GameChanger 
Stay and Play Champions Program

Johnathan is a Special Olympics athlete, captain of his Unified Flag Football team, Special Olympics Basketball team, Special Olympics Floorball, and Unified Track and Field Team. He has attended the Special Olympics Youth Leadership Summit in Pittsburgh and has earned numerous gold medals from Special Olympics for being a leader both on and off the field. He has a passion for promoting inclusion for athletes of all abilities and is eager to put on clinics to increase access for peers in his community.

The mission of Special Olympics PA is to provide year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.

Sydney is a competitive athlete and member of Athletes for Hope’s High School Leadership Academy. Two years ago she co-founded a nonprofit organization called Pass with Purpose. This organization holds collection drives for gently used soccer uniforms from youth soccer clubs in the U.S. to donate to children worldwide. Pass with Purpose recently donated more than 1,000 jerseys and shorts as well as hundreds of pairs of socks to children living in impoverished areas of Zambia. Sydney is passionate about helping kids gain equitable access to sports and promoting play persistence. As a GameChanger Stay and Play Champion, she would like to host soccer clinics in her community to provide equipment and training to under-resourced youth.

Athletes for Hope (AFH) aims to educate, encourage, and assist athletes in their efforts to engage with community and charitable causes, to increase public awareness of and support for those efforts, and to inspire others to do the same. AFH empowers professional, Olympic, Paralympic, collegiate, and high school athletes to channel their energy for a common goal: to make the world a better place.

A multi-sport athlete who enjoys basketball, baseball, and track, among others, Kingston is also an active member of the Meskwaki Nation. From a young age, he has enjoyed sharing new activities with his community. He leads by example, stepping out of his comfort zone to create pathways for others to follow. As a GameChanger Stay and Play Champion, Kingston is excited about the prospect of running basketball tournaments at the new recreation center on his settlement.

Indigenous H.O.O.P.S. League’s mission is to change lives and pathways and to garner exposure in pursuit of education while playing the game that our communities find solace, love, family, and healing in. With unique backgrounds, stories, and locations, we provide our youth with a platform to showcase their talent.

Kingston plays in the Rise basketball league, is a member of the Rise business program, and volunteers at his school with S.M.I.L.E., a student involvement program. He exemplifies the qualities of a leader both on and off the court and won an AAU “most kind hearted" award for his efforts at lifting others’ spirits. Kingston’s passion is centered around empowering those in his community through sports and providing resources for those around him to thrive in their ambitions. In the future, he wants to go to college and start a career in the tech industry. As a GameChanger Stay and Play Champion, Kingston sees the opportunity to bring the community together to collaborate, regardless of age or activity.

Rise League’s mission is to provide young people with the skills, knowledge, and resources they need to succeed in business and sports.

Maegha is the founder of Girls4Sports, a youth-led organization dedicated to expanding sports opportunities for girls in underserved communities so that the benefits of athletics can be accessible to all. Girls4Sports provides young women with safe spaces to practice, breaks down barriers obstructing their access to sports, and fosters inclusivity and equity in athletics. Maegha believes in the power of youth as changemakers and looks forward to continuing to expand her work with Girls4Sports and reaching more young athletes as a GameChanger Stay and Play Champion.

The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. WSF is an ally, an advocate, and a catalyst. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, they are one of the first organizations to recognize the powerful connection between sports access, equity, and society. WSF has been changing the game for 50 years through its research, advocacy, and community programming, investing over $100 million to help girls and women play, compete, and lead – in sports and beyond – without barriers. A leader and champion of the entire women’s sports ecosystem, WSF amplifies the vital societal and cultural impact that is made when girls and women play sports. All girls. All women. All sports®. To learn more about the Women’s Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.