Co-founding Partner ESPN and National
Partner Gatorade, proudly join the Women's Sports Foundation in
this impactful initiative, supporting 40 community organizations -
27 serving girls with disabilities - that are building girls'
athletic skills and confidence, so they can lead without
barriers.
NEW
YORK, Dec. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women's
Sports Foundation (WSF) announced the 2023 grant recipients for the
Sports 4 Life Program – a national initiative, co-founded with
ESPN, and supported by Gatorade – that utilizes the power of sport
to build a solid foundation for girls of color to thrive on and off
the field of play. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024, this
powerful initiative continues to fill in the gaps to access and
opportunity to sport by increasing participation and retention of
Black, African-American, Hispanic and Native American girls
throughout the country. This year, a total of $280,000 has been awarded to 40
organizations – 27 of these organizations serving girls with
disabilities – across 23 states, and Washington, D.C., helping to fuel and
diversify sports opportunities for more than 5,300 girls
across 25 traditional, non-traditional, and adaptive
sports.
Since its inception, the Sports 4 Life initiative has funded
219 organizations across 37 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands, providing $2.3 million in grants to 80,000 girls
participating in over 40 sports. The program supports
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.
"We at the Women's Sports Foundation know that sport
participation is building the leaders of tomorrow, and to ensure a
truly equitable future, it is vital for all girls to be able to
play without barriers," said WSF CEO Danette Leighton. "This powerful initiative
would not be possible without our partnership with ESPN and
Gatorade, and as we near its 10th anniversary next year, we are
grateful for the positive impact it has made in communities
throughout the country who lack sport access."
Sports 4 Life was launched in 2014 based on the knowledge that
while sports participation offers tremendous life-long benefits –
from improved physical health and self-esteem, to better grades in
school and enhanced leadership skills – girls of color are
disproportionately excluded. WSF research clearly shows that girls
of color engage in physical activity at significantly lower rates
than their white peers and face greater barriers to participation
while historically being excluded from sport leadership. Further,
according to WSF's '50 Years of Title IX: We're Not Done Yet'
research report, boys with disabilities consistently participate in
sports at higher rates than girls with disabilities. By supporting
and utilizing the power of youth sports programs, this initiative
provides girls with the critical skills needed to become strong
leaders in their sport, in their communities and beyond.
This year's grant recipients cover a gamut of traditional,
non-traditional and adaptive sports opportunities for girls,
including basketball, volleyball, squash, figure skating,
cheerleading, and more. Seventeen of the 40 community organizations
are new to Sports 4 Life funding - further expanding the reach of
this powerful initiative.
"Over the past decade, ESPN has proudly worked with the Women's
Sports Foundation to move the needle for girls of color, including
those with disabilities, to have access to sports and foster their
physical and emotional health through play," said Kevin Martinez, ESPN vice president of Corporate
Citizenship. "Sports 4 Life is a proven game changer that instills
important life skills that transform young lives."
According to WSF's Communities at the Forefront report, which
collected and analyzed data from Sports 4 Life grant recipients ,
girls were more physically, mentally and socially healthy when
participating in Sports 4 Life funded programs, with many reporting
that after a single season of participation, they were far more
likely to be involved in sports, leadership, and community
activities, compared to when they first entered the programs.
"At Gatorade, we believe everyone should have equitable access
to sport, and we're proud to work alongside social impact partners
like the Women's Sports Foundation who share our ambition to break
down barriers for the next generation," said Jennifer Schmit, senior director of Gatorade
Community Marketing & Impact. "Together, we've seen firsthand
the power sport has to change lives, and we're energized to
continue the work so more girls can get in the game."
Learn more and meet our 2023 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 strengthen and expand participation
and leadership opportunities through research, advocacy, community
programming and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. From
its inception to Title IX's 50th anniversary in 2022, WSF has
invested over $100 million in these
impact efforts, helping to shape the lives of millions of youth,
high school and collegiate student-athletes, elite athletes, and
coaches. We're building a future where every girl and woman can
#KeepPlaying and unlock the lifelong benefits of sport
participation. All girls. All women. All sports® To
learn more about the Women's Sports Foundation, please visit
www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.
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
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 57-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
Rachel Filippini
Gatorade
Rachel.Filippini@PepisCo.org
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SOURCE WOMEN'S SPORTS FOUNDATION