NEW YORK CITY (May 8th, 2024) – Up2Us Sports, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to mentoring youth through coaching and sports, welcomed leaders from the sports, finance, and entertainment world to its 2024 Sneaker Ball on Wednesday, May 8th. The inspiring event was held at Guastavino’s in Manhattan. The funds raised will go towards training coaches in sports-based youth development and placing them in under-resourced communities.  ESPN's Sarah Spain, a renowned sports journalist, and the evening's emcee, led an impressive program honoring individuals who have made signific ..read more

Last month, it was announced that Up2Us Sports was one of 18 organizations awarded a grant from the LA84 Foundation. The grant aims to bolster play equity initiatives, benefiting over 64,000 young athletes across five Southern California counties. This initiative aligns with the LA84 Foundation’s ongoing commitment to enhancing youth access to sports and physical activities. “We are thrilled to receive continued funding from the LA84 Foundation to support the growth of our She Changes the Game® initiative in Los Angeles,” said Paul Caccamo, founder and CEO of Up2Us Sports. “We’re working to c ..read more

We are thrilled to annouonce our 2024 Sneaker Ball Emcee - Sarah Spain! Sarah is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning sports journalist who has been a jack of all trades in her 13 years at ESPN, working as a radio and podcast host, television personality, producer and columnist. Join Sarah, along with honorees Zachary Weiner and Danita Johnson, on Wednesday, May 8th. We’re honoring the coaches who are changing the lives of youth through athletics and mentorship and celebrating two exceptional leaders in the sports industry. This will be a night of inspiration and FUN, and an opportunity for guest ..read more

At our 2024 Sneaker Ball on Wednesday, May 8th, we will be honoring Zachary Weiner, CoFounder of Overtime and Danita Johnson, President of Business Operations at D.C. United. Zachary will receive the Innovation Award and Danita will receive the She Changes the Game® Award. Both are being honored for their exemplary leadership in the sports industry. Weiner is the Cofounder of Overtime, the leading brand for the next generation of sports fans, with over 65 million social media fans and followers, driving an average of over 2 billion video views each month. He also co-created OTE (Overtime Elite ..read more

At our 2024 Sneaker Ball, we will be honoring Coach Rory Robinson as our 2024 National Coach of the Year for his exemplary service and commitment to coaching and mentoring students in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Since August 2022, Rory has been making an impact on the youth at Youth Mentoring Partnership by continuously showing up with his passion for coaching, positive energy and love for his community. We are also pleased to announce our 2024 National VISTA of the Year, Bradley Turcios of Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills in Monrovia, California. In just 8 months of service to date, B ..read more

César Chávez Day is a U.S. federal commemorative holiday and official state holiday in California. The holiday celebrates the birth and legacy of the civil rights and labor movement activist César Chávez on March 31 every year, and also intends to promote service to the community in honor of his life and work.  As an AmeriCorps-funded national service program, supported in California by California Volunteers, our LA-based staff and coaches proudly took on special service projects throughout the month of March in honor of César Chávez Day. Below are some highlights from the service project ..read more

Coach Katlyn serves as an Up2Us Sports coach at DC Girls Baseball. For Women's History & Empowerment Month, we asked who or what makes her feel empowered to be a coach and to explain the importance of women in sports breaking barriers and making a difference she wrote the below beautifully articulated response. Even though women have been playing baseball since the 1800s (when the game began), it hasn't even been twenty years since the first woman was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Baseball pioneer Albert Spalding once declared, “Baseball is too strenuous for womankind”, and ass ..read more

In the past year we have all dealt with overwhelming change, in an ever changing world.  However, we have a brave and resilient group of people who have chosen to serve their country. Our AmeriCorps members have been a light in the darkness, paving a path of hope. Each of our members has chosen to serve for different reasons, however their overarching goal has been to give back and put their communities first. Our country is in need of healing, and there are many obstacles to overcome. Despite all of the obstacles happening around them, our AmeriCorps coaches and VISTAs are doing tremend ..read more

The Up2Us Sports Sneaker Ball is our most significant fundraiser of the year, celebrating the remarkable Up2Us Sports coaches and honorees who are advancing mentorship and altering the trajectory of at-risk youth's lives through sports. The evening supports our impactful coaching program, forging paths of resilience and empowerment for our youth.  Join us for a very special evening in celebration of coaches who make a difference in the lives of today's youth. JOIN US Are you media interested in covering the event or red carpet? Email marketing@up2ussports.org. Highlights from our 20 ..read more

While February is officially Black History Month, Up2Us Sports honors and celebrates Black voices all year long. We are proud to be the nation's most diverse AmeriCorps program, with 42% of our coaches and 38% of the youth they serve identifying as African American. Black History Month is an opportunity to pay special tribute to their voices and stories. We asked some coaches to share their thoughts on what Black History Month means to them and why representation in coaching matters. These are their stories. Coach Sierra, Squashsmarts, Philadelphia Why is representation in coaching so importa ..read more