An estimated $1.5 billion dollars were cut from school sports budgets nationwide during the 2010-2011 school year. During the 2009-2010 school year, $2 billion dollars were cut.
Youth sports programs are declining in large part because funding is drying up. Now, Dick's Sporting Goods wants to tackle that problem.
The Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation unveiled a $25 million, multi-year commitment to support underfunded youth sports programs through an initiative called Sports Matter launched this month. The Sports Matter initiative will award up to $2 million in matching grants to teams that achieve their fundraising goals.
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It's a hopeful announcement from Dick's Sporting Goods in what some see as a largely bleak situation. In addition to losing funding, Up2Us, an organization similarly dedicated to improving youth sports in the U.S., reported that 40% of the nation’s school districts are adding fees to participate — referred to as “pay-to-play” — making it even harder for children from low-income backgrounds to take part.
According to a report from the SHARP Center, 7% of public schools lost sports programs between 2000 and 2010. Less than 1% added sports to their curriculum. Additionally, the SHARP Center estimates that by 2020, 27% of U.S. public high schools won't have any interscholastic sports.
In the same study, Up2Us reported evidence that students who play sports are significantly more likely to stay in school and go to college, and are better at managing emotions, resolving conflict and resisting peer pressure. That's where Dick's hopes its Sports Matter initiative will help out.
“We believe youth sports instill important character traits and teach life lessons that people carry with them throughout their lives,” said Lauren Hobart, director of the Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation. “Studies show that increasingly significant financial shortfalls are preventing young athletes from participating in organized sports, and through Sports Matter, we are taking important steps to raise awareness for this issue, contribute to financial needs and provide access to organized sports.”
Dick's Sporting Goods is using Twitter to help search for the 575 underfunded sports programs it's looking to aid. For example, the company reached out to Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., known for his effective use of social media and acts of heroism. (Booker retweeted the post, but hasn't made any commitments.)
@CoryBooker Cory, know of any underfunded youth teams in Newark/NJ? RT- we want to help. Apply by 3/21: http://t.co/g5kHDRKfLt #SPORTSMATTER
— Dick'sSportingGoods (@DICKS) March 12, 2014
The foundation is accepting applications from K-12 teams affiliated with a school, nonprofit or league with 501(c)3 status. Teams also must have been eliminated, at risk of elimination or unable to form because of financial limitations. Accepted teams will receive help from the Dick’s Sporting Good Foundation to raise half the funding necessary for one year of operation, with the foundation will matching the other half. You can find more information here.
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