Be The Spark
Mission: To help kids from low-income families play competitive sports & gain access to professional coaching by offering scholarships and partnering with youth sports academies & clubs
Vision: A world where every child can achieve their sports dreams, no matter their financial situation.
Why do we need IGNITE?
Most youth sports in the United States have an element of "Pay to Play" where families have to pay significant fees to access professional coaching. This is a huge barrier for many young athletes whose family cannot afford the program & club fees. Sports like Football, Basketball and Track & Field, with reasonably strong high school programs provide athletes a competitive launching pad from which they can reach college or pro levels. But many sports, like Soccer & Baseball, rely on private clubs, academies and leagues that are expensive to operate and receive minimal to no government directed funded. Playing competitively, under the direction of professional coaches can cost between $2,000 and $20,000 per athlete, depending on the sport and travel. This high cost keeps many talented American kids from chasing their dreams, never mind realizing them.
Soccer is a prime example of a sport where outside of the United States, there is a large base of professional & semi-professional clubs providing an environment where low income families with talented players, can gain access more easily to professional coaching.
There are 15.5 professional soccer clubs per 1M youth in the United Kingdom. Compare that to 1.4 professional soccer clubs per 1M youth in the United States (101 clubs over 73M youth) - per FIFA Professional Football Report, March 2023
The other challenge for the United States is geographic expanse. This limited number of professional clubs, distributed across such a large area, compounds the problem.
There are 19.3 professional soccer clubs per 10,000 sq miles in the United Kingdom. Compare that to 0.5 professional soccer clubs per 10,000 sq miles in the United States (101 clubs over 1.85M populated sq miles) - per FIFA Professional Football Report, March 2023
These factors are not going away any time soon for many sports in the US, and have resulted in the need for privately operated academies, clubs, facilities, leagues & tournaments being the only means to access elite development systems in many sports.
The IGNITE Foundation aims to combat this “pay to play” barrier by funding the most deserving, talented youth athletes to access those private academies & club program.
Memberships
Nominate your child
Add your child (at no cost) to our database of talented athletes that are looking for scholarship assistance to join a competitive academy or club, and receive elite coaching for their child.
We will work to connect you with an academy or club in your area in the sport of your choice, and will work with that club to cover the cost of your program fees.
Academies & Clubs, join our Be the Spark Club and be entered into our database of providers of elite coaching that we will work to connect with families in your region, looking for their child to be IGNITED.
Your membership fee helps fuel the fire. We will connect you with local, talented youth athletes registered in our database, and will work with you to cover their program costs.
Join our network
Be the Spark
Donate
Be the Spark Donate
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Every spark counts! This level helps ignite the passion for sports in these young athletes of low income families.
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Your contribution fuels the flames that drive for competition and teamwork among young athletes.
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A blazing commitment that deeply impacts youth development and sports access.
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Your generosity creates an inferno of opportunities, empowering kids to shine brightly in sports.
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As a Champion Donor, you lead the change in transforming lives through sports and fostering a brighter future. We will work with you to cover the full program costs of a youth athlete of your choosing.
Support our mission by
contributing today.
OUR FINANCIAL COMMITMENT
IGNITE Foundation is committed to maximize the impact of every donation by focusing on programmatic efficiency and strategic decision making. We do not chase an arbitrary 'low overhead' percentage, which can undermine long-term success. Instead, we invest in the organizational capacity - including skilled staff, effective technology, and robust financial controls—that allows us to deliver measurable, high-impact outcomes for the youth we serve. Our ultimate goal is not to spend the least on administration, but to ensure each dollar spent, regardless of category, generates the greatest possible return in positive impact for these young athletes.
We will publish an annual Impact Report that transparently details our financial performance, including a Statement of Expenses. This report will categorize all spending into scholarships, management, general expenses, and fundraising.
