Gasol Foundation US has been awarded a $15,000 matching grant from the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation to help fund its Galactic Sports program for girls at Salazar Park in East Los Angeles, California.
“We are thankful to the National Basketball Players Association Foundation for their support,” said Gasol Foundation US Executive Director Hector De La Torre. “With these funds, Gasol Foundation US will use basic sports skills and physical activity as a vehicle to promote girls’ child development and healthy lifestyle choices in an underserved community in East Los Angeles. Galactic Sports aims to empower girls to develop healthy habits at a formative time in their lives.”
The program at Salazar Park will support middle school girls by exposing them to a variety of sports skills and aims to inspire a life-long passion for physical activity and sports. Sports can be a significant financial burden for low-income families, limiting access. Moreover, reflecting other gender disparities in sports, girls’ sports are not funded equally or even available in certain communities. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls drop out of sports at double the rate of boys by age 14.
