Get to know our grantees in LA!
Beat the Streets LA
Beat the Streets empowers and transforms the lives of Los Angeles youth through wrestling, academics, healthy living and character development. Support from Play Academy with Naomi Osaka will enable Beat the Streets to invest in recruiting and training more women as wrestling coaches with a focus on increasing the participation of girls and women in wrestling.
Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN) LA
KEEN removes barriers and empowers LA’s youth with disabilities through no-cost, fun sports experiences led by trained volunteer coaches. For many participants – especially girls – KEEN is their first sports experience. With Play Academy funding, KEEN will return to in-person basketball and swim programs and expand its tennis program, offering more girls with disabilities an opportunity to participate. KEEN will also invest in delivering workshops for mothers and caregivers of KEEN participants.
Pete Brown Junior Tennis and Academic Program (PBJTP)
The Pete Brown Junior Tennis and Academic Program’s mission is to grow and promote junior tennis as a platform for developing character, physical fitness, education and lifetime achievement. Play Academy will be partnering with the inner-city LA program, where 85 percent of participants are girls living in high-crime, high-poverty neighborhoods. Funding from Play Academy will directly support the expansion of mental health programming, a new initiative focused on healthy eating and nutrition, and access to college counseling services.