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Sports Fundraising
Did you know, many of the amazing scholastic opportunities and learning programs that are available to Broward County schools are because of the great fundraising drives held by varying sports-focused organizations? Getting involved with a sport at a young age is a proactive idea when considering your future. Beyond the physical benefit of maintaining your health, you also can get scholarships to attend different universities based on excelling in a sport. It is also important for universities and colleges to see that students are well-rounded applicants, with the ability to work for a common goal in a team setting or maintain a practice which enriches the mind and body. Remember, there are more sports than just basketball, football, or baseball – you may find that you enjoy such uncommon sports as martial arts, kayaking, swimming, cycling, golfing and more! Here are some of the ways in which the sporting industry sponsors this important need.
License Plates
Did you know that anyone with a registered car can purchase a Florida sports license plate? The sale of these special plates helps support youth and amateur athletes through grants. When a tag is sold, a fee between $15-$25 is charged depending upon the license. This money will go either to your team’s designated youth charity, to grants by the Florida Sports Foundation to support sporting events across the state, or to support the Sunshine State Games and other sports development opportunities. In this way, young athletes in turn gain the tools and experience they need to perhaps become professional athletes one day. Even amateurs and other athletes can gain the benefit of becoming more well-rounded individuals.
Here are just a few examples of amateur sporting events that your tag fee dollars support in communities across our state: the AAU Karate National and Taekwondo National Championships, Northwest Track & Field Classic, and the Perfect Game Baseball Championship Series, to name a few. Many times, these sporting events do not draw big dollars, but they still need our support and are important for the community.
Florida Panthers Foundation
Do you like hockey or have you ever been to a Panthers game? Did you know that the Florida Panthers supports a lot of Broward County Schools? Perhaps your school is one of them? The Florida Panthers Foundation was established to benefit the South Florida community by focusing on building the game of hockey for youth, supporting health and education initiatives for children, supporting veterans' issues, and raising awareness about the endangered Florida panther. It is the Florida Panthers hockey team main charitable beneficiary. The Panthers Foundation raises money through various fundraisers and in-game initiatives, including the 50/50 raffle, jersey and memorabilia auctions, "Puck for a Buck", outside events and other opportunities to engage fans in support of the Foundation. Through the Foundation, the Florida Panthers looks to support exemplary South Florida nonprofit organizations that help make a positive impact in the local community. The Community Champions Grant Program allows charitable organizations throughout South Florida to request financial support for programs and initiatives that are benefiting our community. At each of our 41 home games throughout the season, the Foundation will recognize and award one grant for up to $25,000 to a local organization. The foundation also supports 68 Broward schools via the school floorball program. They help provide equipment like nets, sticks, balls, instruction manuals and drill posters to schools along with a teacher-training day where Physical Education teachers learn how to integrate floorball into their PE classes.
United States Tennis Association - USTA Foundation
Are you a tennis enthusiast and would like to earn a tennis scholarship in the near future? Studies have shown that youth who plays tennis are healthier and less prone to risky behaviors like binge drinking and cigarette smoking. To that end, the USTA supports programs nationwide that leverage tennis and education to help those in need, primarily through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. The NJTL network features more than 250 chapters that reach over 160,000 youth on an annual basis, providing free or low-cost tennis and education programming to the 50 largest markets in the U.S. - nurturing future leaders and enabling kids in need to succeed on the court, in the classroom and in life. They raise money to support these life-changing programs through donations and special fundraisers held throughout the year, including the US Open Opening Night Gala and Pro-Am Events, and by connecting with other philanthropic and strategic partners. The USTA efforts are making a difference. To date, they have awarded more than $47 million in program services, grants and scholarships to hundreds of programs, benefitting thousands of children and adults through tennis, education and health curricula.
Other Sports to Consider
There are many other opportunities to participate in sports with organizations that are less known but provide amazing opportunities to young athletes. Do you enjoy being on a bicycle? The Florida Bicycle Racing Association has Junior Talent competitions as well as grants for youth that are active in road racing to mountain-bike racing. The Florida Racing Association is a non-profit with the mission to support and develop amateur cycling in the State of Florida. Broward is unique in that it has one of the few velodromes in the entire nation at the Brian Piccolo Park in Cooper City. A velodrome is an arena for track cycling, constructed at angles almost like an automobile racing track.
If you are a fan of staying indoors and keeping your eye on the ball, another sport to consider is table tennis! Did you know one of the top facilities for table tennis in the entire country is located right in Hollywood? It is called the Broward Table Tennis Club. This facility spans 14,000 square feet and is run by head coach, Terese Terranova. Terranova and her coaches have been developing junior table tennis players for over 40 years. Terranova’s long standing commitment to teaching the sport of table tennis and the success of her South Florida club earned the Broward Table Tennis Club the honor of being a National Center of Excellence. This remarkable table tennis center is also South Florida’s Junior Olympic training facility and has hosted the South Florida US Open warm-up at its facilities. The Broward Table Tennis center is unique because of its commitment to developing junior players exclusively.
One last Florida-friendly sport to consider is golfing! Did you know that Broward County has over 40 golf Courses? Florida is the state with the most golf courses in the entire nation and Broward county is a prime spot for accessing award-winning golf courses for practice. The Junior Golf Association of Broward County teaches participants the rules and etiquette of golf, good sportsmanship, and supports lasting friendships. Many former students have gone on to attend college on golf scholarships, or even gone into the professional ranks. The Association provides scholarships to students through their fundraising initiatives as well.
Career Corner!
Public Administration: Flexibility is important for success in the public service sector. Public administrators should be ready to shift jobs when opportunities arise. A career in public administration may involve fundraising activities for a nonprofit organization. Public administrators use effective techniques while maintaining ethical standards of honesty, integrity, empathy, respect and transparency in executing the fundraising role for their organizations. They must answer to the public, their organization leaders, and donors. They must also comply with fundraising laws and regulations.
Sports Management: Jobs in Sports Management focuses on the business side of sports and recreation, including facility management, promotions and marketing, and event management. Those interested in sports management need to have skills in areas like financial management, sports administration, fundraising, public relations, and/or accounting.
Sports managers are professionals who may work a wide range of jobs; all of them aim to help a sports organization by promoting its interests and ensuring profitability. These managers are needed at every level of sport, from amateur leagues and high schools to professional teams. Sports managers usually work in an office setting but may need to travel for events and/or work extended hours or 7-day work weeks during an athletic season.