Our Mission

The Purpose of Our Foundation

Our foundation works to remove financial barriers that limit participation in youth sports, helping athletes and families access high-quality programs, training, and competition across the state.

Basketball player in red jersey on indoor court, with American flag in background.

The Why

Developing Tomorrow's Leaders

Kids who participate in sports develop self-esteem, resilience, and leadership skills that extend into every aspect of their lives. Student-athletes perform better in school, have higher graduation rates, and learn time management and discipline that serve them throughout life. They learn to set goals, work through challenges, and be part of something bigger than themselves.

Active, Healthy Kids

Regular sports participation creates lifelong healthy habits, combats childhood obesity, and provides critical mental health benefits. Kids who play sports have lower rates of depression and anxiety while building physical fitness that lasts.

Finding Their Place

Sports create community. Kids build friendships, develop positive relationships with coaches and mentors, and gain a sense of belonging. For many young people, their team becomes a second family and sports become where they feel most confident and connected.

Uncovering the Broken
Landscape Of Youth Sports

01

A System Built To Inflate Operating costs rise across all youth sports programs: referee pay, gym rentals, insurance, and staffing. Program fees increase to cover these expenses, whether for leagues, travel teams, or tournaments. Weekend event costs pile on: admission prices, travel expenses, hotels, gas, and meals.

The result: Families face $3,000-$5,000 per athlete per season, putting competitive sports out of reach for many kids.

02

The Arkansas Reality

Arkansas ranks 44th nationally in youth sports participation at just 48.3%, with nearly 1 in 5 children living in poverty.

The state lacks elite competitive infrastructure, forcing families to look elsewhere for high-level opportunities.

Without affordable access to competitive programs, thousands of talented athletes either play at lower levels or stop playing entirely.

03

Families Pay The Price

Families' spending on youth sports rose 46% since 2019, and many report cutting savings or essentials just to keep kids participating.

Kids from households earning under $25,000 participate in sports at half the rate of those from $100,000+ households.

Talented athletes miss out on competitive opportunities, often playing at lower levels without exposure or stopping travel sports altogether because their families can't afford it.

04

Communities Impacted

Quality sports programs, events, and elite circuits are scarce in Arkansas, forcing families to look out-of-state for competitive opportunities.

Thousands of dollars per family flow to surrounding states instead of Arkansas communities.

Local programs lose their best athletes, weakening rosters and reducing competition quality for everyone who remains.

Our Vision Sustainable Pathways for All

Building equitable opportunities for kids, families, and communities in Arkansas

Inclusive Pathways For Every Athlete Build a pipeline that keeps kids engaged at every stage, from leagues to travel to training and events.

No child's opportunity is cut short by cost or geography.

Statewide Expansion With Fewer Barriers Expand access to programs into more towns, making access affordable for families and athletes.

Families in rural communities gain the same access as those in metro areas.

Maximizing Participation Scale what already works, ensuring more kids stay active, families stay involved, and communities grow stronger.

Participation becomes the norm, not the exception, across the state.

High-Quality, Local Opportunities Removing financial barriers so that athletes and families can participate in high quality local programs, keeping talent in Arkansas and reducing the burden of constant out-of-state travel.

Parents save on travel while kids still get elite-level experiences.

Young female basketball players in action during a game with attentive spectators.

Eliminating Financial Barriers for Athletes

Our Foundation's Core Mechanisms

Our foundation helps reduce cost barriers that prevent qualifying athletes from accessing competitive youth sports programs in Arkansas through targeted program scholarships.

Support extends to families and athletes participating in youth sports programs, schools, community organizations, leagues, and other athletic opportunities across the state, including partnered programs that provide structured development and competition.

Keeping Talent and Opportunity in Arkansas

Youth athletes often feel they must travel out of state to find high-level competition and exposure. The Foundation works to change that by helping athletes access opportunities to compete at a high level within Arkansas.

This includes providing financial assistance that helps athletes participate in competitive events, development programs, and training opportunities that support growth and exposure.

Basketball players practicing layups on an indoor court.

No Kid Left Out: Support Our Mission

Help us expand access and remove financial barriers for families so that every Arkansas kid can participate in high-quality competitive youth sports. Your support funds scholarships and strengthens local programs.

Donate to Our Mission