TOGETHER, WE CHANGE LIVES
Today we’re bringing you the latest quarterly giving series from The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation to highlight the great work being done in support of our mission to help inspire and enable youth sports participation.
In our second quarter of 2025, we:
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Launched our Sports Matter Impact League to support youth sports in nine cities across the country.
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Hosted our inaugural Sports Matter Day of Play for hundreds of kids at House of Sport locations across the country.
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Raised over $4 million to support youth sports with our first-ever Sports Matter Night.
Read on to learn more.
Sports Matter Impact League
Sports Matter is making a three-year commitment to nine incredible organizations in nine cities across the country through the launch of our Sports Matter Impact League. These organizations will receive tiered grants over the duration of the partnership – $100,000 in the first year, $50,000 in the second year and $25,000 in the third year – to impact youth athletes in the communities below. These organizations are rooted in sport but also provide critical support for kids, families and communities through tutoring, after-school programs, mental health resources and more.
Sports Matter Day of Play
Twenty House of Sport (HOS) locations across the country hosted the inaugural Sports Matter Day of Play, held in celebration of International Day of Play on June 11. Youth organizations experienced a day filled with unforgettable firsts: riding bikes, swinging golf clubs, climbing rock walls and more! Each organization also received a Sports Matter Grant to continue giving kids the chance to play, grow and belong.
Miami Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with youth athletes on Sports Matter Day of Play.
In partnership with Gatorade, NFL star Tua Tagovailoa surprised kids at the Miami HOS. Gatorade also supported all House of Sport events by keeping the youth athletes refreshed throughout the day.
Read more about our first Sports Matter Day of Play here.
Sports Matter Night: A Celebration of the Power of Sports to Change Lives
On June 10, we hosted our first-ever Sports Matter Night at our Corporate Headquarters in Pittsburgh to celebrate the power of sports and the people who make it possible for kids to play.
The evening was full of meaningful moments. We honored coaches and mentors who shape young lives and heard powerful stories from past grant recipients that reminded us why access to sports is so important.
Together we raised over $4 million to support youth sports by getting more kids in the game, building confidence and continuing to change lives through sport.
Take a look back at our first Sports Matter Night here.
Gatorade Back-to-School Donation
It’s back-to-school season and to mark the occasion, Gatorade committed $220,500 to Sports Matter. The donation will cover more than 1,000 youth sport registration fees through Every Kid Sports this fall.
John B Lewis Soccer Complex before (left) and after (right) flooding in Asheville.
Disaster Relief Update
In February, DICK’S Sporting Goods and The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation pledged more than $10 million to support disaster relief and sports restoration efforts following the Los Angeles wildfires and flooding in Asheville, North Carolina. To date, 21 Sports Matter Grants have been awarded in those areas.
Included in these disaster relief grants, Sports Matter granted $250,000 to help restore the John B Lewis (JBL) Soccer Complex in Asheville, which suffered extensive damage during the floods from Hurricane Helene. JBL Field is instrumental in serving over 6,700 youth soccer players in the community. The target completion date is October 2025.
Additionally, in Los Angeles, Sports Matter granted $25,000 to Southeast Ventura County YMCA and $60,000 to YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, who are either rebuilding from fire damage or helping families replace their sports equipment.
THESE MOMENTS ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SPORTS MATTER FUND. IF YOU'D LIKE TO DONATE, VISIT WWW.SPORTSMATTER.ORG.
Written by Hilary Totin