August, 2024 – Since 2020, Fight for Children (FFC) and the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport (CHJS) have joined forces to revolutionize how the current landscape approaches sports and youth programs in the DMV area.
FFC has been a local champion for over 30 years, improving young lives across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. With a track record of impacting over 400,000 youth, they’re the seasoned pros in this league.
CHJS brings a fresh perspective to the court. These experts are all about creating healing-centered sport experiences that embrace athletes for who they are – completely and unconditionally – through training, consulting, and systems change work.
The Gameplan
This dream team isn’t just talking the talk – they’re walking the walk. Here’s the playbook for transforming youth development through arts and sport:
- Disrupt the Status Quo: Say goodbye to outdated power structures in sports. They’re building all-star alliances with diverse stakeholders (kinda like the Avengers, but for sport!).
- Amplify Unheard Voices: It’s (been) time to pass the mic to those who’ve been sidelined for too long. The Collab aims to champion quality programs because every kid deserves a shot at high-quality youth sports and arts opportunities.
- Transform the Playing Field: Imagine sports that are not just inclusive, but actively healing. They’re tackling local challenges head-on, not afraid to get their hands dirty solving real, on-the-ground issues.
- Back It Up with Research: In the game of youth development, data is the MVP. They’re building a robust body of evidence to prove their impact and refine their approach.
The Dream Team Behind the Scenes
At the heart of this collaboration is the Leadership Team, a diverse group of visionaries from the FFC Youth Development Institute. Composed of leaders from various youth-serving organizations across the DMV, the Leadership Team brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the community’s needs. They meet regularly to share insights, tackle challenges, and chart the course for the future of youth sports in the region.
Jane, Executive Director at Grassroots Health and a member of the Leadership Team, shares her perspective:
“Fight For Children has been an exceptional partner for Grassroots Health. Their staff, mission, programs, training, and other activities are all dedicated to genuinely supporting and connecting our efforts with other sport-for-development organizations in the area. This new collaborative leadership team provides a valuable space where I can learn from my peers, advocate collectively, and deepen my understanding of the community we serve. It is rare to find a group so committed to dedicating focused time to such efforts, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside and from such dedicated leaders.”
The Impact
The FFC-CHJS collaboration isn’t just about grand visions – it’s about creating tangible, measurable change in the lives of young people. In its relatively short existence, this partnership has already begun to shift the landscape of youth sports in the DMV area. From implementing innovative training programs for coaches to creating more inclusive sports environments, the impact is being felt at every level.
Organizations involved in the collaboration are reporting increased engagement from youth, improved program outcomes, and a stronger sense of community among participants. The ripple effects extend beyond the playing field, influencing how these young athletes approach challenges in their daily lives and fostering a new generation of leaders.
“The FFC Collaborative has been instrumental in helping So Kids SOAR excel over the past few years; therefore, being on the Leadership Team allows myself and SKS to engage even more meaningfully with like-minded organizations and leaders. I am excited to learn from my peers and pull our strengths together to keep elevating youth sports organizations and the 40,000 young people that we serve.” – Glenda, Executive Director of So Kids SOAR
The End Goal
This collaboration isn’t just about changing the scoreboard – it’s about rewriting the entire rulebook. FFC and CHJS are out to prove that sports can be powerful tools for healing, justice, and transformative change throughout the DMV area. The upside? They’re not alone – check out the Coalition for Sport Equity, a group of city and region-based collectives representing sport, physical activity, and play-based organizations in communities nationwide aimed to empower local communities to organize for positive change in sports.
Ready to join the team? Here’s a few ways to get started:
- Follow the FFC organizations
- Subscribe to ongoing CHJS communications
- Join the Collaborative! Email Joe Smith, jmsith@chjs.org, CHJS East Coast Manager, and James Kallusky, jkallusky@fightforchildren.org, President and Chief Program Officer at Fight For Children.
