Spokane youth sports receive funding to offer equal opportunities for all children

SPOKANE, Wash. — The City of Spokane awarded grants to five youth sports organizations for youth sports programs.

The city council voted unanimously Thursday to give If You Could Just Save One, Spokane Eastside Reunion Association, 90+ Project, YMCA of the Inland Northwest and Union Futbol $50,000 each from American Rescue Plan funds.

There are many mental, physical and social benefits that come from playing youth sports. The organizations that received funding want to make sure these benefits are available to all kids.

“It helps them with their confidence learning to work as a team,” said Natalie Barton, the head coach for United Futbol Club. “A big thing we work on is making sure that they know that you’re not always going to win a game but that it is okay to lose.”

United Futbol Club is one of the grant recipients. It is a soccer club for low income families and provides the same resources and competition level as other club soccer teams.

“We try to focus on having really well structured training and really focus on team mentality and making sure that they know that it is a competitive level,” Barton said.

Barton said the grant will go toward a variety of things for the club.

“A lot of the funding is going to go towards things like equipment. Part of what we try to do to help our players is not just cover things like registration fees for the league but we also cover their uniforms, both game and practice uniforms,” Barton said.

Union Futbol Club coaches kids ages 6 to 13. Barton said making sure kids have access to sports at this time in their life is extremely important.

The YMCA is also giving more children a chance to make long lasting memories for kids who may not otherwise have the chance.

“We look to level that playing field where the opportunity to scholarship kids who might not be able to have access to those programs now do,” said Patrick Bryant, the multibranch executive for Central and South Spokane YMCAs.

Bryant said the funds will go toward a multitude of programs at the YMCA.

“It will support our recreational sports leagues, clinics that we offer in our branches as well as our programs like our player-to-player where we provide scholarships to neighborhoods in need,” Bryant said.