I would emphasize the incredible power each individual has to effect change. A simple act of kindness, such as engaging in conversation with someone experiencing homelessness, can have a profound impact. It’s vital to remember that we all possess the ability to make a positive difference in someone’s life, no matter how small the action may seem.
As part of my series about young people who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Arden Pala of Sports4Kids.
Arden Pala is a 14-year-old freshman at Francis Parker and the founder of a 501C3 nonprofit called Sports4Kids, with a mission to create a brighter future for the young individuals in our community who are facing homelessness.Through various volunteer opportunities tailored for children of all ages, Sports4Kids actively engages in initiatives dedicated to making a positive impact, including feeding the homeless, supplying back-to-school backpacks to financially needy families, and offering support through care packages for individuals without homes.While the organization covers a wide range of community needs, its primary focus is on low-income and homeless youth who lack access to sports opportunities.
Arden brings together a dedicated team of trained adult volunteer instructors, youth volunteers, and inspirational athletes to mentor and coach elementary-aged athletes. This approach not only imparts valuable sports skills but also instills essential life skills.
Over the past three years, Sports4Kids has raised more than $140,000 and positively impacted the lives of over 7,500 individuals. Youth volunteers have generously contributed 6,500 hours of service to the homeless population. The organization has also introduced 450 homeless children to team sports.and has established valuable partnerships with organizations such as the Lucky Duck Foundation, Barnes & Noble, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Youth Service America, among others.
At the age of 12, Arden showcased his creative talents by writing and directing a documentary titled “A Second Chance,” which shared the stories of individuals who have experienced homelessness. This documentary has received acclaim and earned several awards, including American Youth Film Festival best middle school documentary.
Arden has received numerous honors in recognition of his outstanding work with Sports4Kids, including the 2022 Presidential Gold Volunteer Award and the 2023 Civic Achievement Award from the Bill of Rights Institute.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up deeply involved in volunteering. Starting at the age of four, I began volunteering at the Super Kitchenette Interfaith Community Services. It was there I heard the stories of people experiencing homelessness and learned much about the misconceptions surrounding this issue. This early exposure fostered a profound empathy for this often overlooked community and motivated me to contribute more as I grew older.
You are currently leading an organization that aims to make a social impact. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
Sports4Kids is dedicated to enriching the lives of the homeless and low-income youth through sports and community engagement. We’re tackling the issue of accessible sports programs for low-income students. With budget cuts affecting many schools, particularly in San Diego, access to sports is limited. Our solution involves mobilizing youth volunteers to offer weekly coaching in basketball or soccer at these schools.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
My commitment to this cause was sparked in seventh grade after participating in a book reading at Perkins Elementary. I discovered the school had eliminated its PE program due to financial limitations. Having personally experienced the positive impact of basketball, I felt a strong urge to ensure other students could benefit similarly. This led me to volunteer regularly, thus affording these students increased access to sports.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
The turning point was my interaction with the students at the school. Initially, I hadn’t envisioned founding a nonprofit focused on supporting low-income students in San Diego. However, their stories and determination inspired me to take action and establish Sports4Kids as a full-scale nonprofit.
Many young people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
Sports4Kids succeeded partly due to my pre-existing relationships with various shelters in San Diego. An important early step was seeking financial aid or assistance from entities like InterFaith Community Services and the Lucky Duck Foundation. After presenting my idea, they provided a venue for events and additional volunteer support.
The Lucky Duck Foundation’s $1,000 donation to my sports clinic significantly helped me. This funding enhanced my credibility and allowed me to expand my initiatives through additional grants and partnerships, thus amplifying our impact in subsequent years. These initial connections facilitated rapid growth for Sports4Kids. Over time, we managed to secure grants from organizations like the Hershey Foundation, Sodexo Foundation, Dick Sporting Goods Foundation, and more.
To launch Sports4Kids, I began by identifying the core issue — the lack of accessible sports programs for homeless and low-income youth. I then reached out to local schools with high homeless student populations, set up partnerships, and organized a team of volunteer instructors. Fundraising was crucial, so I engaged with community members, local businesses, and foundations to support our mission. Building a strong volunteer base was also essential to ensure the sustainability and impact of our programs.
