A $5 million Sports Matter grant will cover the cost of registration fees for nearly 50,000 kids nationwide.
The return to sports should be a joyous experience for kids and families. However, registration fees can be prohibitive and result in tough decisions or the outright loss at a chance to play.
We want every kid to experience the thrill of the game while eliminating the burden that many families face. That’s why the DICK’S Sporting Good Foundation provided a $5 million Sports Matter grant to Every Kid Sports, an organization that helps cover the cost of registration fees and shares our belief in the power of youth sports.
“After a tough year for many kids and families, we are proud to be partnering with Every Kids Sports to provide funding that will cover participation fees,” said Executive Director of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation Aimee Watters. “We believe that sports make people better and are excited to give so many kids the opportunity to play.”
The funds are expected to help up to 50,000 young athletes as Every Kid Sports expands its impact across the country. Families can qualify for a grant of up to $150, four times each year, to pay youth sports registration fees through the Every Kid Sports Pass, which opened its application portal on June 22.
There was always a need for registration fees assistance. Boys and girls ages 6-18 from income-restricted homes quit sports because of the financial costs at six times the rate of kids from high-income homes. Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic shows signs of receding, the residual effect of its impact continues to lie in the wake. It is estimated that nearly 30 percent of kids who played sports prior to the pandemic may not return.
“The goal of this program has always been to reach income-restricted families,” explained Every Kid Sports Executive Director Natalie Hummel. “That includes families who were thrown into that situation during the pandemic. We’re kind of looking at this as a stimulus program to help youth sports come back post-pandemic.”
The $5 million Sports Matter grant will also help many kids experience a sport for the first time. Whether a rookie or veteran, there are a variety of athletic pursuits available. Eleana Fanaika, Every Kid Sports Program Director, said that her organization has provided opportunities in about 70 different athletic activities, including soccer, baseball, football, basketball, dance and so much more.
Every Kid Sports helps families turn heartbreaking situations into hopeful ones. There have been families with multiple children who had to choose which child gets to play and which does not before they applied for their pass. A young rugby player went on to become the first person in her family to attend college. Each story is threaded together by the need for registration fees and to eliminate the stigma for income-restricted families.
Giving kids an equal chance to play is a first step that can result in outcomes that pay off for the rest of their lives.
“Sports can be transformational and can completely change the trajectory of their life,” said Every Kid Sports Board President Arch Fuston. “It gives them discipline while they learn how to persevere and to work for and achieve something. This is about so much more than sports.”
For more information about Every Kid Sports and to donate, visit www.everykidsports.org.