Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Damian Jones. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Damian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.

Sport participation has been a tool of public health in America for more than a century, serving as a platform for children to develop critical life skills, as well as lay a foundation for an active, healthy lifestyle into adulthood. But today, many children miss out on the positive aspects of youth sport participation for various reasons, including the following: rising costs and exclusionary league/team policies, lack of safe neighborhood recreation spaces, excessive time demands on families, and cultural norms. At SALT, we recognize the potential of youth sport to contribute so much to society as a vehicle to drive outcomes that matter in areas beyond winning. SALT exists to ensure all children, regardless of socio-economic status, have the opportunity to be active through sport and access those life-changing benefits. At SALT, we observe the broadest definition of sport, as follows: All forms of physical activity which, through organized or casual play, aim to express or improve physical fitness and mental well-being. SALT seeks to offer programs that are accessible to all children, with particular emphasis on youth in underserved communities, to ensure all children have access to positive sports experiences.

Damian, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, with a degree in Architecture. I attended Tulane Law School, with an interest in specializing in construction litigation/construction law. After completing my studies, I worked as a construction lawyer, with a focus on construction management/claims for approximately 15 years. It was through my experience as a father of 3 children, all of whom participated in youth sports, that I developed the idea to form SALT as a nonprofit that engages youth, particularly those from marginalized communities, through sport. I experienced firsthand the power of sports as a vehicle to drive life-change for children. In particular, our son’s experience with soccer afforded him a platform to “find his voice” through his soccer skills, helping him to become a confident young adult. I formed SALT as a way to provide children in our region with the same opportunity to develop to their fullest extent by tapping into the character-building and health benefits of sports participation.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

SALT is described as a sports-based youth development nonprofit. While we use sport as the point of engagement to be present in the lives of children, we see sport as a conduit through which to engage communities in an effort to foster social connection, community revitalization and equity. In addition, we at SALT understand that sport does not exist in a vacuum…sport must be brought into the health conversation as an element of public health. It is through this effort of asking more of youth sports as an element of community-building and public health that SALT has expended the potential for partnerships with key institutions and organizations, such as municipalities, universities, private health systems, corporations and professional sports franchises. In so doing, SALT has positioned itself in the constellation of organizations committed to the best interests of children in our region by reimagining and investing in youth sport/physical literacy programming that focuses on the development of the whole child.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My wife and I formed SALT in 2019. Shortly thereafter, we found ourselves (along with the rest of the world) completely paralyzed by the pandemic. Although we were unable to pursue any programming due to the pandemic, I utilized that time to reach out to potential collaborative partners to share the narrative of the mission/objective of SALT to foster community engagement through quality sports-based youth development programming that help our children embrace an active and healthy lifestyle. While the pandemic delayed the implementation of SALT’s programs, it afforded us the time to make valuable connections with donor-partners who were instrumental in the completion of our most ambitious project to date; the planning/construction of what was it the time of its opening the first US Soccer Foundation “Safe Places to Play” futsal mini-pitch in the St. Louis metro region. The Alton/Rock Spring Park Mini-Pitch was a $120,000 project, which required 3 years of fundraising effort to complete.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Saltyouthalton
• Facebook: SALT-Student Athletes Leading Tomorrow

Image Credits
Ms. Paige Buente, Deputy Director, Events and Engagement Office of Communications & Public Affairs IL Senate