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Empowering Chicago's Youth through Sport: A Comprehensive Outreach Plan

Micheaux Hollingsworth

SMGT 504

Liberty University

September 29, 2024

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Table of Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3

Mission and Vision …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4

Target Population……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4

Program Activities ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

Evangelism and Discipleship……………………………………………………………………………………………..7

Facility and Equipment Needs……………………………………………………………………………………………8

Staffing and Volunteers …………………………………………………………………………………………………….9

Funding and Sustainability ………………………………………………………………………………………………11

Evaluation and Feedback…………………………………………………………………………………………………11

Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….12

References……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13

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Introduction

The Sports Outreach Plan aims to improve the general health welfare of socially deprived

children in inner-city schools in Chicago. The poor youths potentially may live in poverty; they

can experience and become victims of crime, and they are likely to have poor education. That is

why they are more prone to developing negative aspects and have few constructive experiences

to improve their experience (Powers et al., 2020). Since we shall be organizing structured sports

programs that will ensure their energy is well channeled towards the right activities, we believe

that the following will be of immense benefit: By engaging in an organized form of sporting

Activities, these youths can learn the importance of regular exercise, discipline among their peers

as well as the team.

Apart from the physical side, our program's mantra embraces nurturing strong

environments that give participants the competencies they need on the field and in daily life.

Hence, while we know that growth goes beyond physical development, we also want to help

these children in areas of mental and spiritual development (Ravich, 2024). We will endeavour to

add positive adult role models and supporting influences in the youth's lives by expanding our

current and future programs of mentorship, educational workshops, and spiritual development

fostered through athletic ministries for the development of the youth. The assessment for this

entire plan has been made after receiving valuable opinions and advice from peers and

instructors such that it best suits the requirements of the target group, at the same time as not

straying far from the general mission of the organization and the goal of providing positive

change in the lives of at-risk youths.

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Mission and Vision

Our mission is simple: to make sports organized among adolescents involving the less

privileged to improve their outer and inner appearance (Kochanek & Erickson, 2021). In our

opinion, one of how sports are beneficial is that they teach cooperation, organization, and

management, all of which are the keys to effective operation in any human pursuit. That is why

we want to offer an opportunity for each child to become happy no matter what his/her origin is.

The idea of this kind of outreach is to create a welcoming atmosphere where youths will

work as athletes and, at the same time, become successful students and unique individuals. We

desire to ensure that every person in the system feels wanted and can work to their full potential

(Waller et al., 2023). Thus, our long-term developmental objective is to assist these youth to

become responsible and healthy ones who will be good citizens and assets in future society.

Target Population

Its participants are at-risk youths between the ages of 12 and 18 living in the inner-city

area of Chicago. These areas have several billions of people in extreme poverty and problems

such as high crime rates and abounding social vices; many youths grow up with bad role models

and few opportunities that can help them become successful. Many of these children grow up in

families with low incomes, and everyday problems become essential; educational supplies and

recreational facilities could also be a problem (Deane et al., 2020). Some of these youth grow up

in areas where they frequently interact with criminals and drug addicts, and violence tends to be

prevalent. Many of them frequently have no positive examples at home to emulate or even no

stable structure to fall back on. They are also more inclined to negative influences for roles and

be part of the wrong side of the track that would count them to poor quality lives.

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The targeted clients are youths in this category, and through our program, we seek to

offer them a better chance and/or future. In a structured manner meant for sporting activity, we

want to familiarize them with self-discipline, leadership, and handling team responsibilities. This

is where the importance of sporting activities goes a notch higher from being just bodily

exercises or exercises for limbs – it becomes perhaps the best way through which children gain

confidence in themselves as well as middle ear resilience as well and acquire relevant life skills

(Powers et al., 2020). It will also target giving such young people mentorship and a variety of

education workshops so that many of these youths will be in a position to benefit from these

educational materials to make their future better. Frankly speaking, we believe that these kids

need a guide — a person who could explain to them what is better to do and where to fit in.

The primary areas of our focus are the inner city of Chicago, with an emphasis on

reaching out to children who are disadvantaged in terms of other recreational facilities and safe

playgrounds. These communities suffer greatly from economic and social inequalities; finding

positive ways to channel youth energy is by no means easy (Gill, 2021). Since there are no safe

recreational programs available, many youths are taking risks, and this can engage them in gang

involvement and substance abuse.

Program Activities

The key elements of the outreach plan are oriented toward the provision of a wide

spectrum of sports facilities, which would help to attract and involve youth. The types of sports

we have are soccer, basketball, track & field, and fitness boot camps (Weldon et al., 2022). The

choices of these activities are, therefore, very selective, not only in such a way that they enhance

health and well-being but also in such a way that the children learn certain values in their lives,

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including teamwork work, discipline, leadership, and perseverance. They also become formal

structures through which we are able to prevent the young person from engaging in negative

things. Instead, we offer him or her practice and/or develop skills in some particular activities.

