Collaboration ensures kids from income-restricted families can participate and reap the rewards of cheer
DALLAS (Sept 14, 2021) – USA Cheer is pleased to announce its partnership with Every Kid Sports, a national non-profit that helps income-restricted families pay registration fees to help increase access and participation in youth sports. The collaboration with USA Cheer will enable Every Kid Sports to provide up to $150 in registration fees for recreational USA Cheer member programs, including cheerleading and STUNT.
Through financial support from individual donors, corporate partnerships, and grants from foundations focused on amplifying the lives of kids through sports, Every Kid Sports is a highly effective organization that has been helping kids from income-restricted families participate in sports for more than a decade. This partnership with USA Cheer and Every Kid Sports will expand grant options for cheer participants.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this partnership,” said USA Cheer Executive Director Lauri Harris. “One of our core objectives at USA Cheer is growing interest and participation in cheer in the United States and removing the financial barrier for kids that want to play. This is going to ensure we’re reaching kids of every economic background in every part of the country. Every Kid Sports is doing such incredibly important work and I’m really proud to establish this partnership with them.”
Research shows that the most significant barrier to kids playing youth sports is cost. Every Kid Sports provides grants to qualified families with children between the ages of 4-18 to play recreational sports. Within the application, families can submit an image of documentation for each child currently receiving Medicaid, SNAP or WIC. Parents can apply and receive up to $150 for sports registration fees up to four times a year.
“We’re motivated and driven by the positive aspects of sports participation and believe every kid deserves the chance to play. Sports increase the physical, social, and emotional well-being of kids,” said Natalie Hummel, Co-Founder and Executive Director for Every Kid Sports. “Kids who play sports have fewer emotional and behavioral problems, are more likely to make positive choices, and are less likely to have a negative body image. Making sure all kids have access to these positive experiences is what we’re all about.”
In addition to ensuring young cheer participants can utilize the incredible resources made available by Every Kid Sports, the partnership will also include USA Cheer-led fundraising initiatives to provide further financial support for Every Kid Sports. Details surrounding those initiatives will be announced in the coming weeks.
About Every Kid Sports
Headquartered in Bend, Oregon Every Kid Sports is a national 501(c)(3), a 2021 GuideStar Platinum Transparency awarded nonprofit organization that has worked since 2009 to provide a variety of sports-related opportunities designed to remove the financial barriers that typically prevent kids from being active through sports. Every Kid Sports has been recognized by The Aspen Institute as a 2019 Project Play Champion, as well as a recipient of the 2019 Beyond Sports Collective Impact Award for Reduced Inequalities. Partners in their work have include DICK’s Sporting Goods Foundation, Under Armour, T-Mobile, Little League International and the National Basketball Players Association Foundation.
About USA Cheer
The USA Federation for Sport Cheering is a not-for profit 501(c)(3) organization that was established in 2007 to serve as the National Governing Body for Sport Cheering in the United States and is recognized by the International Cheer Union. USA Cheer exists to serve the cheer community, including club cheering (all star), youth recreational cheer, traditional school-based cheer programs, and the growing sport of STUNT.
USA Cheer has three primary objectives: promote safety and safety education for cheer in the United States; help grow and develop interest and participation in cheer throughout the United States; and represent the United States of America in international cheer competitions.