The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation’s Sports Matter Giving Truck made its third tour stop in 2022 in Houston on Saturday, Dec. 3, gifting 10,000 youth athletes with sports equipment and hosting more than 500 kids for Sports Matter Day at the University of Houston Campus Recreation & Wellness Center.
The DICK’S Foundation surprised the group of youth athletes in attendance by partnering with World Series Champion & MVP Jeremy Peña of the Astros and Hall of Famer and former Houston Comets All-Star Sheryl Swoopes, who spent time coaching, mentoring and playing alongside kids at the event.
In partnership with national nonprofit Good Sports, The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation provided 10,000 youth athletes from 29 Houston-area youth sports organizations with equipment kits containing apparel, sports-specific training gear, water bottles and more, to encourage participation in sports.
The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation and Beyond Sport also offered coaches of participating Sports Matter Day organizations fully funded leadership training courses to provide them with tools to help deepen their impact within their communities. The first course was an in-person workshop titled, Coaching with Empathy. Additional courses will cover a variety of topics such as fundraising, governance and stakeholder engagement.
“Sports Matter Day in Houston was a huge success that enabled us to share the gift of sport with thousands of incredible and deserving kids in Houston,” said Aimee Watters, Executive Director of The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation. “We are so thankful for all of our partners who helped to make this a great day and proud to have partnered with Beyond Sport for the first time to offer life-changing leadership and development workshops for coaches who continually invest their time in youth sports.”
Houston Sports Matter Day was fueled by in-kind donations from Gatorade and Honey Stinger. The Gatorade Fuel Tomorrow program enhanced the experience for participating kids by providing hydration stations and signature Gatorade Sideline Towels, while Honey Stinger donated more than $30,000 worth of sports nutrition products to keep participants fueled throughout the day.
Since 2014, DICK’S and The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation have committed more than $150 million to support young athletes. Sports Matter raises awareness for the youth sports funding crisis as the fight to save youth sports continues across the U.S. The first Sports Matter tour began in 2020 and since then, more than 75,000 gifts of sports equipment has been gifted to youth across the country.