CHAMPS Boston

CHAMPS (Coaches Helping Athletes through Mentoring and Positive Sports) aims to ensure that every child in Boston has access to high quality athletic opportunities beyond school hours. CHAMPS is focused on training all youth coaches to understand the fundamentals of youth development through sports. In addition to offering increased sports activities, CHAMPS also provides resources for new equipment and safe and clean fields.

With the overarching goal of making Boston a national leader in youth sports, the Boston Foundation has committed $2 million over four years to CHAMPS. Since its pilot program in 2009, CHAMPS has trained 2,500 coaches in youth development and reached some 70,000 kids in Greater Boston. CHAMPS also has helped to secure tens of thousands of dollars in athletic equipment and field and site improvements.

CHAMPS also is partnering with Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics and his Truth on Health program for the Million Hour Challenge, which has the goal of getting thousands of Massachusetts children to do more than a million collective hours of exercise in 2012.

With more than 30 percent of Massachusetts children either overweight or obese—and rates even higher for low-income inner-city children—we believe that physical activity and healthy eating are crucial for laying the groundwork for a healthy future for our young people. Success in reducing childhood obesity and increasing physical activity is being tracked by our Healthy People/Healthy Economy Coalition and the Boston Indicators Project.

Call 617-338-1700 or visit CHAMPS Boston for more information.

Contribute to CHAMPS Boston.