Volo City Announces Partership With Nike

Volo City, a company that creates sustainable, free youth athletic leagues through adult social and performance sports, announced today it has entered into a partnership with NIKE, Inc. to recruit adult coaches so more kids in Washington, D.C. have access to sports leagues free of charge.

Through the partnership, Volo City will recruit coaches from Volo City’s adult sports leagues in Washington, D.C. Youngsters who are enrolled in the Volo City sports leagues through its charitable arm - VoloCity Kids Foundation- will receive a Nike shirt and a snack after each practice or game.

“There are thousands of kids in Washington, D.C. looking to play sports but too few coaches willing to offer their time,” saidGiovanni Marcantoni, CEO and founder of Volo City. “By teaming up with Nike, one of the leading sports brands in the world, we are changing that by recruiting coaches from our adult leagues and creating more teams for kids to join. Millennials are looking to get involved in activities that have purpose. The goal is to have one million kids across the country play for free and this is a big step closer to that goal.”

Under the partnership, coaches will spend two hours a week for seven weeks coaching practices, scrimmages and games. The additional coaches will not only provide access for more kids to play in leagues but create a more structured environment with a consistent group of coaches and mentors the kids can rely on. A perk for the newly recruited coaches: Volo City will waive its customary $55 league fee for coaches who want to participate in its Washington, D.C. adult leagues.

“We believe that kids are made to play, and know that sometimes the difference between getting them moving or not is a coach who can inspire them and help them build their confidence as they get into the game,” said Caitlin Morris, Nike General Manager of Nike Global Community Impact. “It’s exciting to explore the potential of Volo City’s coaching model to get even more kids in Washington, D.C. moving and tapping into their own potential.”

Volo City operates adult leagues that include everything from soccer to bocce to flag football to kickball in seven cities across the country and Washington, D.C. Through the Volo City Kids Foundation, Volo City provides free sports leagues for youth across the country and has a goal of enrolling one million kids in its leagues. Volo City’s motto is: “We play so kids can play for free.”

Volo City launched in 2010 as a Baltimore bocce league with 16 members. Today, there are more than 60,000 members participating in social and performance sports in Baltimore alone. A recent study by Sage Policy Group estimated that by 2019, the economic impact of Volo City in Baltimore will exceed $20 million.