Even if I wasn't an elite athlete like my LeagueApps colleague and Olympic gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley (no one can take away my 1997 intramural wiffleball championship at Georgetown University), I do believe that my youth sports experiences helped me win at life.
The data is clear about the advantages that sports provides. While kids are playing, they have 40% higher test scores, 1/10 as likely to be obese, improved mental health, not to mention the fun and friendships. But there are lifetime implications when kids play sports - they'll be 15% more likely to go to college, have 8% higher annual earnings, be more prepared for the jobs of the future, and lasting physical and mental health benefits.
Here's a hard truth: if playing sports can create so many advantages and benefits in life, when more than 50% of kids don't receive those benefits because of their income, race, or gender, it's a form of systemic inequity.
It's also recognizing that we all lose when we don't let others on the field.
The words of my hero Nelson Mandela have graced every one of LeagueApps' office walls, extolling his core belief in the "power of sports to change the world." The importance of sports was not just Mandela’s lived experience, but tied to his philosophy—a concept known in Africa as ubuntu.
I am because you are. We are in this together. Our lives and futures are inextricably linked to others ability to realize their own dreams.
I'm honored to help lead a company that embraces our collective responsibility. You may know of LeagueApps as a high-growth, innovative software company. And we are!
But our success is fueled, and fuels, our mission of creating amazing sports experiences for all. We have pledged 1% of our revenue to our award-winning FundPlay program, provided over 170 transformative software grants along with training and resources to incredible sports-based youth development organizations. We raised $150,000 last year, supporting over 60 non-profits and building a soccer pitch with South Bronx United. We also just surpassed our three-year goal of providing access to 550,000 youth sports opportunities.
We know we can do more, so we've officially spun out our award-winning FundPlay program to create the FundPlay Foundation, a newly-formed independent nonprofit with the mission to build operational capacity for its partners and increase access to amazing youth sports experiences.
LeagueApps is covering ALL operational costs, so 100% of every dollar raised will be given back out along with free perpetual software licenses and training to the most worthy sports non-profits.
Our launch goal - raise $200,000 over the next 30 days to give it all away. And because we have championship ambitions, we've partnered with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation to give the first $50,000 raised to build two new play spaces in Inglewood, California to provide sports opportunities for youth.
Residents in Inglewood have limited access to recreational spaces compared to their Los Angeles County neighbors, and the best performing cities and communities have more than 60x the available recreation space compared to Inglewood. Additionally, in Los Angeles County 1 of 3 adults said there were not enough opportunities for their children to play sports, and the rate was higher among lower-income households, according to a 2022 survey by the LA84 Foundation.
We know how to transform lives through sport. We know building capacity of worthy non-profits can deliver programs that work. It just takes all of us deciding to step up to the plate.
I know my own experience with sports, and the experience of my kids, is shared by so many of my friends and family. I'm honored to give them the opportunity to give the gift of sports to others, backed by the certainty that our stewardship of those funds by LeagueApps will ensure maximum impact.
Please consider supporting this campaign through your own support and by spreading the word. AAny gift at all will be deeply appreciated.
Yours in sport,
Jeremy
