programs we’ve supported in la
Beat the Streets Los Angeles
Beat the Streets Los Angeles (BTSLA) is on its second grant cycle with Play Academy with the aim of empowering and transforming the lives of youth through wrestling. Girls and women comprise about 10 percent of participation in wrestling in the US, and girls make up 30 percent of BTSLA’s participation. Funding from Play Academy will support their ‘Tomorrow’s Leaders’ program that aims to close the participation gap while preparing their youth participants to become coaches, mentors and future leaders.
Kids Enjoy Exercise Now Los Angeles
Kids Enjoy Exercise Now Los Angeles (KEEN LA) is another returning grantee on a mission to empower youth with disabilities and impact volunteer coaches through sports. Eighty percent of KEEN LA families are from under-resourced neighborhoods, with 30 percent of participants not speaking English at home. With an army of volunteer coaches, female-led staff and bilingual programming, KEEN LA provides free, non-competitive weekly programming with one-to-one coaching, all which Play Academy funding will help fuel.
Pete Brown Junior Tennis program
Pete Brown Jr. Tennis Program (PBJTP) serves the South Central LA neighborhood by providing a safe and positive place for young people, especially girls, to learn and excel in tennis. Back for the 2024 grant cycle, PBJT’s programming consists of year-round tennis programs for all levels, plus tutoring, fitness and nutrition education programs. Funding will especially support their new Learning Center that has opened adjacent to their tennis facility at Harvard Park to further serve their participants.