Evidence shows that there is a direct correlation between increased classroom performance, positive self-esteem, and the development of leadership characteristics and a child participating in sports. Yet, the number of kids between 6 and 12 years old playing sports is decreasing. With some parents spending as much as 10% of their income on children’s sports, it is becoming too expensive for some.
The cost of participating in one team sport has reached an average of $700 per child per year, putting it out of reach for many lower-income families. The Aspen Institute has found that there is a disparity between children of color who play sports and white kids who play sports. In fact, children who come from low-income households are half as likely to play a sport. Besides the money it costs for equipment and to participate, lower-income communities have fewer resources like fields and rec centers where kids can play sports cheaply.
Good Sports is a charitable organization that through sponsorships and donations “drives equitable access in youth sports and physical activity, by supporting children in high-need communities to achieve their greatest potential, on the field and in life.” Since 2003, Good Sports has been able to donate $95 million worth of sports equipment, apparel, and shoes to sports programs that serve high-need kids between 3 and 18 years old. To date, over 9 million children have been served through Good Sports.
Through the Beck Tech Cares initiative, Beck Technology donated to Good Sports in March 2023. The Beck Tech Cares program reflects the company’s core values of passion, innovation, and caring and provides an opportunity for its employees to give back to the communities we live and work in.
Because Beck Technology focuses on developing software solutions that help preconstruction teams build better buildings that make the world a better place, we believe that it makes sense for us to contribute to our communities to enhance that impact.
The Beck Tech Cares program is a monthly program in which one employee is nominated every month to pick a charitable organization of their choice to receive a donation from Beck Technology. For March, Connor Ward, Beck Technology National Sales Leader, chose Good Sports. Connor says, “I am choosing this group because I believe it is super important for all kids to have access to sports and to have the opportunity to be active. The earlier kids get into sports, the earlier they learn structure, teamwork, being goal-oriented, and how to compete. My hope is that through Good Sports, we can help keep a kiddo’s dream alive of playing sports at the next level.”
