Gatorade and Hudl Announce Recipients of Level the Playing Field Youth Sports Grant
Lincoln, NE (April 2022) - After reviewing dozens of applications from across the U.S., Gatorade and Hudl have announced the 2022 Level the Playing Field grant recipients, which include: Girls Leading Girls (Calif.), NorthStar Foundation (Neb.) and Kinetic Kids (Texas).
“We were blown away by the thoughtfulness and commitment from so many different organizations that applied during this grant cycle. It’s rewarding to learn how each organization is impacting youth sports each and every day in so many different ways. It truly made our job tough to narrow down and select this year’s recipients,” said Hudl’s Emma Hulsey, media operations manager and grant program facilitator.
Each of the three organizations will receive three years of access to Hudl’s suite of software and solutions, with the ability to customize it to assist them in reaching their specific goals. The recipients will also be featured in a Hudl original video series, “The Playing Field,” presented by Gatorade, highlighting the selfless mentors who dedicate themselves to lifting up student-athletes in their communities. The series is planned to launch in the fall of 2022.
Girls Leading Girls is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that trains young women in leadership and life skills through soccer. Their programs run year-round, both locally and internationally. They strive to build communities and develop strong women leaders.
"The Level the Playing Field grant is a huge honor for us; with the free Hudl software, we will be able to improve the quality of our programming and help our coaches and athletes develop their soccer skills in a new way,” said Girls Leading Girls CEO and Founder Brianna Russell. “Additionally, being featured in the original video series will help us attract more female coaches and players so we can make a bigger impact on women's sports.”
NorthStar Foundation’s mission is to change young men’s lives through programming that supports, challenges, inspires and instills a life rooted in education, self-discipline and service to the community. NorthStar offers programming in three key areas of focus: academics, adventure and athletics.
“NorthStar is thrilled to have the opportunity to build the capacity for all our sports teams, thanks to the Level the Playing Field grant,” said NorthStar Foundation President Scott Hazelrigg. “The success of NorthStar players on the field is really a metaphor for their success off the field and in life. We are truly pleased to be able to share their stories.”
Kinetic Kids strives to enrich the lives of children with special needs and their families through sports, fine arts and educational programs to foster the development of courage, confidence, fitness, pride, joy and community.
“The generosity of Hudl and Gatorade to look beyond the amazing and highly talented athletes playing traditional sports and see also the adapted athletes training and competing at their highest level is truly inspiring,” said Co-Founder and Executive Director Tracey Fontenot. “Thank you for giving of your time, talent and resources to help organizations like Kinetic Kids elevate what we can do. The platform and opportunities this grant is giving Kinetic Kids to showcase the grassroots but life-changing impact that adaptive sports have on all athletes are amazing!”
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About Hudl
As a global leader in performance analysis technology, Hudl helps more than 200K sports teams—from grassroots to the pros—prepare for and stay ahead of the competition. A complete suite of video and data products ensures coaches have the insights they need and athletes get the shot they deserve. 6M users across 40+ sports use Hudl's best-in-class software, hardware and services, including online coaching tools, mobile and desktop apps, smart cameras, analytics, professional consultation and more. Learn more at hudl.com.
