Where Purpose Meets Passion
The Challenge
Not enough youth have access to sports. Cost, lack of safe spaces and limited resources keep kids on the sidelines.
How We Step Up
We focus on breaking down four barries to access sports.
Get Involved
Help expand access to youth sports through partnership, giving & grants.
Healing-Centered Coaching
Find coaching tools, guides & resources to support youth sport development.
Game-Changing Impact
Discover how Sports Matter turns data, stories & impact into real change.
About the Foundation
Explore the mission, team & Board behind Sports Matter’s impact.
“All of our players were able to wear uniform shoes, no longer sharing shoes.” - Loris High School Basketball (South Carolina)
Why It Counts
How We're Helping
3 Million+ Kids Helped
Our support has kept over 3 million kids in the game across all 50 states through the Sports Matter program.
Investment
Over $100M since 2014 has been committed to inspire & enable youth sports participation in over 42 different sports by addressing barriers & creating awareness.
League Costs
Most youth sports are run at the local level by volunteers with minimal budgets. Funding these local programs helps thousands of kids play sports each year.
Registration Fees
The average family pays $139 per child per sport season in registration fees to play youth sports.*****
Infrastructure
Studies conducted nationwide found that low-income & predominantly racial/ethnic minority neighborhoods are more likely to have access to smaller parks & green spaces, compared to higher income & predominantly white neighborhoods.*
Equipment
The high cost of sports equipment continues to be a significant barrier for many families. On average, families spend $154 per child on sports equipment, but this expense is often a greater burden for low-income families who may struggle to afford the same quality & quantity of gear as higher-income families.**
“Your $10k was more like $10 million to us!” - Two-Tenths Foundation (Pennsylvania)
Our Partners
DICK’S Sporting Goods & Brooks together will donate $1 for every pair of socks, $5 for every clothing item & $10 for every pair of shoes with The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation logo on it sold through December 31, 2026, up to a combined total of $500,000 to The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation.
For each box of Sports Matter Callaway Chrome Series Triple Track 360 golf balls purchased, DICK'S Sporting Goods will donate $2 to the Foundation.
For every box of Maxfli Tour Max Align, Maxfli Tour X Max Align or Maxfli Tour S Max Align Sports Matter golf balls purchased, $2 will go directly to Sports Matter to help fund youth sports programs across the country.
“The grant allowed 594 girls to benefit from our life changing program!” - Girls on the Run Delaware (Delaware)
The Foundation Roster
- Sports Matter Mission
- Meet the Team
- Meet the Board
- Reporting
WHY WE PLAY THE GAME
We believe that sports change lives. In addition to physical and mental health benefits, sports have the power to change our perspectives, our character and our communities for the better. This core belief has guided DICK’S Sporting Goods and The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation since the beginning – but not everyone has the same access to play. Through grants and other support, The DICK’S Foundation Sports Matter Program helps under-resourced 501c3 organizations, schools and community teams across all 50 states provide opportunities for youth to play sports.
THE POWER PLAYERS
Meet the all stars making the plays on & off the field.
THE SCORE BOARD
Meet the MVPs making the big plays behind the scenes.
BRENT O'BRIEN: Chief Marketing Officer, Foot Locker
CHAD KESSLER: EVP, Apparel & Vertical Brands
EMILY SILVER: SVP, Chief Marketing & Athlete Experience Officer
JULIE LODGE-JARRETT: EVP, People, Purpose & Transformation
LAUREN HOBART: President & CEO
MICHAEL STACK: President Golf Galaxy & SVP DICK'S Footwear
NAVDEEP GUPTA: EVP, Chief Financial Officer
RAY SILVA: EVP, Stores
VLAD RAK: EVP, Chief Technology Officer
“This grant allowed us to continue to work with student athletes and their families; preparing them for success at the next step of their journey.” - Foundation 59 (Ohio)
Changing Lives Through Play
**Aspen Institute Project Play. (n.d.). Youth Sports Facts. Retrieved July 2021.
***Aspen Institute Project Play