Photograph of young women running on a track outside while one girl is blindfolded and attempting to pass a baton to the girl who is not blindfolded
LA28’s Commitment to Investing and Expanding Access to Youth Sports Across the LA Region Continues Ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games

From soccer pitches to the Los Angeles Marathon starting line, LA28 brought the spirit of the Games directly to communities across LA in early March.

 

Championing Adaptive Sports at the Blind Soccer Pitch Dedication in LA28 Venue City

 

On March 4, in the Venue City of Carson, members of the LA28 team, including Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans, joined the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA), the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks’ PlayLA Youth and Adaptive Youth Sports Program (PlayLA), LA Galaxy and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) alongside community leaders and athletes, for the second PlayLA Adaptive Blind Soccer Experience and LA Galaxy’s dedication of the first-ever Blind Soccer-specific pitch in the Los Angeles region.

A young girl is kicking a soccer ball while a coach stands behind her supporting her
The event welcomed over 60 PlayLA participants with a visual impairment for a hands-on clinic led by Team USA Blind Soccer national team members and coaches. Participants rotated through skill-building drills and experienced a live scrimmage demonstration, gaining firsthand exposure to a sport that will take center stage in 2028 at Alamitos Beach Stadium.

 

“When Los Angeles hosts its first-ever Paralympic Games in 2028, the world will experience a power far greater than that of a global sporting event,” said Janet Evans, LA28 Chief Athlete Officer. “The Paralympic Games present an opportunity for a global shift in perception towards people with disabilities and will show what’s possible in the pursuit of excellence, regardless of ability. That effort was on display in Carson at the PlayLA event, with students discovering what’s possible through sport, and expanding access today means creating opportunities for the next generation of athletes.”

 

Through PlayLA, funded by LA28 and the International Olympic Committee’s commitment of $160M, kids of all abilities have access to quality and affordable sports programming. The initiative helps remove barriers to participation, providing adaptive sport programming for the first time in City of LA programming, making it possible for more kids to play and participate in sports, regardless of background.

 

Empowering the Next Generation at YMCA Girls Empowerment Day

 

Two days later, LA28 returned to the Venue City of Carson as a key supporter of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles’ Girls Empowerment Day, marking its fifth consecutive year supporting the event.

 

Hosted in celebration of International Women’s Day, the event welcomed more than 5,000 LAUSD middle school and high school female and non-binary students from across the region for a day focused on leadership, confidence and wellness through sport.

A photograph of a young girl laughing and smiling while sitting in a wheelchair on a tennis court
Throughout the day, participants joined various sports clinics and heard from industry professionals, including Olympian Queen Harrison Claye, who encouraged them to pursue their goals both on and off the field. At the close of the event, LA28 team members distributed the Gift of Sport, which included Nike apparel and shoes, ensuring that proper gear and equipment is never a barrier to participation.

Supporting 4,000+ Students at the Los Angeles Marathon

 

As thousands of runners lined up at the starting line at Dodgers Stadium for the 41st Los Angeles Marathon yesterday, over 4,000 middle and high school students from the Students Run LA (SRLA) program wore Nike uniforms provided by LA28’s Gift of Sport initiative. LA28 has supported SRLA students with uniforms in previous years and has continued to ensure every student could take the starting line with confidence and finish the race with pride after months of preparation and dedication.

 

Through training, mentorship and goal setting, SRLA equips students from underserved communities across Los Angeles County with far more than endurance. The program builds confidence, resilience and a belief in what’s possible, values that mirror those of the Games.

 

Building Toward 2028

 

As Los Angeles prepares to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic Games, LA28 continues to invest and expand access to youth sports across the region, impacting thousands of young athletes, with the help of community partners. Learn more about LA28’s commitment to youth sports here.