All the sports offered in our programs are designed for anyone interested in participating,

regardless of their level of play. No matter if you start as a complete beginner or you want to

become a pro, we give a chance to every single person to enhance his/her motor coordination,

become more confident, and learn the most important skills to succeed in society (Zarrett et al.,

2020). Practical meetings will be held two times a week; each meeting will be based on the

selected topics, which are teamwork, discipline leadership, etc. Such themes are meant for

participants’ personal growth not only in sports terms but also as individuals worthy of

producing societies ready for life challenges.

In order not to mix ability levels, we have grouped the sports programs with attention to

the age groups to ensure that each individual competes according to his or her ability level.

Usually, children ranging from 6 to 10 years of age will pay primary attention to learning

fundamental motor skills in sports and general body fitness (de la Rubia et al., 2020). I consider

these first few sessions to lay the foundation that makes students enter the class willing and eager

to play ball when required to do physical performances. The older camp participants, from the

age of 11 to 18, are to be trained on other aspects that include strategy and specialized training

on leadership as well as teamwork (Linver et al., 2023). At this level, the concentration is to

develop athletic skills as well as for the children to have an understanding of the group and

leadership.

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These sessions shall be escorted by volunteer coaches who have adequate skills in sports

and, most importantly, have worked with youth. In addition to being instructors, they also will

act as mentors to teach participants proper practice, teamwork, and problem-solving and to

encourage and counsel them on personal development (Fawver et al., 2020). These coaches will

assist in imputing positive values such as determination, courtesy, and partnership; it will be

understood that lessons learned on the playing field are not limited to the field alone.

The soft skills training will include state-of-the-art affairs like setting goals, working time

management, and efficient interpersonal communication. The above skills are not only facetious

for one to perform well in sports but also for one to perform well in school, work, and life

(Volkova et al., 2022). Through this package of exercise and academic assistance, the

participants are kept in shape, and the hope is to keep them fit throughout their lifetime

regardless of whether they take up sports as a career or not. We work to equip every person to

complete the program with all the appropriate skills necessary for life and football.

Travel Planning: On issues of transport, we shall make proper arrangements to transport

the participants from the sporting activities; we will not allow any participant to be locked out on

the grounds of transport issues (Bjerkan & Øvstedal, 2020). Local transport companies should be

involved in arranging or even providing our participants with low-cost or free transport.

Evangelism and Discipleship

Participants’ spiritual needs are as useful in our meetings as any of their other aspects.

Our program includes an evangelistic model and discipline concerning physical and mental

development due to sporting activities (Lloyd, 2021). Before each of the performances, the

children and youths will conduct a devotion and prayer session while stressing character and

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faith. The next idea is to stage a faith-based sports clinic, where an athlete shares his/her

testimony on how faith influences sport. These actual stories will be used as a demonstration to

the participants so that they can be reminded of how sports and faith are a means to developing a

strong and steadfast heart.

Discipleship entails the formation of a strong relationship between the student and a

mentor. Senior and knowledgeable tutors will facilitate small group discussions with

participants, ensure resources in matters to do with spiritual direction and ensure that moral

values in the youth are enhanced (Shetter, 2021). There will also be weekly Bible study meetings

so that people can actively mine the truth from the spiritual texts and relate them to their lives.

Besides the spiritual interpretation, the program will contain service activities such as charity

events organization. These activities will help the participants become responsible and

compassionate to everybody within the society.

Facility and Equipment Needs

The equipment and facilities that are required to help the client in achieving its success

outcomes are keys to the success of our program. A bulk of our activities have been conducted in

community centres, schools, and parks following successful engagements with owners of these

facilities (Townsend & Gershon, 2020). Football and athletics will take place in local parks,

while fitness classes and educational sessions will take place in community halls or school

basketball courts.

To reduce cases of spoiled samples and ensure the safety of participants, we have made

some modifications, mostly relating to the choice of facilities, by ensuring that they are located

as close to the participants' neighbourhoods as possible (Annaratone et al., 2021). They are also

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well provided to meet any demanding requirements that the sports activities might need, and we

have provided adequate facilities for any extra facilities that would be needed; as for the safety

measures, basic sportswear, wearables, shoes, and protection gear will be provided for the team

to wear in the course of the activities. All the participants should have suitable appliances, and it

is crucial to guarantee all of them are safe and comfortable.

Staffing and Volunteers

It is also the staff and volunteers involved that are the life of our Sports Outreach Plan,

with them being involved in the achievement of the organization's daily goals and endeavours

that comprise the working of our Sports Outreach Plan. A core working group will be constituted

of the following positions, which are crucial to the functioning of the program (Weinstein, 2021).

