About Y2S Sports
Youth To Society Sports is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) based in Arlington, VA, founded by a pediatric nurse and mom of four, and recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a National Youth Sports Strategy Champion.
Our vision is to eliminate the mental health crisis by equipping the next generation with positive mental health skills and tools to navigate life’s challenges. By empowering a generation that values and prioritizes healthy habits of the mind, we can address many issues in today’s society.
Invest In Today’s Youth
About Us
Youth To Society Sports is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) based in Arlington, VA, founded by a pediatric nurse and mom of four, and recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a National Youth Sports Strategy Champion.
Our vision is to eliminate the mental health crisis by equipping the next generation with positive mental health skills and tools to navigate life’s challenges. By empowering a generation that values and prioritizes healthy habits of the mind, we can address many issues in today’s society.
Invest In Today's Youth
The Problem We Solve
The Mental Health Crisis
Over the past decade, youth mental health has been on a steady decline, with alarming rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide. Unfortunately, most mental health services take a reactive approach—waiting until a child is in crisis before offering help. But by then, it can be too late.
Today’s kids are growing up in a world full of new pressures. From social media to rising academic stress. We see the effects of the mental health challenges in the headlines every day: another school shooting, another overdose, another young life lost to suicide.
Kids have school for academics. Sports for athletic/physical skills. Church for religion. But what programs specifically teach life skills, emotional intelligence, confidence, altruism, character, and community?
Many argue these lessons should come from parents, but parenting comes with its own set of daily demands, and often, children are more receptive to advice from someone they can relate to: peers.
Rise In Competitive Sports
Youth sports originated from a need to provide kids with an outlet to have fun and build character. However, youth sports have shifted from fun to high-pressure, hypercompetitive, and performance-based training, causing 70% of kids to quit sports by the age of 13.
The Problem We Solve
The Mental Health Crisis
Over the past decade, youth mental health has been on a steady decline, with alarming rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide. Unfortunately, most mental health services take a reactive approach—waiting until a child is in crisis before offering help. But by then, it can be too late.
Today’s kids are growing up in a world full of new pressures. From social media to rising academic stress. We see the effects of the mental health challenges in the headlines every day: another school shooting, another overdose, another young life lost to suicide.
Kids have school for academics. Sports for athletic/physical skills. Church for religion. But what programs specifically teach life skills, emotional intelligence, confidence, altruism, character, and community?
Many argue these lessons should come from parents, but parenting comes with its own set of daily demands, and often, children are more receptive to advice from someone they can relate to: peers.
Rise In Competitive Sports
Youth sports originated from a need to provide kids with an outlet to have fun and build character. However, youth sports have shifted from fun to high-pressure, hypercompetitive, and performance-based training, causing 70% of kids to quit sports by the age of 13.
Our Solution
Innovative Youth League
At Y2S Sports, we believe it’s time for a new kind of league, and one that builds inner strength, leadership, resilience, and belonging through fun, teamwork, and service.
Traditional youth sports focus on developing the athletic and physical skills of sports. Y2S Sports uses sports and community service as a tool to focus on the inner life skills—confidence, emotional intelligence, teamwork, and leadership on and off the field. Instead of competing to win, kids compete with who they were yesterday.
Pressure Free Outlet
We provide a pressure-free outlet for kids to play sports for fun. We offer competitive athletes a way to keep the love of the game alive, preventing burnout, and offer a program for kids who may not participate in sports due to their competitiveness.
Our Solution
Innovative Youth League
Traditional youth sports leagues focus on developing the athletic and physical skills of sports. Y2S Sports uses sports and community service as a tool to develop inner life skills—confidence, emotional intelligence, teamwork, and leadership on and off the field. Instead of competing to win, kids compete with who they were yesterday.
Pressure Free Outlet
We provide a pressure-free outlet for kids to play sports for fun. We offer competitive athletes a way to keep the love of the game alive, preventing burnout, and offer a program for kids who may not participate in sports due to their competitiveness.
Our Foundation
We believe every child deserves an equal opportunity to succeed, which is why we offer free enrollment to students from lower-income schools. With just a $50 donation, you are sponsoring a child and investing in change.
Fun
Our top priority is to make our program fun the players of Y2S Sports . At the end of each season, there's an opportunity for players to have a say in the upcoming season to keep our program relevant and our everyone invested.
Passionate
Passion is an internal motivator. Loving what you do keeps you inspired and excited to put your best foot forward. We are always looking to collaborate with other who share a similar passion and is essential to fulfilling our mission and vision.
Inclusive
Our curriculum prioritizes an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and included, regardless of their differences.
Non Competitive
Competition is where one person can succeed only when others fail, which contradicts our goals. Y2S Sports players only compete with who they were yesterday
Charitable
Each season revolves around a community service project, fostering kindness, compassion, and altruism. We plan to collaborate with other youth sports organizations to host games dedicated to raising funds or awareness for a charitable cause.
Supportive
In today's world, a solid support system is crucial, especially during adolescence. Our buddy system creates teachable moments and opportunities to practice asking for support and being a supportive peer
Core Values
Mission
To equip the next generation through Social Emotional Learning and essential life skills to navigate today’s challenges and create a better world for future generations.
Vision
To be in every community nationwide and change the world within one generation.
Core Values
AUTHENTICITY: Remaining true to our values regardless of external pressures and expectations.
LOVE: To do everything from a place of love
COMMITMENT: Staying committed to our mission and vision regardless of the circumstances.
COLLABORATION: Working with all key stakeholders involved in raising the next generation
CREATIVITY: Staying innovative flexible, and thinking outside the box to stay aligned with the youth culture and create a fun environment for everyone involved.
Our Promise
Our promise is to create a fun, safe, and non-judgmental environment to build confidence, sportsmanship, and leadership skills while working in collaboration with parents and all key stakeholders
Our Founder
Jennifer Kidder
The idea for Youth to Society Sports (Y2S Sports) originated from personal and professional experiences, as well as a passion to equip the next generation with the skills necessary for a better future.
Working as a pediatric nurse, I witnessed firsthand the growing mental health crisis: overflowing ERs, long waitlists for psychiatric care, and not enough beds for kids on suicide watch, which opened my eyes to the need for proactive solutions, not just reactive ones.
As a mom of four boys, I’ve experienced the intense shift in youth sports. With travel sports starting as young as five, kids are forced to keep up and pressured to specialize in one sport, or they risk falling behind. What used to build healthy mental skills is having the opposite effect. Kids are basing their self-worth on whether they made the A team, or how well they performed.
Parenting in today’s world isn’t easy. With technology, social media, and more pressure in school and sports, it’s hard to know what’s best. But what I do know is that the most important thing we can give our kids is the skills they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
The quote from Nelson Mandela, “Sports speak to kids in a language they understand,” is what ultimately led to the idea of Youth To Society Sports. Unlike a classroom, sports are fun, interactive, and provide a real-world platform to practice the life skills that transfer beyond sports.
My vision is to take this model nationwide, but Arlington will always be where it started and where my heart is.
— Jennifer Kidder, Founder of Y2S Sports
Board Of Directors
Jennifer Kidder
Executive Director
Heather Ferguson
Board Member
Nicole Zuralow
Board Member