Nike’s Commitment to Supporting Athletes Continues Beyond the Summer of Sport

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Nike's Commitment to Supporting Athletes Continues Beyond the Summer of Sport

• September 09, 2024
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As a summer of sport comes to a close, Nike is continuing its support for athletes in Paris and beyond through initiatives that harness the power of movement to create a brighter future for all.

Nike is underscoring its commitment to the next generation through its Coach the Dream: Future of Youth Sport Summit, held last week in Paris alongside the Paralympic Games. During the four-day summit at Sport dans la Ville's new campus, co-funded by Nike, the brand brought together 35 partners and more than 70 coaching experts and community leaders to shape the next chapter of inclusive youth sport and coaching.

The summit was born from Nike's foundational belief that all youth deserve allies who understand them and are equipped to coach their dreams - helping them achieve their greatest potential and develop a lifelong love for sport. In this spirit, the brand will apply learnings from the summit to help fund initiatives that aim to foster more inclusive coaching experiences and sport environments for youth across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

"Coaching is Nike's heritage and future, and we know the positive impact coaches have on youth," says Vanessa Garcia-Brito, VP, Chief Impact Officer, NIKE, Inc. "Together with our community partners, we're powering the future of youth sport to improve sport access and experience. The world needs more coaches who reflect the kids and communities they serve, and we're excited to continue investing in this work in Paris and around the world."

In a parallel effort designed to engage girls in sport, Nike and France's National Sports Agency published a playbook through their Team Go Girls initiative, providing organizations across the country helpful guidance to remove barriers to sport that girls face. Incorporating data and learnings from more than 140 digital challenges and 35 weekly community activities organized exclusively for 1,250 girls throughout Paris and nearby Pantin over 10 months, the playbook aims to drive an increase in girls-only programs in roughly 50 French cities beginning this fall.

Meanwhile, Nike is continuing its involvement with the Olympic Refuge Foundation's Paris-based program, Terrains d'Avenir, through a project that offers Paris-area sport clubs training on how to best provide safe experiences for all individuals and increase access to sport for recently arrived refugees. This work is complemented by various initiatives aimed at improving access to sport for displaced girls and young women in the greater Paris area.

Finally, last week, Nike announced a new career program, GameOn, designed to expand and develop the talent pipeline of individuals who pursue careers in sports by providing meaningful work experience for all athletes, including those with disabilities. Athletes selected for the one-year program, which was created with support from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, will engage in a range of professional development to support their career goals at Nike's World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

These efforts, launched or redoubled during the 2024 Games, demonstrate Nike's commitment to creating an equitable and inclusive athletic landscape for individuals of all abilities, backgrounds and aspirations - now and for years to come.