Why We Care
According to USA Today (Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, USA Today Survey,
Verified 1-26-2012), over 35 million children participate in youth sports in the
United States every year. 66% (23.1 million) are part of organized play.
The logistical costs of children participating in organized teams rise with the
increasing skill level of student athlete and the maintenance associated with the sport.
Today, the expectations are increased in every given sport. In youth sports, top echelon
teams require greater academic achievement, greater talent, as well as physical and mental
abilities. The demand is for student athletes to know more and be more capable at an earlier
age than just a generation before. To have this requires advanced sport training and
academic support.
Additionally, fees to enroll in advanced academic tutoring, advanced sports training, and
advance team play costs thousands of dollars per child. Many families cannot afford these
fees — causing many children to not get this opportunity.
Angels In Sports
understands that underprivileged student athletes often fall through the cracks — where parents must
make hard financial choices between survival or the future development of their children.
AIS works to eliminate financial hardship as a barrier to the development of children.
Through AIS, young student athletes can demonstrate how meaningful athletics is to their development
while helping children achieve their personal life goals.
AIS Scholarships provide proper academic support, training with the top coaches in the
local area, or annual fees to play on local advance teams. Scholarship recipients can
be with similar, like-minded parents and student athletes to share experiences and
opportunities as a community.
Most importantly, AIS wants to enforce academic excellence in its scholarship recipients.
Like sports, academics is competitive. AIS believes student athletes should not be forced
to take lesser academic challenges — but accept ALL challenges. AIS wants to ensure
student athletes will focus on their future and that education is critical to winning in sports
AND in life.