Check out St. Louis Sports
Commission's Sports for Kids

In November, St. Louis youth coaches and kid athletes can attend a free Youth Sports Clinic on basketball.

They also can ask for free tickets to Cardinals or Rams games and other sporting events.

Or maybe your sports team needs money to fix up its athletic field or community center.

These are all parts of the St. Louis Sports Commission's Sports for Kids program. Many of these services are available just by asking or applying.

The St. Louis Sports Commission gets a lot of public attention for efforts to bring major sporting events to St. Louis. A good example was last year's Women's Final Four national basketball tournament.

But, the commission and its St. Louis Sports Foundation also has a strong program to improve sports opportunities for local kids.

Troye Frank is the director of the St. Louis Sports Foundation. He looks after the Sports for Kids program. And he's the guy you and your team coaches can contact to get involved in program activities

You can reach him at (314) 992-0689 or e-mail him at tfrank@stlouissports.org. The commission also has a website at www.stlouissports.org. Then, click on Sports for Kids.

(Note: To see how Commission efforts with major sports events help the Sports for Kids program, see the other sports story in this edition.)

Girls get instruction at a basketball camp.

Here's a rundown of the Sports for Kids program:

1. Youth Sports Clinics:

The next free sports clinic will be in November at University of Missouri-St. Louis. Youth coaches and athletes will get instruction from well-known area college basketball coaches. The clinics focus on proper techniques and sportsmanship.

Troye Frank said the commission plans to expand the number of sports clinics. Regular ones have been for football, baseball, softball and soccer. But, he wants to add ones for tennis, lacrosse and field hockey.

2. Gifts and Grants:

Gifts and grants from $500 to $4,000 are awarded by the Sports Foundation for such things as equipment, uniforms, travel and coaches training. These awards go primarily to non-profit youth sports organizations.

A recent award went to the Beyond Housing organization of St. Louis for a baseball camp. The foundation also supported CPR and first aid training for Special Olympics of Missouri.

For details, contact Troye Frank. Gifts and grants are awarded in February and April each year so there's plenty of time to apply.

3. Tickets for Kids:

Area teams and event organizers donate tickets to youth organizations in St. Louis. Over 50,000 tickets have been given out since the program started seven years ago.

4. Facility renovation:

The foundation will be financing the renovation of a baseball diamond at the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club in the City of St. Louis.

Money was provided to refurbish the gym at the Greeley Community Center in the City of St. Louis. That included sanding and refinishing the floor and installing new wall tiles. Former St. Louis Cardinal great Ozzie Smith helped during the re-opening ceremony.

5. St. Louis Sports Career Day:

In February, 2002, the foundation will hold a free event for high school students. This will introduce the teenagers to professionals in areas of sports such as marketing, medicine, media, administration and management.

There's a whole range of sports occupations beyond just being a player or coach.

6. Coaches' Victory Dinner:

The commission will hold a dinner Friday, Oct. 19, to honor youth sports coaches for their outstanding work with kids during the year. Former St. Louis Cardinal catcher Darrell Porter will be the featured speaker. He was the 1982 World Series MVP.

For information about the banquet, contact Troye Frank.