For many youth, sports is not only synonymous with improved physical health, enhanced social skills, and better mental health, but also — opportunity.
This is an opportunity to dream, an opportunity to be exposed to a different way of life, and also an opportunity to set themselves on a path that could be beneficial ten-fold to their future.
Unfortunately, many youth in under-resourced communities do not have access to sporting facilities or the opportunity to play sports of any kind due to lack of economic resources. Taking the lead to try and create more opportunities in these communities, and also reduce the amount of insurmountable pressure that can be placed on youth when they are able to participate in sports activities, Adidas has teamed up with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in support of a two-year partnership that will grant $1 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to allocate across Clubs representing majority under-resourced Black and Latinx communities in the U.S.
In celebration of this partnership, Super Bowl weekend kicked off with a bang at the Adidas Field Day on Friday, February 9, where youth from a local club were able to participate in a day of play and also interact with an all-star lineup of brand athlete partners who discussed how they navigate and overcome the pressure associated with sport, and equipped them with tools from neuro11 to help them hone in on the joy of play.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, NY Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, WNBA champion Chelsea Gray, Detroit Lions wide-receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa kicked off the discussion before later hitting the field with the youth athletes.
These tools and tips were not only necessary and groundbreaking, but a part of Adidas’ latest global brand campaign fueled by data and insights from a neuroscience study Adidas coordinated in partnership with neuro11.
“Seeing our communities thrive through access to safe, inclusive, spaces to play – is one of the greatest outcomes of the work our Purpose team leads. Through allyship with dedicated partners like Boys & Girls Clubs of America we further realize the mission to create safe spaces and programming to support the highest needs of those we serve,” said Ayesha Martin, Senior Director Purpose, Communities & Social Impact at adidas. “While we won’t get there overnight, through the power of collaboration and a commitment to help remove barriers, we can create new possibilities in sport and culture that enables our communities for generations to come.”
Adidas’ support for Boys & Girls Clubs of America is part of the brand’s historic promise to invest $120 million to empower Black and Latinx communities in the U.S. through 2025. Other investments under the Creating Lasting Change Now effort include Cultivate & B.L.O.O.M., now titled, Adidas Community LAB, an accelerator program for social entrepreneurs of color, and sustained funding for S.E.E.D. (School for Experiential Education in Design), a strategic pipeline to welcome diverse talent into the brand and the design industry.
“We are honored to team up with Adidas to spread equality, wellness and education of sports to Boys & Girls Clubs during this Super Bowl and throughout our upcoming partnership,” said Chad Hartman, National Vice President of Corporate Partnerships & Engagement, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “This two-year partnership will not only increase youth access to sports programming but will expand kids and teens’ knowledge of the powerful role sport can play in a young person’s life.”