Greater Youth Sports Association (GYSA), the leader in after-school, elementary sports programming in Southern Nevada, is pleased to announce that Southern Nevada Health District has officially signed on to sponsor 80 low-income children to participate in the GYSA Ball & A Plan program.

The Ball & A Plan program is a deviation from GYSA’s regular programming in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program, which includes three sports seasons (soccer, basketball and football) will provide enrolled children with a GYSA custom sports ball and access to the Virtual Sports Academy which includes weekly sports instruction, weekly Social Emotional lessons and a character development workshop. Children will also have the opportunity to participate in the end of season Jamboree, which allows them to put their skills to the test in safe environment.

CCSD is currently facing $38 million in budget cuts, which means many schools have been forced to make tough decisions when it comes to cutting programs that provide extra support for their children. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has created less access than usual when it comes to extracurricular programming. SNHD’s donation will help ensure that GYSA is able to continue to serve children across Clark County despite budget cuts and the implications of COVID.

“We are so grateful to have received this donation which will help us provide much needed support to our children who are facing even more barriers than usual due to the challenging times we are currently facing in our Nation”, said GYSA Founder, Devonte Woodson.

The Health District works to assess, protect, and promote the health, the environment, and the well-being of Southern Nevada communities, residents, and visitors. Their donation to GYSA aligns perfectly with this mission and reinforces SNHD’s commitment to their community.

Nicole Bungum, Supervisor of the Office of Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion at SNHD explained, “One of our goals at the Health District is to increase the number of youth who are physically active and to ensure that everyone has access to safe, affordable opportunities for physical activity. We are pleased to support the work of Greater Youth Sports through our Move Your Way – Youth Initiative. Greater Youth Sports provides opportunities for youth to be physically active, especially youth who might not otherwise have opportunities to participate in sports. Their programs stress not only the importance of sport and physical activity but also character and education as well”. While our Nation continues to face a myriad of challenges it is actions like these that will help improve our community’s health, well-being, and future!