Big Brothers Big Sisters Targets 500,000 Youth with Sports-Mentorship Initiative by 2035
Event summary
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) launched 'Game On', a sports-and-mentorship initiative aimed at engaging 500,000 young people by 2035.
- The initiative focuses on three pillars: Play, Coaching, and Career Pathways, integrating sports with mentorship to address access disparities.
- BBBSA cites research showing children in lowest-income households play organized sports at less than half the rate of wealthiest households.
- Game On builds on existing partnerships with the NFL, Gillette, and Dove, leveraging sports to foster mentorship and career opportunities.
The big picture
Big Brothers Big Sisters is leveraging the cultural power of sports to address systemic barriers in youth mentorship, a strategic move that aligns with broader trends in community-based youth development. The initiative's success hinges on scaling partnerships and demonstrating measurable outcomes in confidence, career readiness, and social connection among participants.
What we're watching
- Partnership Momentum
- Whether BBBSA can secure additional high-profile sports and corporate partners to meet its 2035 target.
- Access Disparity
- The pace at which Game On can close the sports participation gap between low- and high-income households.
- Program Scalability
- How BBBSA will measure and report the initiative's impact on youth outcomes over the next decade.
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