News
Press: Baltimore Banner: Commentary: Why community-based youth sports matter in Baltimore and beyond
The Aspen Institute’s Project Play Summit is currently in Baltimore as part of our national effort to find solutions for more children to access quality sports opportunities. Baltimore was home to our first community State of Play report in 2017 that assessed the barriers and opportunities Baltimore uniquely faces. In the years since, local organizations and leaders have taken significant steps in Baltimore to improve sports access for children.
Volunteer this Spring
Sign-up to volunteer this Spring! We have 8 events coming up. Stay tuned too for the summer season calendar (email us for early dates)
Unmatched Pride!
Join Unmatched Athlete and Under Armour Unified for the inaugural Unmatched Pride event for LGBTQ+ and allied youths on July 20th, 2024 from 11am - 2pm. All families are encouraged to attend and the event will be held at the Stadium at the Port Covington campus.
Teens 13 -17 will have the ability to compete in an obstacle course activity and skills challenges. Youths 8-12 will also have an opportunity to participate in the skills challenges in a noncompetitive format. For those who are interested, there will be an opportunity for youths to compete with and/or against their parents as well.
There will be a brief open and closing ceremony; and free lunch will provide for everyone. Registration will close on July 8th, 2024. So sign-up now and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Please Note: All participants are required to complete Under Armour's stadium participation waiver and; Unmatched Athlete's Intake form.
Unmatched featured in: Project Play's State of Play 2024
How Baltimore is improving sports access for children, by Jon Solomon: “Sports opportunities for LGBTQ+ youth and allies created”:
Olanrele Oni grew up loving to play soccer, but never felt he could truly be himself in sports because he is gay. In 2020, as the Black Trans Lives Matter movement grew across the nation, Oni created Unmatched Athlete and started with clinics in climbing, obstacle courses, flag football, Ultimate frisbee, basketball, soccer, and volleyball. The goal is to eventually create leagues and tournaments and hire a coach to teach sports fundamentals.
The events are nongendered, meaning every child plays together. To date, 177 children ages 5-18 have registered or participated in Unmatched Athlete’s events in Baltimore City and Baltimore, Montgomery, Howard and Prince George’s counties. More than half of the children (51%) identify as female, with 35% identifying as male and 14% as transgender or nonbinary. Nationally, research shows LGBTQ+ youth play sports at far lower rates than their peers.
“Regardless of how you identify, sports are for everyone,” Oni said.
Celebrate the 3rd Annual Union Collective Pride and Support Unmatched Athlete
Press Release: Unmatched Athlete, in partnership with Movement Hampden and supporting businesses at Union Collective, invites the public to celebrate the 3rd Annual Union Collective Pride event on Saturday, June 1, 2024, from 1:30pm to 9pm. This all-day fundraiser aims to support Unmatched Athlete's mission of promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports and assisting the organization's staff and coaches. View full release here.
Spring 2024 Season
Unmatched Athlete's spring season schedule is here! The spring season offers climbing days, ultimate frisbee clinics, an obstacle course field day, and don’t forget to grab the flyer for our Union Collective Pride fundraiser trifecta on June 1st. Plus, save the date—our Pride Olympics event will be July 20th at the Stadium at Under Armour House. Most events are free, with climbing days costing $10. Plus, we offer FREE Rideshare Available over Lyft! To sign up, registration sheets will be posted for each event on our website at unmatchedathlete.org. Follow us @unmatchedathl. and if you have any questions, give us a call at 410 989-1586 or e-mail info@unmatchedathlete.org.
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