Prep talk: LA84 Foundation continues to be champion for youth sports
The greatest legacy of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics remains the LA84 Foundation, which has invested more than $250 million to support Southern California youth sports organizations through cash grants. It was created with $93 million in profits from the 1984 Olympics, under the vision of lead organizer Peter Ueberroth.
On Thursday, the LA84 Foundation sponsored its eighth Play Equity Summit, designed to find solutions to the challenges of access to youth sports activities. The theme was “Play because it matters”.
Renata Simril, CEO of the LA84 Foundation, said, “The most powerful stadiums in America are the schoolyard and the block on your street. »
Renata Simile, CEO of the LA84 Foundation.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
She said youth sports at the local level were failing. The pay-to-play model is booming, making youth sports a $40 billion industry while leaving many people behind.
“The only physical activity that belongs to youth sports is the fairness of the game,” Simril said.
She told participants: “The task is to act and think differently. »
She remembers learning tennis on the street in her neighborhood and on “the cracked court” at Carson High.
Simril said that with the World Cup, Super Bowl and Olympic Games approaching in Los Angeles over the next two years, “we have a generational opportunity to align with the biggest moment in sports.”
She wants others to create lasting legacy programs for youth sports through “more partnerships, more sponsorships, more access.”
“Purpose and profit can increase further,” she said. “It should grow. This can lead to a legacy of investing in young people forever.”
She clearly explained why participation in sports is so important for boys and girls.
“Play is how they prepare for life,” she said.
This is a daily look at positive happenings in high school sports. To submit news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
