Grant Program to Offset the Rising Cost of Youth Sports Participation
May 2, 2022 (DURHAM, N.C) – The Durham Sports Commission (DSC) is proud to announce the One Team, One Durham Fund (1T1D), established to support youth sports development in the area. With an initial $10,000 pledged, 100% privately funded, grants will be awarded by a selection committee that will meet monthly. As the cost of youth sports participation continues to rise, the DSC considers 1T1D as an important step, leading the community’s efforts to allow for greater access to the benefits of sport.
“Studies conducted during the pandemic show that more parents think of youth sports as an outlet for more holistic development, improving mental health, peer relationships, and social skills as much as physical wellbeing,” said Marcus Manning, executive director of the DSC. “While there’s more of a need than ever for the benefits of sport, the costs associated with playing continues to rise. It will take a One Team, One Durham-like effort for us all to find ways to give more kids transformational opportunities to play.”
Project Play, an initiative created by the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, reports that the annual costs of youth participation average $693 per child, per sport. Parents of a child competing with a travel team spends an average of $2,266. Costs include travel, equipment, lessons, registration, camps, and more. 1T1D will offset some of those costs by awarding grants of up to $200 per recipient to 501(c)3 organizations operating in Durham. Up to five people from an organization are eligible to apply. A grant application can be found on the DSC’s website here: www.durhamncsports.com/1t1d.
The DSC will continue to provide grants to event owners to assist those planning events within Durham. The DSC has awarded more than $428,000 in those types of grants to date. The 1T1D fund will be separate and complement this ongoing work to improve access to sports by supporting more of the individual’s participant costs, costs associated with playing on clubs and teams, and so forth. The first round of 1T1D grants will be awarded in the coming months, purposefully allocated before the start of fall sports activities and seasons.
One of the DSC’s goals is to increase the size of the fund and build on the initial $10,000 pledge. Those interested in donating or sponsoring the One Team, One Durham Fund are encouraged to contact Marcus Manning.
For more information about the Durham Sports Commission, please visit www.durhamncsports.com.
About Durham Sports Commission
The Durham Sports Commission (DSC) is a collaboration of the City of Durham, the County of Durham, the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and Discover Durham. The DSC was established in 2016 as a 501(c)(3) with a mission to create economic and social impact by leading the community’s efforts to attract, support, and promote youth, amateur, collegiate, and professional sporting and recreational events and is operated by Discover Durham. The DSC provides leadership for sports-based initiatives and create positive economic impact and quality of life in Durham and the surrounding region. Be sure to follow the DSC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with all sports-related news in Durham, NC, and other announcements.
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