Logic Model

How we think
change happens.

A logic model is just a map of your reasoning. Here's ours — how we go from what we have to the impact we're after, and everything in between. We're sharing it because you should be able to see the thinking, not just the results.

Why We Share This

Our theory of change.

A logic model isn't a guarantee. It's a hypothesis — our best understanding of how the work we do connects to the change we want to see in the world. We share it publicly because we want donors, community partners, and athletes to understand our reasoning and push back when it's wrong.

Our goal isn't to manufacture elite athletes. It's to get people into sport and keep them there — because the growth, confidence, and community that come from participating in sport matter at every level of competition. That belief shapes everything in this model.

We do believe that one natural byproduct of healthier, more sport-connected communities will be more elite athletes — including Olympians and Paralympians — coming from places that previously had no pathway into high-level sport. But that's a consequence we welcome, not the reason we show up.

This is a living document. As we learn more from the communities we work in, it will change — and we'll tell you what changed and why.

Core beliefs behind the model

01
Sport participation at any level builds real skills — discipline, resilience, teamwork, and the ability to fail and keep going. These transfer beyond sport into every part of life.
02
Elite athletes carry a kind of knowledge you can't get from a classroom. The most effective way to share it is through direct, genuine connection — not a speech.
03
Access to sport is unevenly distributed. Fixing that means going where the gaps are, guided by data — not waiting for communities to come to you.
04
Lasting change comes from sustained investment, not one-off events. Every decision we make gets measured against whether it will still matter in five years.

The Model

From resources
to real impact.

Read left to right. Each column flows into the next. The highlighted card in the final column is a byproduct we expect — not the goal we're chasing.

1
Inputs
What we bring
Elite athlete experience, stories, and time
Donor funding and grants
Staff expertise and capacity
Community partnerships and local knowledge
Data, research, and evaluation tools
501(c)(3) nonprofit infrastructure
2
Activities
What we do
Community sport clinics and events led by elite athletes
Training grants for underfunded youth athletes and programs
Research grants to study sport access gaps and barriers
Athlete mentorship and direct one-on-one connection
Data-driven community needs assessment before every investment
Ongoing evaluation and outcome tracking during and after programs
3
Outputs
What gets produced
Clinics and events held, youth reached
Training grants distributed to athletes and programs
Research published on access gaps and what works
Elite athlete hours dedicated to community engagement
Community partnerships established and maintained
Evaluation reports published for public review
4
Outcomes
What changes
Youth athletes gain access to sport they didn't have before
Participants build confidence, discipline, and resilience through sport
Young people connect with an elite athlete who has lived something like their experience
Funded athletes and programs keep running that otherwise couldn't
Communities develop local advocates for sustained sport access
5
Impact
What endures
More people in sport, at every level, in more communities across America
Communities where sport is part of everyday life — not a privilege for a few
A generation of young people who grew up with access and go on to create it for others
A body of research and practice that other organizations can build on
Natural byproduct More elite athletes — including Olympians and Paralympians — emerging from communities that previously had no pathway into high-level sport
Immediate (0 to 12 months)
Access created, athletes engaged, grants distributed
Near-term (1 to 3 years)
Skills built, confidence grown, community roots established
Long-term (3 to 10 years)
Sustained sport cultures in communities that didn't have them before

How We Know It's Working

What we measure.

A logic model is only useful if you actually track whether it's working. Here's what we measure, when we measure it, and what we do with what we find.

During and after each program
Reach and participation

How many people showed up, stayed, and came back. We track this per event, per community, and across the whole organization — and we publish it.

Youth athletes reached per program
Repeat participation rate
New versus returning communities
After every program
Feedback from the people in the room

We ask athletes, participants, and community partners what actually landed and what didn't. This is our most honest source of information and the one we take most seriously.

Participant experience surveys
Elite athlete partner feedback
Community organization input
6 and 12 months after programs
Whether the access lasts

A program that produces nothing after we leave isn't a success. We follow up with communities to see whether sport access has taken root or faded — and we adjust our model when it fades.

Continued sport participation rates
Local program sustainability
New local leaders emerging
Annually across the portfolio
Cost and efficiency

We track what each program costs per meaningful outcome — not to cut spending, but to make sure we're putting money where the return is real and not just where it's comfortable.

Cost per youth athlete reached
Grant outcomes versus investment
Program comparison across communities

Where We Could Be Wrong

The risks we're watching.

Every logic model rests on assumptions. Here are the ones we're most aware of — the places where our theory could break down, and what we're doing to watch for it.

01
Elite athlete presence alone isn't enough

We assume that when athletes show up authentically, it creates real connection. That's not guaranteed. We watch closely for programs where the presence didn't translate, and we learn from those.

02
Every community is different

What works in one community may not work in another. Data-driven research before each investment reduces this risk — but we stay humble about the limits of what research can predict.

03
Funding consistency matters more than we might think

Long-term impact depends on sustained presence. If our funding becomes inconsistent, communities we've started working in could be left without follow-through. We think that outcome is worse than never showing up at all.

04
Participation doesn't automatically mean growth

Sport builds real life skills — but only in environments where participants feel genuinely supported and welcomed. We measure quality of experience, not just headcount, for exactly this reason.

05
Grants have to reach the right people

Training and research grants are only as good as the process used to award them. We invest in thorough vetting and follow-up to make sure the dollars go where they'll actually matter.

06
This model will need to change

We don't think we have everything figured out. This is version one. As we learn more from the people and communities we work with, we'll update it — and we'll be transparent about what changed and why.

Take It With You

Questions? Want to dig deeper?

Download a copy of this logic model, or head back to our transparency page to see how it connects to how we spend and report donor funds.