2019 Impact: Let’s get in the game, Chicago.
Actual cuties participating in last year’s after school program!
IS IT JUST A GAME IF IT IMPACTS THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?
Student Athletes are more likely to get higher grades and aspire to attend college
Women’s sports foundation: The state of High School Sports in America, July 2019
There is a 30% Participation gap between children of lower and higher income families
Sport Participation and Physical Activity Rates, The Aspen Institute Project Play
In 2019 we partnered with Girls in the Game to support after school sports programs for girls in Chicago. We funded two types of the various programs they run:
First, we gave $3,000 to fund one full year of an elementary after-school sports program, allowing 30 little girls to try a variety of sports and stay active and safe after school. Your donations helped cover all staff salaries, programming, transportation for the girls, and sporting equipment and supplies. Girls in the Game structures the program specifically to remove barriers that are known to keep kids from participating in sports: there is no cost to the families, and transportation is taken care of, which is critical for working and single parents.
Second, we gave a $2,000 college scholarship to Citlali, which she will earn during high-school by coaching younger girls as part of the “Teen Squad”. This program builds leadership skills and sets teens up for success post college while proving a local role model for the younger girls she will coach. In the words of Corazon, a Teen Squad leader who just graduated from high school, “Despite me being a coach to girls and teaching them, they have taught me too. They taught me about love, friendship and patience of course. As a matter of fact, these girls have done much more for me than I could ever do for them. Times when my life felt like it was spiraling out of control, I knew I could always count on my girls every Thursday to put a smile on my face, whether it was Amirah’s funny dance or Brooklyn running up to me as soon as I entered the door to give me a huge bear hug. Because of my amazing experience coaching, I hope to continue coaching when I am in college--just a ten-minute bus ride away! I would like to extend my utmost gratitude to everyone who makes this program possible.”
Thank you for helping us reach our $5,000 goal for 2019 to fund these programs!
“Girls in the Game played a huge role in helping me become the woman I am today. From the After School program to Summer Camp to Teen Squad and eventually becoming a camp counselor, this organization helped me find my voice and my confidence. I am honored to have the ability to give back to an organization that has given me so much.”
