Currently, only 9% of the head coaches in the NFL, 10% of Division I athletic directors and 13% of Division I head coaches come from underrepresented communities. An astounding 94% of Fortune 500 CEOs played a competitive sport, though only 5% of all the CEOs come from underrepresented communities. 

Make a Play Foundation (MAP), founded in 2019, strives to change that. The foundation’s goal is to prepare student-athletes from underrepresented communities for executive careers in highly competitive industries. MAP incorporates curriculum, coaching and career training into their programs to prepare for a competitive workforce.

College student-athletes can apply for Make a Play’s front office internship, participate in the Developmental League (D-League) Fellowship, 10-month executive leadership fellowship, join their 24-week training camp or be on their student ambassador’s team. 

The student experience provides a wide range of support services like a resume builder, where participants are guided through the process of building resumes and writing cover letters. Students learn how to apply hard-work, understanding, skill development and time management to their everyday lives through a MAP process called H.U.S.T.L.E. 

One of MAP officers’ offered programs, a mental health series, hosts panel discussions with different schools across the country to address the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly among athletes. 

Contact Leanna Sun at leannaxsel ‘at’ gmail.com and Karen Mai at kmai4 ‘at’ boston k12.org.