Sideline Report

Local Giving

Numbers don’t lie. In 2021 alone, The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation Sports Matter program:

• Helped 725,000 kids play the games they love.
• Provided 1,400+ grants to deserving teams and families.
• Committed $20M to help save youth sports.
• Raised $6,707,830 through point-of-sale donations at our stores.

Giving Truck Tours

We hit the road three times in 2021 to support our athletes on our Sports Matter Giving Truck tours. Each tour had a mission to provide resources where needed, including a girls-themed tour that provided sports bras, a vital piece of gear that often goes overlooked. The truck traveled through 24 U.S. cities, giving equipment to 25,000 kids and helping 96 organizations with grants.

Sports Matter Pens Night

Each year, we team up with the Pittsburgh Penguins NHL team for a Sports Matter-themed game. Players swap their trademark black and gold for green Sports Matter warmup jerseys and fans are given cheer cards and towels to display. A local hockey organization receives a Sports Matter grant during the game. After the final horn sounds, the jerseys are auctioned off and the proceeds benefit youth sports. A total of $23,684 was raised at the 2021 game and Hunt Armory, which hosts a seasonal ice rink in Pittsburgh, received the $25,000 grant!

Registrations Fees

Every Kid Sports shares our belief that all kids deserve the chance to play. That’s why we teamed up and our Sports Matter program donated $5 million to help Every Kid Sports cover registration fees for qualifying families, which can be a big financial hurdle to play for many deserving athletes.

Mini Pitches

Access to safe places to play is another barrier for young athletes. We partnered with The U.S. Soccer Foundation in 2020 to build 15 mini soccer pitches over three years to introduce kids to the game and develop and nurture a lifelong passion for sport. 

Store Grant Program

There are hundreds of DICK’S Sporting Goods locations across the country and every single one provided a Sports Matter grant to a deserving organization in 2021. Add it all up and that’s thousands of DICK’S teammates supporting more than 200,000 young athletes in their communities.

Sports Matter Success Stories

The organizations we partner with to serve young athletes often become like family, and we care deeply about their success and growth. You can get to know some of these wonderful people and organizations through our Sideline Report feature stories on subjects like OWLS Lacrosse and the Centre Ave. Gym renovation. 

McKeesport Summer Camp

Last summer, The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation provided a free summer camp for more than 350 kids in the McKeesport Area School District. At the end of the six-week camp, the kids were treated to a field day full of fun and games, a surprise visit from the Giving Truck and an uplifting message from McKeesport legend and basketball Hall of Famer Swin Cash.

Downtown Boxing Gym

There’s no split decision in our shared spirit of developing young people through sport and academics with Detroit’s Downtown Boxing Gym. We continued our mission by partnering with DBG to build an outdoor space next to the gym designed for sports, education and community gathering. 

DSG Brand Support

For each DSG brand product purchased, DICK’S Sporting Goods donates 1% of the purchase price to Sports Matter -- and what an amazing impact 1% can have! Since 2019, more than $6.9 million has been raised for Sports Matter through DSG product purchases. With this funding, we’ve helped kids stay in the game through equipment donations, registration fees assistance and field and court refurbishments. Together, we believe in the power of sport and its ability to change young lives.