HOUSTON — Every Kid Sports, a national nonprofit, is offering grants for fall youth sports registration fees to income-restricted families in the Houston area. This initiative is in partnership with ESPN's Take Back Sports and Disney Jr. Let's Play!.

The grants aim to provide financial assistance for children from income-restricted families. The partnership specifically focuses on assisting families with preschoolers and young children. Meagan Sweeney, a Deer Park resident, confirmed that her daughter Lorelei, 7, qualified for one of these scholarships. Sweeney stated, "The director of Storm, Eric Kimmel, sent me a link to the scholarship." She added, "I filled it out, not expecting much, and we do happen to qualify."

Lorelei Sweeney plays for HTX Storm, an all-girls hockey association in Houston, and has been a member since age five. Lorelei was diagnosed with ADHD around age five. Sweeney noted, "A lot of ADHD kids need heavy, fast movement and things to do to really help control all the impulsive urges, and Hockey has a lot of that." Lorelei Sweeney added, "Oh, yes, we love hockey."

Families can spend up to $1,000 during one ice hockey season. The Aspen Institute's Project Play indicates that youth ages 6-18 from low-income homes discontinue sports participation at six times the rate of children from high-income homes. Disney is the parent company of Disney Jr., ESPN, and ABC13.

Why It Matters

The program addresses the financial barrier for families seeking youth sports opportunities, a factor identified by the Aspen Institute's Project Play as contributing to lower participation rates among children from low-income households. By covering registration fees, the grants from Every Kid Sports, ESPN's Take Back Sports, and Disney Jr. Let's Play! directly support continued engagement in sports for young children in the Houston area.