Why We Care
According to USA Today (Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, USA Today Survey, Verified 1-26-2012), over 35 million children participate in youth sports in the United States every year. 66% (23.1 million) are part of organized play. The logistical costs of children participating in organized teams rise with the increasing skill level of student athlete and the maintenance associated with the sport. Today, the expectations are increased in every given sport. In youth sports, top echelon teams require greater academic achievement, greater talent, as well as physical and mental abilities. The demand is for student athletes to know more and be more capable at an earlier age than just a generation before. To have this requires advanced sport training and academic support.
Additionally, fees to enroll in supplementary academic tutoring, fees to enhance academic performance to participate in advanced international athletic opportunities and fees to train in facilities which focus on youth sports costs thousands of dollars per child. Many families cannot afford these fees causing many children to not get this opportunity.
Igor Ibaka Foundation understands that underprivileged student athletes often fall through the cracks where parents must make hard financial choices between survival or the future development of their children. IIF works to eliminate financial hardship as a barrier to the development of children.
Through IIF, young student athletes can demonstrate how meaningful athletics is to their development while helping children achieve their personal life goals.
IIF Scholarships provide proper academic support, training with the top coaches in the local area, or annual fees to play on local advance teams. Scholarship recipients can be with similar, like-minded parents and student athletes to share experiences and opportunities as a community.
Most importantly, IIF wants to enforce academic excellence in its scholarship recipients. Like sports, academics is competitive. IIF believes student athletes should not be forced to take lesser academic challenges but accept all challenges. IIF wants to ensure student athletes will focus on their future and that education is critical to winning in sports and in life.