It is our honor to recognize the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks' Girls Play LA program as our Partner of the Month for January!

Girls Play Los Angeles (GPLA) expands girls' after-school sports programming throughout Los Angeles, particularly in under-served communities. The program, offered at more than 100 recreation centers, has increased girls' participation from 22% to 45% of all athletes grounded in their mission to get and keep girls involved in sports and healthy lifestyles while making friends, building self-esteem, and having fun.

In many low-income communities of color, it's been demonstrated that some barriers to participation exist based on a belief that there are specific family gender roles or that income should be prioritized on male family members first. The GPLA program exists so that all girls can participate, regardless of economic inequalities or cultural barriers. The overall gender equity goals are to encourage youth participation in sports and recreation programs and to provide recreation opportunities for girls, address under-representation in sports programs, increase the number of female coaches, mentors and role models, and ensure an equitable distribution of resources for all youth.

We caught up with Love Rainey, coordinator for Girls Play LA, and past 'Game Changer of the Month' to get her perspective on the vital role a caring coach can play in the lives of all young girls.