Dear Members of the FIYA Community,

 

Over a decade ago, as  I looked around the educational landscape of our middle and elementary schools, I could see that something critical to child development at this level was missing.    There simply was no opportunity for organized school-based competitive sports as similarly existed at the high school level.  However, with the support of family, friends and generous donors, that missing component was found with the creation of FIYA and its partnership with middle and elementary schools to offer year-round sports competition.  And today, in Year 13, FIYA is a leading youth sports organization that caters to middle/elementary schools in the greater  Los Angeles area.

 

Indeed, as our mission statement says, FIYA is “Strengthening Schools Through Sports”. 

 

Now of course no one looks at a thirteen-year-old (i.e. FIYA)  and declares that he/she has arrived and fulfilled all expectations and success.  It is worth noting that previously on this page we expressed a need for funding for (i) outdoor scoreboards, (ii) an expansion of our awards and (iii) ensuring we have referees by staying financially competitive with other sports organizations.  I can happily report that due to your support we can check off each of these needs.

 

Since FIYA is still in its adolescent years, we know we need to still give it our full attention so that it continues to grow and serve as many schools as possible.  In contemplating a FIYA Wish List, I believe that like any 13-year-old we should lead with our biggest dream first: 

 

FIYA Fields & Sports Complex (FFSC).  Ideally, this will be located in the central part of the Los Angeles metro area and contain enough field space for a football field, a soccer field, baseball/softball diamonds and a track & field area along with a gym that can host multiple basketball, volleyball and futsal courts as well as banquet events, dance/cheer competitions and other indoor activities.  FFSC would be open to the public to use except between the hours of 4 pm and 8 pm on weekdays for exclusive FIYA based sports programming.  Clearly, FFSC will be a game changer for FIYA and all of its participants as well as the Los Angeles community in general.

 

So while FFSC is the ultimate dream, we do have two main short term goals:

 

Referee/Coach Training Program – for the Summer of 2024 we want to implement a referee/coach training program whereby we bring in experienced, knowledgeable referees and coaches and have them hold various clinics throughout the summer geared especially for recent high school graduates and college aged individuals who desire to get involved in youth sports either as referees or coaches.  We believe this program will be invaluable to the sustainability of FIYA and also provide a positive outlet for young adults who are searching to have an impact.  We are budgeting $40,000 for this program.

 

Equipment/Awards – yes I know that this is not creative as we asked for funding for it last year but the truth is that inflation has caused these items to increase in price and these items are essential to our operations.  We are budgeting $10,000 for this area.

 

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of FIYA, I sincerely thank you for visiting this page and for your interest in contributing or getting involved with FIYA.  Join us in our ongoing fundraising and help us reach our  annual goal of $30,000 by the end of the school year.  See below for more details on our fundraising goals, how you can help and how your donation can make a difference.

 

Best wishes,

 

John Mueller

Co-Founder and Executive Director