OUR IMPACT

The power of Collaborative Systems change in youth sports

Systems change addresses the root causes of inequities by exposing why they exist and challenging the power structures that keep them in place.

A collective action and collaboration approach to systems change grounds strategies in community-driven solutions, amplifying impact for lasting change.

INITIAL RESEARCH INDICATES THAT COALITIONS HAVE IMPACT IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

Coalitions Improve Program Quality

Through resource sharing and collaborative learning, coalitions bring together diverse organizations and stakeholders to enhance the quality of youth sports organizations.

Additionally, coalitions engage community members directly, ensuring that programs and adapted to meet local needs, making them more relevant and effective.

Coalitions DRIVE INVESTMENT

Coalitions attract new funding and investments by leveraging the strength of their network and collective influence.

Coalitions are powerful advocates for policy changes that open the doors for new funding streams and use their collective voice to help shape public policy towards more equitable youth sports investments.

Coalitions Deepen
Connectivity & Cohesion

Coalitions prioritize inclusive participation. They have democratic decision-making structures that actively center youth and community-based organizations.

They hold a large group of organizations together with a shared vision and help unite entire cities and communities around common challenges and opportunities.

Coalitions create supportive networks where resources, knowledge, and assistance are shared. This builds resilience in communities, connecting people to necessary services and reinforcing social bonds that strengthen the community as a whole.

Coalitions facilitate new partnership development

Coalitions are able to live beyond the bounds of their structure by being a place where organizations meet and build relationships together. These partnerships spin off to create new or more inclusive programming or take on joint funding projects together.

Coalitions act as catalysts for creating new, impactful partnerships that drive collective action and achieve greater outcomes than any single organization could alone.

CASE STUDIES

  • Sport for Good Coalition | Chicago, IL

    Led by Laureus USA, the Coalition has secured $13 million in Illinois State funding over the last 3 years to invest in sport-based youth development programming and training. This funding has directly supported over 30,000 youth and over 10,000 coaches across Chicago, and the coalition has hosted over 100 capacity-building events for local organizations. In the words of one Executive Director, “Sport for Good Chicago gave me a place to build my network, strengthen my organization, grow our funding, and provide the best opportunities for all of the youth in our programs."

  • Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative

    The Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative serves over 80,000 youth in Philadelphia through its 70+ members. Working in close partnership with City of Philadelphia officials and departments, the Collaborative provides an avenue to elevate the voices and priorities of its members to advance public policy and investment. The Collaborative’s advocacy led to the creation of a Director of Youth Sports position within the City of Philadelphia, and formal partnerships with the School District and Parks & Recreation Department. The City is able to benefit from the Collaborative’s collective expertise and innovation, proposing ideas to challenges affecting youth safety, violence, physical activity, and wellness. For example, the Collaborative commissioned research to assess the state of 1,500 play spaces across the City, and secured state funding to place trained students in paid positions in schools and rec centers, addressing an acute shortage of coaches across most place spaces.

  • Play Equity Movement | Los Angeles, CA

    Established by the LA84 Foundation, the Play Equity Movement is backed by a fund to bring the transformative power of sport to all kids for lifelong well-being, seeking sustainable solutions and policy changes for access to youth sports and play programs. In 2023, the Play Equity Fund secured a $15 million “Youth Development and Diversion through Sports and Play” investment from the LA County Care First Community Investment Fund to support sport-based youth development organizations over three years.

  • King County Play Equity Coalition | Seattle, WA

    In order to address the staggering reality that just 19% of King County youth get the recommended amount of physical activity, the KC Play Equity Coalition led an advocacy effort that resulted in a new Washington State law mandating recess for all K-6 students. The Coalition convenes over 110 member organizations including parks and school districts, governmental departments, youth development organizations, community-based organizations, pro sports teams, and foundations, who are dedicated to challenging and changing systems to shift power and center physical activity as a key part of health and youth development.

  • Fight For Children | Washington, DC

    Fight For Children is dedicated to strengthening the nonprofit organizations that improve the lives of young people through sport. Their Youth Development Institute provides capacity building services, grants, and advocacy platforms to its 37 nonprofit partners that serve more than 40,000 youth.  Since the launch of the Institute in 2020, organizations have increased the number of kids served by 110%, while 70% have improved program quality.  An Executive Director of one of the organizations recently said, “The Institute, with a number of quality organizations on its roster, is the best resource for youth development in DC!”