ShareWaves is a public charity registered as a 501c3. We harness the transformative "power of sports" to build better humans. We believe in providing children in under-resourced communities with high-quality experiences that promote a holistic encounter with physical activity, exercise, and sports. For the past five years, we've been working hard to identify and remove the barriers that prevent under-resourced households from participating in sports. OUR MISSION: Advance the opportunity for every child to experience the life-enriching "power of sports. OUR VISION: A community where every child has equitable access to physical activity, exercise, and high-quality sports engagement. THE PROBLEM: Kids Are Dropping Out of Sports: • The average child quits by age 11. • 70% of children stop playing organized sports before age 13. • Girls quit at twice the rate of boys by the time they turn 14. • 49% of children between 6 and 17 did not participate in sports. There is an Adolescent in Mental Health Crisis: • 42% of students felt persistently sad or hopeless. • 22% of students seriously considered suicide. • 10% attempted suicide. • Sports participation reduces suicidal ideation, particularly among girls. • Childhood obesity rate at 12.8% Other Factors That Contribute to the Problem: • High cost of participation • Inadequate funding • Lack of equipment • Unqualified coaching • Degraded facilities • Early specialization • Overemphasis on competition Barriers to Sports Participation: Barriers to sports participation can be categorized into three main groups: time, cost, and access. SPORTS PARTICIPATION IS A PROVEN ANSWER Participating in sports has positively impacted academic performance, graduation rates, and college enrollment.