ESPN and Disney Jr. Celebrate Two Years of Impact During Youth Sports Week

With National Youth Sports Week taking place Oct. 5-11, ESPN and Disney Jr. are spotlighting a simple but powerful truth: when young kids gain access to sports, it creates a deep impact, helping them experience the joy of play while learning teamwork, confidence, and sportsmanship.

What Is ESPN’s Take Back Sports Powered by Disney Jr. Let’s Play!?

Now in its second year, ESPN’s Take Back Sports powered by “Disney Jr. Let’s Play!” is helping children ages 3-7 get in the game through a collaboration with national nonprofit Every Kid Sports to help families cover the cost of expensive sports registration fees. To date, more than 2,400 grants have been awarded to families with young Preschool and Kindergarten-aged kids across the country to participate across 26 different sports — with nearly half of the families reporting it was their child’s first time playing a sport. The youth sports initiative led by ESPN and Disney Jr. also hosts Let’s Play Sports clinics which give kids an opportunity to play and introduce them to sports like flag football, soccer, t-ball, gymnastics and basketball without their families having to worry about paying for any expenses.

Breaking Down Barriers to Youth Sports Access 

With the cost of youth sports up 46% since 2019*, the campaign is intended to help more young children participate in sports programs and enjoy the benefits and important life lessons that come from playing sports ESPN and Disney Jr. also recognize that often the first step for families getting their kids into sports is simply knowing where and how to sign up. The sports clinics give families a direct connection to the local resources and organizations in their community, while also introducing kids to sports in a fun and welcoming environment. 

Let’s Play Sports Clinics Expand to Four New Cities 

Building on last year’s inaugural sports clinic in Los Angeles, ESPN and Disney Jr. teamed up with local ABC stations — KGO, WLS,  KFSN and KABC — to expand the clinics into four new cities — Oakland, Chicago, Fresno, and Fontana. Hundreds of kids and families have now attended the free sports clinics to date, connecting them to local sports resources spanning a wide variety of sports including flag football, baseball, soccer and gymnastics.

Mickey Mouse Surprises Young Athletes

At each clinic, the young athletes were surprised with a special appearance from the one and only Mickey Mouse, who helped kick off the day with the iconic “Hot Dog!” dance from Disney Jr.’s hit series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ before encouraging them to get on the field and play. Community organizations including the Chicago Park District, City of Oakland Parks, Recreation and Youth Development, Empire Strykers, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central California, High Performance Academy and Steph and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, offered families information about youth sports programs in their local communities and resources to help keep kids active and healthy.   

Together, the clinics and grants helped make access more tangible for families — connecting them to places to play and helping reduce the financial barriers that can keep kids from getting in the game.