This year, Strive set out to deepen our impact and expand opportunities for leadership development, staying true to our mission of fostering authentic, character-driven leaders. By focusing on overcoming barriers and implementing innovative programs, we made strides toward engaging a more inclusive audience.
Expanding Access: Breaking Financial Barriers
Financial constraints often limit opportunities. To address this, we introduced a pay-what-you-can model for our Sports Challenge program, providing discounted rates to 93% of our Sports Challenge participants.
New Programs: Growing Our Reach
We introduced two exciting programs this year:
- Middle School Clinic: A one-day event designed for younger students to experience the energy of Strive’s leadership philosophy. Through basketball, soccer, and lacrosse, participants explored the theme of “Take a Risk.”
- Coaches in Training Program: This paid workforce development initiative gave high schoolers the opportunity to be mentored by Strive Coaches and gain hands-on coaching experience.
Sports Challenge: The Heart of Strive
Sports Challenge remained at the core of our programming. This 5-day summer academy brought together basketball and soccer athletes for a demanding yet nurturing experience.
Deepening Connections in Delaware
In 2024, we strengthened our partnerships across Delaware, bringing year-round leadership programming to schools and community organizations:
- At Sanford School, we hosted Sports Challenge for the second consecutive year. In addition, we led workshops for their 9th-grade class and boys basketball teams, fostering personal growth and team leadership.
- At Nativity Preparatory School, we worked weekly with 7th and 8th graders, combining leadership lessons with friendly House challenges that engaged the entire school.
- At The Teen Warehouse, we collaborated with their Teen Executive Committee on professional development sessions, bi-weekly check-ins, and a teen-led Game Day for their RISE Cohort.
As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to build on this momentum, reaching even more communities and continuing to inspire the next generation of leaders!
