Naomi Osaka Expands Play Academy to Los Angeles & Haiti
May 7, 2021
Last year, tennis star Naomi Osaka partnered with NIKE and Laureus Sport for Good to form Play Academy to help change young girls’ lives through play and sport in Japan. Building on this work, Play Academy is now expanding to Los Angeles and Haiti, and collaborating with local sport-based organizations that are helping encourage a new definition of movement for the next generation of girls.
Osaka’s personal experiences as an athlete and her heritage shaped her views on sport, racial and gender equality and mentorship and the initiative champions the communities she has deeps connections with: Japan, her and her mother's birthplace, Los Angeles, where she currently lives and Haiti, where her father is from.
“I’m passionate about breaking barriers that girls face when it comes to opportunities to access and benefit from play and sport. Play Academy’s expansion represents an even greater opportunity to do that,” said Osaka.
Play Academy wants to level the playing field for girls by increasing girls’ participation in sport; investing in fun, positive play experiences that invite young women to become role models and training coaches on how to create more inclusive play.
Caitlin Morris, Nike VP, Social & Community Impact stated, “we share her belief that play is for everyone. Young girls in places like Los Angeles and Haiti may have different social and cultural reasons for why play and sport have been difficult to access, but in the end, they all need an opportunity to play – as well as authentic role models like Naomi, who fully embrace who they are and what they believe in.”
In Los Angeles, Play Academy will partner with organizations that support young girl’s participation in play and sport, with a specific focus on girls from Black, Asian and Latino communities to ensure they have more opportunities to access and benefit from play and sport.
In Haiti, Play Academy is partnering with 2019 Beyond Sport Global Award Winner and Shortlister, GOALS Haiti, to support its mission to advance youth leadership through sport and education to create stronger, healthier communities in rural Haiti. The funding will specifically be applied to sport accessibility for girls, the hiring of more female coaches and the introduction of nuanced curriculum on how to encourage girls to create positive, health habits.
