Chicago Westside Police and Youth Sports Conference

Name

Chicago Westside Police and Youth Sports Conference

Legal name

Chicago Westside Police and Youth Sports Conference

Website

https://chicagowestsidesports.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Youth Sports Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreational & Intramural Sports Programs (MPAKACAG), Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE), Club Sports Programs (EDALAIAB)

Keywords

• Youth sports programs
• Community athletics
• Youth mentoring services
• Nonprofit sports league
• Police community engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Chicago Westside Sports is a nonprofit organization administered by City of Refuge-Chicago (501c3). Revenue comes from monetary donations and in-kind contributions of uniforms, equipment, and other resources from individuals, organizations, and businesses. All programs are offered at zero cost to participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chicago Westside Sports provides zero-cost Club Baseball, AAU Basketball, and Team USA Archery programs for children ages 7-14 in high-crime, under-resourced Chicago Westside neighborhoods. Programs pair athletic instruction with 30-minute mentoring sessions grounded in the FISLL (Faith, Integrity, Sacrifice, Leadership, Legacy) curriculum and operate on a 'three-legged stool' model combining local police, churches, and community nonprofits. All uniforms, equipment, coaching, and facilities are provided at no cost to participants, with practice held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings across multiple park locations.

Product overview

Chicago Westside Sports is a youth sports organization offering a unified portfolio of free athletic programs—Club Baseball (Bases-Loaded Initiative), AAU Basketball (Full-Court Press Initiative), and Team USA Archery (Bullseye Initiative)—for children ages 7-14 in Chicago's Westside communities. All programs operate on a three-legged stool model combining local police, churches, and community nonprofits, providing holistic support including mentoring, health and wellness, and educational services. Programs run year-round with practices on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Club Baseball (Bases-Loaded Initiative) Zero-cost Club Baseball program for children ages 7-14 in Chicago's Westside, combining athletic instruction with a holistic support model covering health and wellness, education, violence reduction, and mentoring. Operates across seven park locations including Franklin Park, Moore Park, Garfield Park, Columbus Park, Kells Park, LaFollette Park, and Levin Park.
• AAU Basketball (Full-Court Press Initiative) Zero-cost AAU Basketball program for children ages 7-14 in Chicago's Westside that promotes holistic support through collaboration between local law enforcement, civic agencies, churches, and non-profit organizations. Teaches leadership, accountability, teamwork, and conflict resolution, and operates at multiple sites including Columbus Park, Garfield Park, and community gyms with over 160 youth regularly participating at a single site.
• Team USA Archery (Bullseye Initiative) Zero-cost Team USA Archery program for children ages 7-14 in Chicago's Westside that combines archery instruction with violence reduction, restorative justice practices, nutrition counseling, physical fitness instruction, tutoring, academic support, small-group mentoring, and leadership training.
• Mentoring Program (FISLL Curriculum) Standalone mentoring component built around NBA great Allan Houston's FISLL (Faith, Integrity, Sacrifice, Leadership, Legacy) curriculum, delivered as a practical 12-week program through Chicago Westside Sports and led by Officer Nicole Velazquez. Mentors youth through real-life issues such as gun violence and conflict resolution, complementing each sport's 30-minute mentoring sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 160+ youth regularly participating at single basketball site with over 160 kids engaging in mentoring sessions that became spaces for emotional expression and growth
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of Refuge ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Refuge Chicago is the 501c3 organization that administers Chicago Westside Sports. Stephanie and Kurt Marquardt represent the organization, providing operational support, volunteer coordination, donation management, and administrative infrastructure for the sports conference.
• Chicago Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive and retired police officers serve as volunteer coaches and mentors. Sgt. Jermaine Harris serves as a co-founder and primary liaison. The collaboration builds positive police-community relationships outside of emergency response contexts.
• Local ChurchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Westside churches provide volunteer coaches/mentors, facilities for practices, and serve as the spiritual/community foundation of the three-legged stool model. Includes Chicago West Bible Church and other Austin neighborhood congregations.
• Community NonprofitscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious community nonprofits partner with Chicago Westside Sports to provide resources, programming opportunities, and youth connections. The organization actively seeks partnerships with nonprofits already working in Westside neighborhoods.
• Westside Health AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestside Health Authority's Good Neighbor campaign is mentioned as a pathway through which volunteer Brandon Wilkerson discovered Chicago Westside Sports, indicating collaborative community engagement.
• Allan HoustonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer New York Knicks player who mentored team members at Garfield Park baseball fields and whose FISLL (Faith, Integrity, Sacrifice, Leadership, Legacy) mentoring curriculum is incorporated into Chicago Westside programming.
• UCANminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCAN (a youth services organization) partners with Chicago Westside Sports, hosting Franklin Park baseball practice sessions for youth participants.
• Marquardt of BarringtonminorOthersThe business of Stephanie and Kurt Marquardt that provided uniforms for Sergeant Harris's baseball league, representing in-kind corporate donations to support program operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Police Athletic League (PAL): National nonprofit that builds relationships between police officers and youth through athletic, educational, and recreational programs. Directly parallel to Chicago Westside Sports' model of active and retired officers serving as volunteer coaches in underserved communities.
• PeacePlayers International: International nonprofit using basketball to bring together youth from divided communities. Comparable model of using sports to build cross-community relationships and leadership skills in conflict-affected youth populations.
• Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI Chicago): MLB-affiliated youth baseball program serving Chicago's underserved communities with free programming. Closely comparable to Chicago Westside Sports' Club Baseball initiative in mission, target demographic, and zero-cost delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago: Major regional YMCA providing youth sports, swimming, mentoring, and after-school programs across Chicago, including underserved neighborhoods. Comparable scope of community recreation programming delivered to similar demographics.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago: Established Chicago-based youth development organization providing athletics, mentoring, and educational programming in under-resourced neighborhoods. Overlapping mission in youth sports and character development for at-risk youth across the same metro area.

Regional players

• Chicago Youth Programs (CYP): Chicago nonprofit providing youth development programming including sports, tutoring, and mentoring in underserved communities. Comparable in mission to Chicago Westside Sports but operates different program verticals (academic-focused vs. sports-anchored).

Emerging players

• Chicago CRED (Creating Real Economic Destiny): Chicago violence-reduction initiative focused on supporting highest-risk youth on the South and West Sides. Comparable mission to reduce gun violence through wraparound youth services in the same at-risk neighborhoods.
• Youth Guidance (Chicago): Chicago-based nonprofit providing school-based mentoring and behavioral health programs for high-risk youth. Comparable youth-development mission serving overlapping Westside Chicago populations, though anchored in clinical/educational models rather than sports.

Others

• Positive Coaching Alliance: National nonprofit developing better coaches through research-based training and workshops. Comparable ecosystem role in supporting volunteer youth coaches and creating positive youth sports culture, though focused on training rather than direct delivery.
• City of Refuge Chicago: Parent 501(c)(3) administering Chicago Westside Sports, providing operational, donation management, and volunteer coordination infrastructure. Most directly connected peer as the legal and administrative wrapper for the subject organization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chicagocaps15
• Facebookfacebook.com/10208541395969649
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-westside-police-and-youth-sports-conference

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Westside Police and Youth Sports Conference