BOSTON — As the school year ends, so does the spring season for youth sports.
Many parents have signed their kids up for summer camps—but those can be expensive. A nonprofit is looking to fill that gap by offering free youth sports programming year-round to kids in Boston.
Eleven-year-old Marques Trammel plays a lot of sports—soccer, basketball, flag football. And it’s all being offered right in his neighborhood.
“I like the community, the chemistry between teammates, and just overall people listening to the coaches,” said Marques Trammel of Boston.
Marques’ godmother, Carla Ganter, is always searching for activities and came across the Volo Kids Foundation on Facebook.
“Unbelievable that they offer these programs for free because, I mean, they supply the shirts and then the food snacks at the end, and the coaches are great,” said Carla Ganter of Boston.
The national nonprofit provides free youth sports programming to nearly 13,000 kids across Boston.
“We want to make it as accessible as possible,” said Hannah Earl, Marketing and Partnerships Director for VOLO Boston. “So it doesn’t matter what the parent’s income is, what gender is, race. We want it to be accessible for everyone and offer sports right in everyone’s backyard.”
And how is this possible? Hannah Earl says Volo offers social sports, like at this location at Assembly Row in Somerville, where adults pay to participate in activities like pickleball, cornhole, and volleyball. Then a portion of that revenue goes toward the nonprofit kids foundation, allowing Volo to run their youth programs completely free.
“It’s to create a safe and welcoming space for kids to come and truly just be kids,” said Earl.
The need is significant. Nearly 60 percent of kids drop out of youth sports by age 11, often due to cost and lack of access, according to Sports and Fitness Industry Association. And Aspen Institute Project Play reports inactive kids report higher levels of anxiety and depression.
“There’s a rise of anxiety and depression and just a feeling of seclusion from other people,” said Earl.
“So we want to make sure that they are able to come week after week, have a safe space to come, be themselves, have mentors that can kind of guide them through really, really hard years of their life, and just have the opportunity to get outside and be active with others.”
As a former college athlete herself, Earl says playing sports develops so many life skills.
“Leadership, communication, teamwork,” said Earl. “You develop confidence and you’re able to take those skills and grow them and develop them throughout your life and eventually use them in jobs and school.”
“I’m learning to be a good person,” said Trammel. “I’m learning to be a good individual to myself, and I respect others’ boundaries.”
And already, Ganter is noticing a difference in Marques.
“He’s learning patience,” said Ganter. “If he doesn’t know how to do something, they make him practice and practice and practice over and over so he can get it down pat.”
Ganter is grateful Marques is staying busy—all while having fun, being outside, and making new friends.
“It’s a good community and good coaches and teammates for all sports,” said Trammel.
Earl says oftentimes the coaches come from the adult program because they love sports and their community. Once they start participating in the adult program, they want to give back. They not only become a coach, but also a mentor to a lot of the kids.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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