New York Giants Announce Partnership with CT-based inCourage

The New York Giants and inCourage, a national organization devoted to keeping kids playing organized sports, today announced a new partnership that will further their shared commitment to educational programming to help combat declining youth sports participation rates. The partnership is focused on delivering evidence-based solutions to some of the most pervasive problems facing youth sports.

“The New York Giants have a longstanding history of supporting initiatives that improve the lives and well-being of youth, and our partnership with inCourage enables us to expand our relationships in this focus area”, said Allison Stangeby, VP of Community Relations, of the New York Football Giants.

On inCourage.com, a unique mix of academic and creative talent come together to end the pervasive toxic culture that is a destructive force in youth sports, offering real solutions from sports psychologists, athletic directors, educational and media experts. Some of the issues that are addressed are bullying, hazing, parents' increasingly abusive and confrontational behavior, early specialization, and ill-equipped coaches. All of these issues frequently result in kids dropping out of sports, a concern that is becoming an epidemic: The overall decline in youth sports participation has now dropped to 38 percent from 45 percent in 2008.

Ted Shaker, CEO of inCourage, which is based in New Canaan, Conn., acknowledged the significance of the New York Giants’ support. “The solution-based videos and resources that inCourage creates would not be possible without impactful partnerships like the one from the New York Giants, which will directly support our work to prepare student athletes for success on and off the field,” he said.