Chance Sports levels the playing field

New nonprofit o ers sports scholarships for low-income youth

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

“Equal opportunity levels the playing eld.” is is what is stated on the Chance Sports website to capture the new nonpro t’s sense of urgency about raising money so young Denver-area athletes can participate in more club sports, both locally and on the road.

“... and makes it about the talent not the success,” the website continues. “ e reason a kid doesn’t make it shouldn’t be because they don’t have the opportunity.”

State Sen. James Coleman, DDenver, and former state Rep. Colin Larson, R-Je erson County, created Chance Sports in late 2022, with the goal of helping low-income families play on a club basis in basketball, football, volleyball, track and eld, cheer, eld hockey, soccer and more. ey formed the idea from when the

Fund, which gave Chance Sports $300,000 and pledged another $200,000 to encourage matching donations. e late cable pioneer Bill Daniels, a former Golden Gloves boxer, said that his sports participation drove his massive business success in the cable industry.

“It means more opportunities for our youth to compete at a high level because it’s more a ordable,” Coleman said. “ ey’re really great kids, great athletes, and they’re committed and want to play but they can’t Chance Sports debuted in late March. In the news conference, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said the city would give at least $200,000 to the nonpro t to match the Daniels Fund. e money will come from the $12.5 million the city Scholarships range from about $1,000 to about $3,000 per athlete, e new organization gave its rst scholarships this winter to Denver