Movember and Laureus USA expand Sport for Good partnership to New York City and Atlanta

Today, Movember and Laureus USA announced an expansion of their Sport for Good x Game Changers partnership, increasing Movember’s total investment to $1,275,000 and extending programming into New York City and Atlanta, alongside ongoing programs in Chicago. Building on the success of the inaugural Chicago cohort, the partnership will now support nine additional organisations over three years — five in Atlanta and four in New York City — all delivering sport-based youth development programs.

The first year in Chicago delivered clear impact for both young people and the communities around them. Nearly all participants (92%) showed growth in key life skills like confidence, emotional management, and motivation, with nearly two-thirds improving in multiple areas. Just as importantly, 86% said they would recommend the program to a friend—an indicator of strong, positive experiences.

For communities, the funding helped trusted local organisations stay stable, reach more young people, and strengthen the support they provide—during a critical time of funding cuts and rising mental health challenges. These programs created safe, consistent spaces where young people could build relationships, stay engaged, and navigate difficult circumstances, reinforcing sport as a powerful entry point for mental health support.

“This next phase of our partnership with Movember reflects a shared belief that lasting impact comes from investing in community-led solutions,” said Peter Feldman, Director of Programs at Laureus USA. “In New York City and Atlanta, we’re supporting organisations that are embedding mental health into the fabric of their sport programs, meeting young people where they are, and building environments rooted in trust, belonging, and resilience.”

Access to sport remains deeply inequitable across the U.S., with young people in historically under-resourced communities facing persistent barriers to participation. At the same time, youth mental health challenges continue to rise – particularly among adolescents navigating systemic inequities. Sports programming, when delivered intentionally, is a proven tool for building resilience and emotional regulation, strengthening social connection and belonging, and creating safe, structured environments for youth development. With Chicago, New York City, and Atlanta now active, the partnership between Movember and Laureus USA is positioned to continue expanding its reach – bringing new resources, visibility, and coordination to communities where they are needed most.

“What started in Chicago as a powerful proof point is now scaling to reach more young people across the country,” said Tim Gnaneswaran, U.S. Country Director at Movember. “By expanding our partnership with Laureus USA into New York City and Atlanta, we’re deepening our commitment to ensuring more young people have access to sport as a pathway to better mental health.”

Game Changers

Year two of each grant also brings Movember’s mental health literacy programming: Game Changers. Movember’s Game Changers program was co-designed with community non-profit organisations and integrates into local youth sports programs by giving young men the skills to support their mental health and identity development. Pilot results from nearly 200 Game Changers participants showed highly successful outcomes. Participants who completed the program stated “I feel more confident being myself”, “it helped me grow as both an athlete and a person”, and “the conversations felt real — people actually listened.” Additionally, results showed: 

• Over 80% of participants reported growth and increased confidence in emotional flexibility, positive mental health, and sense of self and purpose across both sport and life
• 86% say they feel more confident in being the best version of themselves
• 84% feel confident using the mental health skills they learned in their daily lives
• 74% feel more in tune with their own emotions and how to manage them

New Grantees

The following organisations have been selected through a competitive, community-informed process led by Movember and Laureus USA. Each will receive multi-year funding and capacity-building support.

New York Organisations

South Bronx United
Uses soccer as a tool for social change helping youth build character, teamwork, and leadership to succeed in high school, college, careers, and their community, promoting educational achievement, health and wellness, and personal development.

Bronx Lacrosse
Improves educational opportunities and life outcomes for underserved middle and high school students in the Bronx through year-round lacrosse, academics, and social-emotional programming.

The Skatepark Project
Founded by Tony Hawk in 2002, a national nonprofit building safe, inclusive public skateparks in underserved communities. Has helped create nearly 700 skateparks in all 50 states, serving 17 million people annually.

Play Rugby NYC
Uses the power of rugby to empower youth from underserved communities, addressing critical needs by providing equity of opportunity, breaking intergenerational poverty, and building physical, social, and emotional skills.

Atlanta Organisations

LEAD Inc.
Advances equity and well-being through youth sports. The Rookie League combines baseball with trauma-informed positive youth development and social-emotional learning, with wraparound supports including academic coaching, emotional regulation training, healthy meals, and transportation.

Bearings Bike Shop Inc.
Uses bikes to teach youth in Atlanta that hard work, skill-building, and positive relationships are the building blocks of bright futures, enabling youth to build productive lives with character and economic mobility.

Atlanta Police Athletic League
Provides a safe environment for youth to reach their full potential through sports, education, fitness, nutrition, and cultural programs, mentoring more than 2,800 Atlanta youth annually.

Soccer in the Streets
Improves the lives of children by providing access to sport through high-quality community-based soccer programs that offer safe, nurturing environments supporting holistic development.

Balanced Motion Inc.
Provides children from under-resourced communities in Georgia with martial arts training to increase their physical, mental, and emotional wellness.

For more information about this partnership check out LaureusUSA.com or reach out to the USA Director of Community Programming Basharat.Khan@movember.com