Under Armour Invests In New HBCU Programming To Help Break Down Barriers For Young Athletes

The effort to support young athletes is crucial to their developmental journey, especially during their college career. Under Armour agrees.

The Baltimore-based sportswear giant has announced new initiatives to “improve training and access to sports for teenagers, pledging to help millions of youths by 2030,” according to AD AGE..

“Under Armour is committed to sports at all levels and will continue providing our innovative products to all athletes, while also continuing to offer events and experiences that recognize and elevate athletes as they work towards their daily goals,” a company spokeswoman said.

“We understand that to get to the collegiate level, you need to have access to sport at a young age, which is why we are making this commitment to support more youth athletes on their journey to compete.”

A new collegiate program, beginning in February, will provide scholarships for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This funding and programming will prioritize young athletes and “could potentially include some uniform outfitting,” the company confirmed.

In addition to these series of initiatives, Under Armour is launching a program in March designed for young athletes, such as female football players, as well as a networking program that connects coaches and kids.

This grass roots approach comes at a time where Under Armour is further delving into how they can help break down the barriers for young athletes to access sports. Marketing plays a big role—more specifically for building relationships with customers. To advance the successes of young athletes, marketing will include “paid media and TV, digital marketing on the brand’s channels, and individual athlete support.” The campaign began in 2021.

“It’s not about pushing product—we’ve done that. We want to inspire people with this creative to join us with this movement,” said Giselle Lewis-Archibald, global creative director at Under Armour. “We want to make sure people feel inspired.”