Mayor Cherelle Parker joined Philadelphia officials this week in announcing $3 million in funding for local youth sports organizations. The money will be used to provide grants to support local teams, as well as help families pay for registration costs, with additional funding being used to purchase sports equipment for recreation centers.
The investment is aimed at violence prevention under Parker’s One Philly Budget plan.
“Philadelphia, we are responsible for ensuring our children are equipped with the tools necessary for success. It is up to us to make sure our children are surrounded by positive mentors, coaches, and leaders that will aid positive development because, as we all know, it takes a village,” said Parker. “That is why I made this $3 million a priority in my One Philly Budget and will continue to make sure these activities are well funded moving forward.”
City officials announced the first $1 million in a series of investments on Monday, aimed at easing the financial burden on parents, caregivers and neighborhood organizations. More than $300,000 of the funding will support local youth football and cheer teams, to make sure they get to their national tournaments, with additional funds available for championship qualifiers in other sports as seasons get underway.
“I want to thank the mayor because when we found out we were going to nationals, I asked myself where we were going to get the money from, and someone said the mayor got something for you,” said Donald Richardson of the North Philly Blackhawks. “I told myself, we’re going to get there, and the city is seeing that we get there.”
The city is also resupplying Parks & Recreation centers with over $250,000 in new equipment, and has committed $450,000 to the Philadelphia Youth Sports Fund to provide grants helping organizations across the city.
The funding will aid 28 teams from 9 organizations, including The Blackhawks Athletic Club, The Oak Lane Lady Wildcats, The Uptown Warriors, The North Philly Aztecs, The Frankford Chargers, The Sturgis Hornets, The City Youth Association Gators, Germantown Elite, and The Kensington Ravens.
“This is a little special for me because we have been fundraising and doing this from the muscle for years, without the support,” said Kimberly Jamison, Cheer Coordinator for The Oak Lane Lady Wildcats. “This grant will help us expand our program, enabling more youth athletes to develop skills, build confidence, and foster teamwork.”
This funding is part of Parker’s plan to increase youth engagement across the city by building safe spaces and access to training, education and resources. The program will target all youth sports, committing $450,000 to The Philadelphia Youth Sports Fund, which provides grants to help organizations pay for registration, equipment, coaching and travel.
Grants will be available year-round, with the first application window opening this week. The Fund is powered by the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative in partnership with the Philadelphia City Fund.
“This funding is more than just the funding of sports and athletics,” said Susan Slawson, Parks and Recreation Commissioner. “It is an investment in our children — it’s about allowing opportunities for life lessons to be learned. To teach our youth about defeat and strength, teamwork, conflict resolution, disappointment, stick-to-itiveness — all lessons of resiliency they will carry for a lifetime.”
