parents and kids that much-needed extra support.
“We’re excited to continue to impact communities locally and all over the US as we grow,” says Jennifer. “We hope to spread the word so both students and coaches can take advantage of everything SuperCoaches offers. It’s been so rewarding to see how this is bringing people together and striking change in the community.”