Greetings Friends of KIDSPORTS!

KIDSPORTS kicks off its 2011-12 Campaign for KIDS and as we do so, 4,285 kids are currently kicking soccer and footballs on the fields of play throughout the community as part of the KIDSPORTS Fall Sports Program.

The tradition, longevity, and resilience of KIDSPORTS (57^th year in the community!) to provide youth with purposeful, productive, positive and healthy physical activity and valuable team sport experiences, is a tribute to the care, consideration, and generosity of people such as yourselves.

The KIDSPORTS staff, board members, and volunteers, thank you for the significant and valuable support you give to help provide opportunities for "all kids," to play, develop, and have fun! Last year, with your help, KIDSPORTS was able to raise $225,000 and thus, meet the physical and social needs of many deserving youth and families in our community.

Thanks to you, KIDSPORTS accomplished the following with your help:

• · Gave the "gift of play to 4,500+ deserving children by providing $210,000 in scholarship assistance. (In 2010/11 40% of our registrants received scholarship assistance compared to 36% in 2009/10)
• · Introduced in the fall of 2011, the KIDSPORTS Certified Coaches program that includes a mandatory concussion safety awareness video and the PCA (Positive Coaching Alliance) Double Goal Coaching online course for our 1,400 volunteer coaches
• · Received grants from Chambers Family Foundation, Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, Weyerhaeuser Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation,
• · Implemented a new, innovative, and customer friendly web-site and software system that provides coaches, parents, and athletes with information, education, and easy access to registration and organizational procedures and policies.

KIDSPORTS, now more than ever, in the face of sedentary life styles, increasing budget cuts to physical education programs and after school activities, and health challenges associated with childhood obesity, needs your help to continue to provide youth sport activities that are critical to our children's health and well being. Your investment not only gives kids a chance to play, but as importantly, a chance at a better day and a better way in life!

Sincerely,

Bev Smith, Executive Director