How Under Armour is empowering Baltimore's youth on and off the field
Hundreds of Baltimore City student-athletes celebrated a huge milestone for their accomplishments this past school year at Under Armour's headquarters on Saturday.
It was a part of their annual Project Rampart Celebration.
Scoring on and off the field
Playing sports is more than just an activity for students in Under Armour's Project Rampart— it is an opportunity to receive continued access to sports, mentorship, and academic support.
"It is like a more fun experience—you get free gear, and you get to do activities that I get to do with my friends, so I think it is a little convenient," said Grace Nyembo, a student-athlete at Digital Harbor High School and Project Rampart.
On Saturday, hundreds of Baltimore City student-athletes participating in Project Rampart celebrated maintaining a 97% graduation rate, an average GPA above 3.0.
The event was in partnership with Baltimore City Schools and MedStar Health. Their goal is to highlight how access to sports and the right support can help students succeed both on and off the field.
"I grew up playing sports. I know the impact. It kept me off the street, it kept me not getting in trouble. Same for them, they're getting all of this instruction like real positive instruction from another person, other than their parents and the teachers and their principal, so I think it's really important," explained Brian Phillips, a coach for Dunbar High School's girls flag football team.
During the event, students received free sports physicals, athletic gear, and resources to continue their work.
Supporting Baltimore City student-athletes
Project Rampart program supports 23 of the city's 40 public high schools, providing uniforms to participating city teams, ensuring over 4,000 student-athletes have what they need to compete on game days.
"Derik Queen, you know, he played in middle school," explained Blake Maciel, the director of Project Rampart. "He played middle school ball right here, and we're really proud of that, but what we're probably most proud of is just continuing to invest in our young people because maybe they'll be pro athletes, but they're definitely going to be our next leaders, our next parents, [and] our next educators."
In addition, Under Armour's Project Rampart program reaches 414 teams in Baltimore annually.
"It is very special, and they are giving some stuff out, and you get to have fun. So, it is a well-rounded experience," said Nyembo.
Looking ahead, Under Armour stated that it will continue investing in year-round programming, leadership development opportunities, and competitive experiences, including hosting weekly fall games for flag football, soccer, football, lacrosse, and a spring track invitational.