The head of the program is known as the Executive Director, whose main duties entail the

overall coordination of the program and its conformity to the overall established vision and

mission statement. The Executive Director will also be responsible for managerial leadership and

defining an overall vision for the program to ensure that all the parts of the program work

cohesively to pursue our mission of youth development and youth Empowerment.

The program manager supervises and coordinates sports activities and assists the

executive director in the general management of the organization. This post is specifically very

important in making certain that all activities, such as occasions, training, and other related

activities, happen seamlessly (Ingigi, 2022). Scheduling for our Program, coordination of sports

facility to ensure the effective implementation of the Program, and communication with

participants to ensure a successful outreach. They will also ensure that the coaches and trainers

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coordinate with them correctly to confirm that all the sessions they each conduct use the correct

facility and can address any participant issues arising from handling normal class deliveries.

The volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, in particular, is responsible for the primary

human capital management to ensure that the outreach will reach its target new audiences in a

highly resourced volunteer team. Since volunteers will be involved as coaches, mentors, and

trainers in the educational workshops, a robust coordinator is required to ensure adequate

qualified people to support the programs’ objectives are available (Maisog, 2023). This

professional will also need to arrange the training sessions for the volunteers because they should

know about their responsibilities in terms of teaching children about physical exercise, helping

players find mentors or coaching practices.

Last but not least, the Community Outreach Coordinator will manage contacts and build

contacts with schools, other organizations, and sponsors. This position is vital for developing and

maintaining the relationships that will enable our program to succeed. In the outreach program,

the Community Outreach Coordinator will need to build the relationship of the program with

other entities in the community by sourcing materials for the outreach program with other

entities in the community. Volunteers will play a central role in the implementation of our

program. (Mayger & Hochbein, 2021) As trainers Copyright 2010 CCM, the participants'

coaches, mentors, and workshop leaders embody the importance of not only the participants

developing as athletes but as well-rounded people. Due to this, we aim to recruit volunteers who

have an interest in sports, youth, and community services. This will help us in getting those who

will agree to practice what we have stood for as a program and also those who have the heart to

transform the lives of at-risk youths (Kindred, 2022).

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To this end, Immanuel Baptist will organize extra training and development sessions to

substantiate the training requirements of participants, who will help with learners' support and

program delivery. Their efforts will be invaluable in creating growth, learning, and positive

change for the improvement of the youths in our program.

Funding and Sustainability

Consequently, there is a need to have other forms of funding to sustain the program in the

future. We think of making an approach to the local, state, and national organizations for youth

development grants. Also, to raise funds, we will involve the local people in occasional charity

sports activities as well as charity galas. These events will not only generate money but also

create awareness among the masses about the program (Moallemi et al.,2020). We also plan to

negotiate with corporate sponsorships from companies within our area. Most businesses place

initiatives to give back to society, and I think that is why most businesses are willing to support

programs like ours. By having a large number of funding opportunities, we intend to build a

structure for long-term funding of the program that can continue to gain more and more

participants.

Evaluation and Feedback

This, of course, suggests that evaluation is a critical component of the sustainability of

the Sport Outreach Plan. It will be our responsibility to evaluate the impact of the implemented

programs on the participants, parents, and volunteers. These assessments will be directed at the

effectiveness of achieving the program objectives whilst fostering physical fitness, as well as

mental health and the general personality traits of the users (Milne-Ives et al., 2020). By so

doing, we shall monitor the progressive advancement of each individual in terms of their

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sporting activities and character development. This ranges from their academic prowess and

observed leadership qualities. We will also review spiritual change among the participants,

seeking to understand the outcome of the Bible study sessions and mentors.

This will also benefit the participants because the feedback obtained will enable us to

make necessary amendments to help the participants. This way, the program is always

effectively receptive to and adapted to the needs of its stakeholders.

Conclusion

The Sports Outreach Plan is the social justice vision of how the lives of underprivileged

youth in Chicago can be changed for the better. We hope and believe that by enlightening them

through physical exercises, coming from good role models, education, and counselling from

relevant religious organizations, then we will have given these young people all the necessary

ways to lead a productive life. Such structured programs will help them become responsible

citizens, thus increasing their productivity in society (Ferman, 2021). This plan is founded on

collaborative partnerships with the community, staff, and volunteers, as well as sound funding

strategies. Effective engagement with our participants through feedback from peers and

instructors, we have developed an elaborate but flexible outreach plan. We are directly

committed to making measurable and lasting changes for the youths in Chicago and transforming

them into responsible, responsible, and responsible young adults.

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Bjerkan, K. Y., & Øvstedal, L. R. (2020). Functional requirements for inclusive

transport. Transportation, 47(3), 1177-1198. https://sintef.brage.unit.no/sintef-

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de la Rubia, A., Lorenzo-Calvo, J., & Lorenzo, A. (2020). Does the relative age effect influence

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