Many people from low-income communities are unable to participate in sports because they do not have access to sporting facilities or equipment. A number of new  organizations have been founded in hopes of trying to increase the profile of sports, and to make them more available in ethnic minority communities around the world.

A specific outreach program in the United States is organized by the Philadelphia Union professional soccer team, known as the Philadelphia Union Foundation. The Philadelphia Union Foundation provides opportunities for children living in or around Chester, Pennsylvania. The foundation’s goal is to offer exponential change in the areas of education, community, health, and recreation in Chester County. The Philadelphia Union Foundation believes that modern times present many different challenges for today’s youth to participate in sports like soccer, especially young children growing up in Chester. In response, Camby Zepeda, Spanish teacher and assistant soccer coach, shares, “I feel as though any outreach program promoting children’s learning soccer is one that should be honored. I do feel strongly that other professional teams should take on this model because it not only promotes sports, but also helps in recognizing our youth and their everyday struggles in areas that are not as privileged.”

The foundation strives to have a positive impact on the children in the program’s character development, academic performance, and physical well-being. The Foundation uses soccer as a gateway to making a difference in these children’s lives by allowing them to experience a new sport that many of them may have not been exposed to. Furthermore, Nina Tennent ’16 shares, “I think it is interesting how big of an impact The Philadelphia Union has had on the Chester students, I wish more sports teams would do what they are doing.” The effort that she references to regarding the foundation supporting the community involves things such as the Union donating more than 1,000 tickets for Union games and other events to the local Chester youth.

Another outreach program involves another very popular sport: basketball. Basketball is particularly popular among young African-Americans, partly because of its accessibility to those living in inner cities compared to other sports. Black American role models such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson have also helped to promote this sport’s popularity. A specific outreach group in the US that allows inner city children to get proper lessons and exposure to basketball is known as Inner City Outreach. Louisa Spinner ’18 comments, “I am really lucky to have grown up in an environment where I have easy access to playing basketball. It’s really amazing that there are now programs where kids who were not usually able to play basketball are now being given the chance to.” Among with many other areas of focus, the Inner City Outreach Program has a designated section called The Revolution Basketball League. This basketball league provides the children in the community with the opportunity to learn and play basketball. The program also teaches the children life skills through teamwork, and allows the children to be in a safe environment while making new friends.

Overall, these are only two of the many examples of outreach programs that have been sprouting up all over the country. It is truly amazing how many have been created, and how successful they have been with helping children in low-income communities.