ANAHEIM, CA – The Anaheim Family YMCA received a $50,000 grant from the LA84 Foundation to expand and enhance youth activity through sport and play. Through this grant, the Anaheim Family YMCA will launch their TRYumphant Sports Program, which provides female athletes access to three of their most popular sports programs: hockey, soccer, and volleyball.
“The Y is often the starting point for much local youth to learn about becoming more active and developing healthy habits that they will carry with them throughout their lives,” said Brent Finlay, President & CEO of the Anaheim Family YMCA. “Generous partners like the LA84 Foundation make it possible for the Anaheim Family YMCA to expand our sports-based youth development programs for those who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to participate.”
The LA84 Foundation funding will enable the Anaheim Family YMCA to recruit and enroll 450 girls (ages 8-14) from the Anaheim community and provide them with low-cost access to their hockey, soccer, and volleyball programs. All fees will be capped at $15 per sport, providing these girls with low-cost access to structured SBYD programming in a safe space.
The three sports programs are offered year-round with multiple seasons available: Volleyball (Spring/Winter), Street Hockey (Winter/Spring), and Soccer (Fall/Winter/Spring). Participants in these youth sports programs get a Y-branded jersey, 8-10 weeks of practices, and 8-10 games with volunteer referees and end-of-the-season awards. All equipment needed for the program will be provided by the Anaheim Y.
“It is the mission of the LA84 Foundation to ensure all youth have opportunities for safe and accessible places to participate in sport and play,” said Sandra J. Martinez, Vice President/Chief of Staff of the LA84 Foundation. “When kids have the chance to play, they grow up healthier and ready for life. We are grateful for the Anaheim Family YMCA’s commitment to play equity with these programs and filling local girls’ lives with active play.”
About the LA84 Foundation
The LA84 Foundation is a national leader in support of youth sports and education about the role of sports in positive youth development. As a legacy of the 1984 Summer Olympics, the LA84 Foundation has supported thousands of youth-serving organizations in Southern California through grant-making, funding facilities and fields of play, training coaches, and commissioning research. The LA84 Foundation takes on critical issues as a national thought leader by elevating youth sports and plays as integral to lifelong well-being. To learn more, visit www.la84.org and @LA84Foundation on Twitter and Instagram.
