Lgbtq+ Youth Sports League

Our community partners at Colors+ Youth Center said it best! Happy ! 🏀❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍

On , we celebrate our very favorite coach, Giovonni Santiago! As a Black trans man, veteran, mentor, and pillar in the Cleveland community and beyond, Gio brings representation and experience to the Lgbtq+ Youth Sports League.

Gio helped create the country’s first transgender specific clinic in 2015 after realizing a lack of resources during his transition at Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Gio has since founded META Center Inc, an Akron-based nonprofit dedicated to educating, motivating, and inspiring transgender youth in need of resources and support. In addition, Gio serves as the Senior Field Officers for Athlete Ally, and as the previous Northeast Organizer for Equality Ohio, an organization that identifies and transforms systems and institutions so LGBTQ+ Ohioans can fully access legal & lived equality.

Thank you for all of your dedicated work for our community's youth! We are the luckiest league in !

Interested in joining this All-Star team of coaches and mentors, we'd love to hear from you! Interested parties can visit the YSL website at lgbtqyouthsports.com, or send inquiries directly to [email protected].

Have you checked out our calendar resource? The Fall session continues this Saturday, September 24th at Haye’s Elementary School.

Check out the full schedule by visiting https://lgbtqyouthsports.com/calendar/.

Calendar - LGBTQ+ Youth Sports League Future Sessions LEAGUE SPORTS Six-week program, every Saturday focused on basketball. DROP-INS Starting dates to be determined. Phase Two Sessions TOURNAMENTS Three-on-three and five-on-five team structures focused on basketball. DROP-INS Monday-Friday weekday sessions. Starting dates to be determin...

The LGBTQ+ Youth Sports League is on the move and looking to grow the team! Are you passionate about creating a platform for youth to authentically connect and grow through sports? Visit the link below to view the full description for the LGBTQ+ Youth Sports League Operations Manager and how to apply today! Questions can be sent via email to [email protected].

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2NQY8T8

The LGBTQ+ Sport League is looking for enthusiastic community coaches and volunteers to help support the program’s fall leagues and drop-in sessions.

Visit the LGBTQ+ YSL website’s “ Get Involved” tab to learn more about available opportunities to get involved, or complete your application directly here! Questions can be sent via email to [email protected].

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2XHGDJZ

Thanks to all who joined us at Pride in Play yesterday! If you didn’t get to sign up in person, not to worry! Sign ups for the Youth Sports League are available online as well. Visit the link below to get all your details for drop-in and league sports today!

Participation is FREE and open to the public. Pre-registration is requested, walk-in participants are welcome. Questions? Contact [email protected].

https://lgbtqyouthsports.com/programs/

We can’t wait to see you out for Our Pride and Play event, today at Hardesty Park! Use the QR code below to easily explore all of the available sports and sign up! can’t wait to see you out!

Looking for fun activities this weekend? Join the Lgbtq+ Youth Sports League and our partners with TransOhio for a full day of Pride in Play, a day of inclusive recreational activities built for all bodies and abilities for trans, non-binary, and allies of all ages.
Come participate in group sports, individual activities, entertainment, community, and more!

Join us at Hardesty Park this Saturday, September 17 for Pride and Play!

We’ll be playing individual and group games 11:00am-4:00pm. This is a free community event, and everyone is welcome. 🏳️‍⚧️

Its back-to-school season, and we’re kicking off the season with a splash and the official launch of the West 117 Foundation’s LGBTQ+ Youth Sports League!

Starting Saturday, September 10th from 10:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m., the LGBTQ+ Youth Sports League will launch its inaugural basketball sports league at Hayes Elementary School gym located in Lakewood, Ohio. The six-week structured sports league is free and open to all youth.

Stop by to say hi to our staff and Program Director, Gio Santiago, get signed up, and get moving!

Pre-registration is requested via the link below, walk-in participants are welcome. Questions can be sent via email to [email protected].

Did you get to attend Pride in the CLE in Cleveland for ? We were over the moon to showcase the Lgbtq+ Youth Sports League, presented by West 117 Foundation, with our program partners with Cleveland Cavaliers!

Congratulations to Lgbtq+ Youth Sports Director Giovonni for propelling this platform forward. You've created such a welcoming and safe space for kids of all kinds. The excitement on each face that got to toss a ball was success alone!

Thank you to all of our sponsors, supporters and community partners Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Foundation, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, META Center Inc, Health Comp, Mt Sinai Health Care Foundation, David & Inez Myers Foundation, Treu-Mart Fund, & Colors+ Youth Center!

Follow along as we continue to share more memories throughout the month. HAPPY PRIDE! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍

📸Credit: Kevin Inthavong
📸Credit: Jing Lauengco