Lakeshore Foundation was one of 10 organizations to receive a $10,000 grant from ESPN’s new youth sports initiative Take Back Sports. The initiative was created to expand access to sport for youth. ESPN launched its official website (www.TakeBackSports.org), debuted a new animated video, and announced the recipients of its inaugural Innovation Challenge grants in June. It was also announced that Take Back Sports and the ‘Disney Jr. Let’s Play!’ campaign have collaborated with national non-profit Every Kid Sports on a new preschool-focused initiative.
Lakeshore Foundation’s Super Sports Saturday pilot will bring inclusive, Paralympic-style sports to youth with physical disabilities in underserved areas of Alabama. As the only multi-adapted-sports organization in the state and a national Paralympic training hub, Lakeshore is uniquely equipped to deliver high-impact, free programming that blends fun, fitness and skill development. With ESPN’s support, the pilot will host five events in Montgomery, train local mentors and lay the foundation for a scalable model that creates access, independence and a culture of multi-sport play for youth with disabilities across the Southeast.
Innovation Challenge Grant Recipients
Building upon the $5 million charitable investment that ESPN has invested in to reimagine youth sports, ESPN announced the Take Back Sports Innovation Challenge at the Aspen Institute’s Project Play Summit. Through strategic investments in cutting-edge training models, inclusive programming and community-rooted solutions, the Innovation Challenge spotlights bold approaches that reimagine how kids engage with sports — fostering a more accessible and positive youth sports experience for all. ESPN doubled its original investment from $50,000 to $100,000 in response to more than 150 compelling applications from across the country.
