The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation and Good Sports work together to help kids’ sports dreams come true and give every kid the opportunity to play. On April 23rd, we had the opportunity to do that in person and partnered with The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation to host the first-ever Sports Matter Day in Atlanta, Georgia at WNBA Atlanta Dream’s Stadium! It was a fun day filled with games, guest appearances and equipment for 10,000 athletes from 32 organizations ranging in age from 6 – 18 in the Atlanta area. There were a variety of different kit types for each athlete such as fitness, football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and volleyball. Each kit contained equipment geared towards that specific sport, all in a branded Sports Matter duffle bag.
Upon arrival, kids fueled up with a catered lunch before heading into the day. Afterwards, they rotated through a series of stations, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, a fitness obstacle course, and arts & crafts. They then listened to remarks from Renee Montgomery (former UConn player, WNBA player, and now part-owner of the Atlanta Dream) and Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts QB (formerly Atlanta Falcons). Both Renee and Matt spoke about the impact sports has on their lives. Renee spoke about girls and women in sports and the importance of supporting female athletes with opportunities to play. Matt shared the values and lessons he has learned through sports, like teamwork, hard work and discipline. At the end, some of the athletes had the opportunity ask Matt some questions and then the crowd of athletes participated in a t-shirt toss. Lastly, as athletes exited the arena, they received their individual gifts of sports!
We truly couldn’t have asked for a better day. The music was going, DJ Jay Shale and Emcee Bria, hyped everyone up, and there was so much excitement around the stations, guest speakers, brand-new equipment, and being empowered to play sports. We’re extremely grateful for our partnership with The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation and its Sports Matter program for making this day a memorable one!
Watch the full recap video here.
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