2 Million Kids Helped
In 2019, The DICK'S Foundation's Sports Matter Program aimed to help one million kids participate in sports by 2024. We’re proud that it only took us three years to surpass this goal. Like the athletes we support who set new goals when they break old ones, we doubled down. We are pleased to announce that we've now met that goal and helped over two million kids!
Sports Change Lives
Mental Health
Student athletes are less likely than non-athletes to be depressed.*
Physical Health
Student athletes who play team sports are less likely to smoke cigarettes or use other illicit drugs.**
Academics
Physically active children get up to 40% higher test scores.**
Bright Futures
Student athletes are more likely to get higher grades and aspire to attend college.*
The threat to youth sports
63% Lack the Funding
63% of public school sports budgets are stagnant or decreasing.***
33% Fewer Sports
High-poverty schools offer 1/3 fewer sports than low-poverty schools.***
25% Participation Gap
25% participation gap between children of lower and higher income families.***
4X Less Spend
Parents in lowest-income families spend approximately four times less on their child's sport than the wealthiest households.**
How The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation is Helping
$80M
Since 2014, the Sports Matter Program has donated $80 million to support young athletes.
1 in 21 schools
1 out of every 21 public schools has received funding for sports programs from The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation.
1.6M+ Kids
Our support has kept over 1.6 million kids in the game across all 50 states through the Sports Matter program.
40 Sports
Because we believe all chances to play are beneficial, we have provided grants for 40 different youth sports, and counting!
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Resources
* Women Sports Foundation. (2019, July). The State of High School Sports in America: An Evaluation of the Nation’s Most Popular Extracurricular Activity.
** Aspen Institute Project Play. (n.d.). Youth Sports Facts. Retrieved July 2021.
*** Whitaker, A. A., Baker, G., Matthews, L. J., McCombs, J. S., and Barrett, M. (2019). Who Plays, Who Pays? Funding for and Access to Youth Sports. RAND Corporation.