Identifying the primary issue — lack of accessible sports programs for homeless and low-income youth — was my first step. I then engaged local schools with high numbers of homeless students, forged partnerships, and assembled a team of volunteer instructors. Fundraising was essential, prompting me to connect with community members, local businesses, and foundations to back our mission. Establishing a robust volunteer base was crucial for sustaining and expanding our impact.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
A standout story involves a kid named Abraham, born with a leg deformity, who had never engaged in sports before joining our free Sports Clinic. Despite his initial inexperience, Abraham displayed remarkable enthusiasm and dedication to improving. His transformation, noted by the principal on the clinic’s final day, deeply moved me. Abraham’s newfound confidence and love for sports exemplify the profound impact our program can have on an individual’s life.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
A notable error occurred during our 2021 Bags of Hope event. Without proper planning, the event descended into chaos, with over 100 volunteers showing up and items going missing. The experience taught me the importance of thorough preparation, proper resource allocation, and contingency planning to prevent future disarray.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
My mom has been my biggest cheerleader throughout this entire process.
I’ve come to her for so much input on sending emails, talking to sponsors, and how to be formal. And if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have had this organization. Starting out, she’s been super supportive and finding awareness, talking to her, connections that she’s already developed through her business career and establishing those and giving me those connections so I could talk to those people. And that really helped raising money and that really helped with getting more support and more volunteers. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have had the motivation and the confidence to start this organization and continue it for this amount of time.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
A key figure who has significantly influenced Sports4Kids is the district manager of Starbucks for Rancho Bernardo, Mike Brooks. Since our initial meeting three or four months ago, Mr. Mike has provided unwavering support for our cause. He has implemented Sports4Kids food drive boxes across all his stores and facilitated connections with over 20 other district managers. Moreover, he has introduced me to various individuals equally passionate about contributing to the community. Mr. Mike has been an invaluable mentor, offering guidance on sponsorships, proposals, and innovative ideas. His involvement has been instrumental in broadening our impact and enhancing our ability to serve those in need.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
I think the community can help solve this issue by, of course, volunteering since they are close by to where we host our events. The best way to help out is just by volunteering at some of the events we have per year. Doing that gives us the proper awareness, it gives us more people to help out, and we get to educate more people about this huge issue in San Diego. In society, people can help out by telling more people about our organization, of course, by donating money so we can host more of these events per year and just acknowledging the issue. And of course, starting their own nonprofits, trying to solve the issue with their town or partnering with sports for kids.
And the way the politicians can help address this route is by decreasing the budget cuts per year. I talked to many principals at Perkins, Horton and other schools for example, and the budget cut has been so much that they had to let go of their PE coach, which is the main reason why I started sports for kids. But I don’t know how it’s going to happen. But if politicians were able to decrease these budget cuts and allow for adequate funding for sports, then we wouldn’t have this issue and all students would have the same equal opportunity to have sports at their school.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
Learning leadership has been crucial for me, especially now as I’m in the process of selecting directors and chapter program captains for Sports4Kids. Understanding the essence of leadership and effective communication was a lesson I learned through experience, notably during our initial Bags of Hope event in 2021. At that time, I struggled to assertively guide and inform my team, a skill I wish had been emphasized to me at the outset.
Equally important has been the ability to listen. While I considered myself a good listener from the start, truly absorbing and utilizing the advice and information shared with me is a skill I’ve had to develop over time. Early on, I didn’t fully leverage the wealth of knowledge around me, missing out on the opportunity to engage deeper with mentors.
Financial acumen is another area where guidance would have been beneficial. Running a nonprofit requires a strategic approach to funding, primarily through grants and foundations, a concept I had to grasp on my own.
Perhaps most significantly, achieving balance has been a pivotal learning curve. As a high school student juggling athletics, academics, and extracurricular activities, dedicating time to Sports4Kids initially led to neglect in other areas. I’ve since learned the importance of balancing these commitments, a lesson that has allowed me to maintain my grades and stay active while running the organization. This balance is something I’ve come to value greatly, recognizing that each aspect of my life contributes to my future aspirations and overall motivation. Now, I’m glad to say, I’ve found a way to harmonize these responsibilities effectively.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
I would emphasize the incredible power each individual has to effect change. A simple act of kindness, such as engaging in conversation with someone experiencing homelessness, can have a profound impact. It’s vital to remember that we all possess the ability to make a positive difference in someone’s life, no matter how small the action may seem.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I would be honored to dine with Marcus Aurelius, to gain insights from his philosophies on life and ethics, though he has been gone for thousands of years. However, a living person I admire and would love to meet is Jimmy Donaldson from the MrBeast channel. His commitment to philanthropy, humility, and genuine desire to improve people’s lives is truly inspiring. His work ethic and approach to giving back resonate with me deeply.
How can our readers follow you online?
How can our readers follow you online?
https://www.facebook.com/Kids4SportsSD
https://www.instagram.com/sports4kid/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/arden-pala-6726a6242/
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Young Change Makers: Why and How Arden Pala of Sports4Kids Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.