The Women's Sports Foundation® Celebrates 10th Anniversary of the Sports 4 Life Program, Announces Largest Funding Pool and Grant Class Since Inception
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The Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Sports 4 Life program with a historic $500,000 grant pool distributed to 50 organizations across 22 states and Washington, D.C. This initiative, co-founded by ESPN and supported by Gatorade, aims to empower Black, African-American, Hispanic, and Native American girls through sports.
The program has funded 254 organizations since its inception, providing $2.8 million in grants to nearly 90,000 girls participating in over 40 sports. This year's milestone was amplified by a special donation from WNBA legend Sue Bird in partnership with CarMax. The grants cover a wide range of sports, including figure skating, flag football, and skateboarding.
According to WSF's research, Sports 4 Life has had a significant impact on participants, with 97% of girls agreeing they would persist in reaching their goals and 92% reporting improved grades. The program continues to expand its reach, with 35 of the 50 community organizations being new recipients this year.
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Co-founding Partner ESPN, National Partner Gatorade and the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF®) honor 10 years of this powerful initiative by awarding a historic
WNBA legend Sue Bird honors the Foundation's 50th anniversary with a special donation in partnership with CarMax to the Sports 4 Life program.
Sports 4 Life embodies WSF's 50-year legacy as it has worked to build a more equitable future for girls both on and off the field of play, especially where disparities persist. WSF's 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 WSF is proud to amplify that since inception, Sports 4 Life has funded 254 organizations across 40 states,
"For 50 years and counting, a simple belief has fueled our mission at the Women's Sports Foundation – when girls play, they lead and we all win," said WSF CEO Danette Leighton. "The impact we have been able to make with this powerful initiative wouldn't be possible without the shared vision of our co-founding partner ESPN, the continued support of Gatorade, and thanks to this year's donation from Sue Bird and CarMax, we are able to celebrate its 10-year milestone by reaching even more girls in communities who lack sport access."
This year's grant recipients cover a gamut of traditional, non-traditional and adaptive sports opportunities for girls, including figure skating, flag football, and skateboarding. Thanks to Bird's contribution, five of the grants will go to community organizations who specialize in teaching basketball, a sport she built a legendary career in and continues to invest in today.
"Even if girls don't go on to become professional athletes, participating in sport at a young age helps build necessary skills that will benefit them throughout their lifetimes," said Bird. "That's why I am proud to support WSF's 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."
The program has had a profound impact on those who participate, particularly in perseverance, education and leadership. According to WSF's Communities at the Forefront report, which collected and analyzed data from Sports 4 Life grant recipients,
"ESPN is proud to celebrate 10 years of Sports 4 Life and its impact on young girls of color nationwide," said Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN Corporate Citizenship. "When we created Sports 4 Life with the Women's Sports Foundation, we understood that girls of color were disproportionately excluded from opportunities to play sports. Today, we are proud of how innovative grant making is shifting the narrative, and we are committed to continue investing in young girls of color through Sports 4 Life so that they can enjoy the many benefits and gain leadership skills that come from playing sports."
Thirty-five of the 50 community organizations are new to Sports 4 Life funding, further expanding the reach of this powerful initiative. Helping girls of color play, compete and lead – in sports and beyond – for a decade, the program has had a generational impact with many of the participants from the inaugural class now holding leadership positions at the organizations who encouraged them to #KeepPlaying. Read more about their stories here.
"As a multi-year partner of the Women's Sports Foundation, and supporter of Sports 4 Life, Gatorade celebrates the 10th anniversary of the program and its impact on girls across the country," said Jennifer Schmit, senior director, Gatorade Community Marketing & Impact. "We are aligned with WSF in believing in the transformative power of sport and are committed to creating more opportunities for girls to play – and stay – in sports."
Learn more and meet our 2024 grant recipients here.
About the Women's Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate, and a catalyst. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we are one of the first organizations to recognize the powerful connection between sports access, equity, and society. WSF has been changing the game for 50 years through its research, advocacy, and community programming, investing over
About ESPN Corporate Citizenship
ESPN believes that, at its very best, sports uplift the human spirit. Its corporate citizenship programs use the power of sport to positively address society's needs through strategic community investments, cause marketing programs, collaboration with sports organizations and employee volunteerism, while also utilizing its diverse media assets. www.espn.com/espn/citizenship
About Gatorade Portfolio
The Gatorade Portfolio, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), is a connected performance and wellness ecosystem built to fuel all athletes and exercisers. Bringing together Gatorade, Fast Twitch, Propel, Evolve and Muscle Milk, the Gatorade Portfolio is the most complete offering in the category today, with a broad range of personalized solutions at every stage of the athlete journey. This integrated system of brands is built on Gatorade's 59-year history of studying athletes and is fueling the future of athletic performance and wellness by delivering solutions across hydration, protein, energy, and all-day nutrition to fuel consumers, no matter how or why they sweat. For more information and a full list of product offerings, please visit www.gatorade.com.
Media Contacts:
Kandice Miller
Women's Sports Foundation
479.409.7779
KMiller@WomensSportsFoundation.org
John Manzo
ESPN
586.713.9347
John.Manzo@espn.com
Meaghan Levenstein
Gatorade
804-216-3679
Meaghan.Levenstein@pepsico.com
View original content:SOURCE Women's Sports Foundation