About Us

St. Louis Sports Foundation

The St. Louis Sports Foundation, the Sports Commission’s charitable affiliate, implements programs and activities that promote sportsmanship, create positive environments for kids to play sports, and help young people lead healthier, happier lives.

Too often today, kids are turning away from playing sports because of an overemphasis on winning, unrealistic expectations by parents, over-specialization, or simply, sports are no longer fun. These factors put the long-term health of youth sports – and most importantly the health of youths themselves – at risk.

After all, the benefits of participating in sports are numerous, from a decreased risk of obesity to learning lifelong lessons about character and teamwork. Still, 70 percent of youngsters drop out of sports by age 13. The goal of the St. Louis Sports Foundation is to reverse that trend in the St. Louis region.

By informing and inspiring those involved in youth sports, the Sports Foundation seeks to improve the experiences for young athletes. The organization reaches out to coaches, parents, administrators, athletes and fans to make youth sports more enjoyable and to reinforce the values of respect, civility, selflessness and integrity.