Open Door Sports, Inc.
So ALL can play
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Open Door Sports (ODS) was created to bridge the gap in access to high quality after-school sports programs for children with disabilities and those who struggle with a lack of financial resources. We come to the kids in their schools and communities to provide healthy, active options for underserved children to grow in confidence, pride strength, and coordination. Through our programs and the involvement of volunteer middle and high school students as peer buddies, we are also working to create a more evolved community that appreciates differences and enables the growth and development of ALL people.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Sacred Heart School - After School Soccer Program
We provide an after-school soccer program for kids ages 3 - 14 at this bilingual parochial school in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of DC. The school has a large immigrant populations and we work to provide an engaging, fun environment aimed at soccer development, teamwork and confidence building. ODS provides financial support to over 70 percent of players at Sacred Heart.
Open Door Sports at Bethesda Elementary
We provide after-school basketball and soccer programs for children with disabilities. The players are supported by peer buddies and taught by two professional coaches so they can learn and thrive in an inclusive and supportive sports environment while building friendships with their neurotypical peers.
Open Door Sports at Flora Singer Elementary
We provide after-school basketball and soccer programs for children with disabilities. The players are supported by peer buddies and taught by two professional coaches so they can learn and thrive in an inclusive and supportive sports environment while building friendships with their neurotypical peers.
Open Door Sports at Tilden Middle School
We provide after-school basketball and soccer programs for children with disabilities. The players are supported by peer buddies and taught by two professional coaches so they can learn and thrive in an inclusive and supportive sports environment while building friendships with their neurotypical peers.
Open Door Sports at Westland Middle
We provide after-school basketball and soccer programs for children with disabilities. The players are supported by peer buddies and taught by two professional coaches so they can learn and thrive in an inclusive and supportive sports environment while building friendships with their neurotypical peers.
Open Door Sports at Holy Redeemer Catholic School
ODS provides weekend basketball and soccer programs for children with disabilities. The players are supported by peer buddies and taught by one professional coach and one assistant coach helping them learn and thrive in an inclusive and supportive sports environment, while building friendships with their neurotypical peers.
Open Door Sports at Rockview Elementary
ODS provides after-school basketball and soccer programs for children with disabilities. The players are supported by peer buddies and taught by one professional coach and one assistant coach helping them learn and thrive in an inclusive and supportive sports environment, while building friendships with their neurotypical peers.
Open Door Sports at The Maddux School
ODS provides an after-school soccer program for children with disabilities. The players are supported by peer buddies and taught by one professional coach and one assistant coach helping them learn and thrive in an inclusive and supportive sports environment, while building friendships with their neurotypical peers.
Where we work
Awards
Duncan Wyeth Award 2022
American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Quality of the Program as rated by Parents of Participants
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, People with disabilities
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Likert Scale: Rating 1 to 5, with 1 (poor) and 5 (excellent). Calculated Average
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, People with disabilities
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Middle and High School Peer Buddy Volunteers who support our players with disabilities.
Number of participants engaged in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, People with disabilities
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The number of children and youth with disabilities who participated in our programs in 2023.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
ODS strives to create a more accepting and inclusive community through integrated and supportive sports programs for children with disabilities and kids living with the stigma of financial insecurity. We work each day to bring joy, healthy activity and fun to underserved kids through team sports.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We are working on various levels to expand our reach to more children with special needs in the DC area by instituting new goals in three different areas: number of children served, types of programs provided and levels of programs provided.
First, we are working to increase our program locations and/or increase the number of children we serve at existing locations in order to serve more children with special needs.
Second, we are planning to provide programs that are non-contact or untraditional to give those kids who aren't fearful of traditional sports an opportunity to gather with friends, learn a new skill and be a part of a team.
Finally, we are diversifying our programs to serve children who have advanced to a higher level, providing a more competitive program that emulates a real game-like experience with full uniforms, coaches, and referees.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We are focused on hiring capable, trained, and compassionate coaches who are eager to work with the special needs population.
We are financially secure and have the ability to use capital to hire and retain the right people for the job.
We have an outstanding track record in our local area with parents, school administrators and teachers with demand for our programs already high.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In fall of 2021, we launched our Game Day program, enrolling 40 kids with disabilities and some without in this game-like program. Players were rostered on 1 of 4 different teams that played each other on a rotating basis each week. The program was a resounding success with the spring 2022 season set to start in late March.
We made two hires in fall 2021 to help us expand our reach and are in the process of acquiring more talent in the coming months.
Finally, we are working on launching a new t-ball/baseball program in the spring of 2022 to give more opportunities for kids with special needs to learn a new sport, meet a new friend and be a part of a team.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Open Door Sports, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 01/19/2024
Michael Worden
The Player Progression Academy
Term: 2017 - 2023
Jamie Davin
The Player Progession Academy
Denis Mitchell
Stein Mitchell Beat Missner LLC
Phil Zipin
Zipin Amster & Greenberg LLC
Nancy Enderby
United Educators
Jim Kuhnhenn
WaVe Communications
Ron McClain
Parkmont School
Joseph Mendrala
Consultant
Ellie Shorb
Compass
Tonya Villafana
AstraZeneca
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/20/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.