When Michael Johnson sprinted across Olympic tracks, he never forgot the coaches who believed in him in Dallas. Now the gold medalist is returning to his hometown not to compete, but to help bring real change to kids growing up in his same neighborhoods.
On July 30, 2026, Laureus USA launched Sport for Good Dallas, a new network designed to connect local youth sports organizations with money, resources, and each other. The goal is simple: make sure every kid in the Dallas area who wants to play sports has a chance to do so.
The initiative will give out its first round of grants to local groups this year. Laureus expects to award 7 to 10 grants ranging from $15,000 to $20,000 each through what is called a Request for Proposals. That money can go toward equipment, coaching programs, or whatever each organization needs most.
But the grants are only one piece. Sport for Good Dallas also brings together 17 organizations into a coalition that will share ideas and work toward shared goals. Founding members include Bridge Lacrosse, Girls on the Run DFW Metroplex, Mercy Street, Jubilee Park & Community Center, and the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department. These groups will help decide what the network focuses on and how to bring in more partners over time.
The launch comes with serious financial backing. Four major funders are supporting the effort: Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Sixth Street Foundation, etc group, and the Child Poverty Action Lab, also known as CPAL. Richemont will continue its partnership as well.
Alan Cohen, founder and CEO of CPAL, put it simply when the announcement was made: "Sport reaches Dallas children in a way almost nothing else does. It's one of the few places a kid shows up voluntarily, week after week, and trusts the adult standing in front of them."
To make sure the programs actually work, researchers at Southern Methodist University will track results. The Addy Foundation Center on Research and Evaluation at SMU will build a baseline picture of youth sports across the Dallas area and create a long-term evaluation system. That data can then be used to show funders what works, which could attract even more investment down the road.
Laureus USA is not new to this work. Since 2012, the organization has invested $30 million in sports-based youth development programs across the country, reaching over one million young people and training more than 20,000 coaches in how to support positive youth growth.
The Sport for Good Cities model has already worked in other places. Laureus funds existing organizations, connects them in coalitions, and layers in research to prove what works. Dallas is now part of that network, with capital, a coalition, and an evaluation framework arriving on day one.
For Dallas kids, that means more doors opening. Whether it's soccer, lacrosse, running, or anything else, the hope is that young people across the metro area will find their sport and the adults who believe in them.