Credit: Soccer Without Borders, Oakland
WSF’s Sports 4 Life program is celebrating its 10th anniversary! This national initiative – co-founded by ESPN in 2014 and supported by Gatorade – utilizes the power of sport to build a solid foundation for Black, African-American, Hispanic and Native American girls to thrive on and off the field of play.
Sports 4 Life embodies WSF’s 50 year legacy. Since our founding in 1974, we have worked to build a more equitable future for girls both on and off the field of play, especially where disparities persist. Our latest research report, “Thriving Through Sport: The Transformative Impact on Girls’ Mental Health,” illuminated that participating in supportive sport environments positively impacts girls’ mental health, yet girls who identify as white are more likely to participate in sport than their non-white peers. The data clearly shows that getting more girls of color in the game is paramount to helping them live healthier, more enriched lives.
That is why we are proud to mark the program’s 10-year milestone by distributing a historic $500,000 via $10,000 grants to 50 organizations across the country. This is the largest funding and grant class to date and was made possible thanks to a special donation from WNBA legend Sue Bird in partnership with CarMax, as well as other contributions from supporters.
In our announcement, Bird said she was proud to support the
“Sports 4 Life program as it continues to eliminate barriers to sport for BIPOC girls, surrounding them with a community to learn from and be inspired by.”
What makes Sports 4 Life unique is that it provides funding to community organizations that help girls in four foundational areas – leadership, confidence, self-esteem, and perseverance – fostering girls’ physical and emotional health and academic success, and all community organizations who receive grant funding are equipped with WSF step-by-step discussion guides to help program leaders teach these skills successfully.
And the model is working! According to WSF’s Communities at the Forefront report, which collected and analyzed data from Sports 4 Life grant recipients, 92% said participating in their programs helped them get better grades, while 97% of girls agreed they would keep trying until they reached their goals. Furthermore, many reported that after a single season of participation, they were far more likely to be involved in leadership and community activities, compared to when they first entered the programs.
The impact of Sports 4 Life is awe-inspiring. From lacrosse and fencing to cycling and beyond, the program reaches thousands of girls of color throughout the country, participating in a wide variety of traditional, non-traditional and adaptive sports. Since inception, it has funded 254 organizations across 40 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands, providing $2.8 million in grants to 90,000 girls participating in over 40 sports.
Something we find truly remarkable is that a few of the participants from the inaugural class now hold leadership positions at the organizations who encouraged them to #KeepPlaying.
“My freshman year was rough due to bullying, peer pressure and not really having a voice of my own. At the end of the year my mom enrolled me into Powerplay NYC after a recommendation from my aunt. It was such a defining moment for me to be a part of the 2014 cohort, where I made wonderful lifelong friendships with the other girls who helped get me out of my shell. Before when someone asked what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, I always said I wasn’t sure, I just knew I wanted to make a difference. Imagine my excitement when I was offered to be Powerplay’s new program coordinator working under my old coach. It was a dream come true! I’m now in a position to make an impact on young girls like me. Helping them to see how great they are and that the world is theirs for the taking. Most importantly I get to give back to a program that gave so much to me.”
— Ashaunna Virgo, Program Coordinator at PowerPlay NYC
“I’m now in a position to make an impact on young girls like me. Helping them to see how great they are and that the world is theirs for the taking. Most importantly I get to give back to a program that gave so much to me.”
“Alecia’s early involvement in Girls in the Game helped guide her career path. Going into college, she knew from experience that she enjoyed working with youth in sports. She also knew that she wanted to come back to Girls in the Game and help other girls have positive experiences like she did. Alecia exhibits the benefits and gains our programs are proven to provide to girls who participate. She gained confidence and found her voice as a coach and a leader; her colleagues and peers at Girls in the Game saw the leader in her that she couldn’t yet see in herself.”
— Submitted by Girls in the Game about Program Director, Alecia Ivery
Cheers to 10 years of the Sports 4 Life program and may it continue to level the playing field for those who often face the greatest barriers to sport, providing them access to the many benefits playing provides!
