“To come to five and battle alongside my teammates was so much fun. It was a wonderful day,” Lexi Rodriguez said after making her triumphant Volleyball Nations League debut. After all, representing the Stars and Stripes on a global stage was an honor she wouldn’t pass up. Yet, this opportunity became a reality because Coach Erik Sullivan chose to give young athletes the space to shine.

The 22-year-old record-setting former Nebraska libero proved that she belonged with the best thanks to Coach Sullivan’s trust. So, it’s not surprising to see Rodriguez trying to do the same for others. And so she’s joined ESPN’s Take Back Sports initiative. “A new youth sports initiative dedicated to increasing access to play for young athletes,” as per ESPN, alongside a star-studded lineup.

“Lexi Rodriguez and Jordan Larson have been named ambassadors for ESPN’s youth sports initiative ‘Take Back Sports,’ which is designed to get and keep kids playing sports. Other ambassadors include Stephen Curry, A’ja Wilson, Lamar Jackson, Sydney Leroux, and Luka Doncic,” Aivd Volleyball posted on X after ESPN’s press release. However, these are far from the only athletes on the ambassador’s list.

In addition to NBA and WNBA stars, ESPN has assembled athletes from nearly every sport. Max Holloway (UFC – MMA), Tage Thompson (Buffalo Sabres – NHL), Jordan Spieth (PGA – Golf), and many more have joined the initiative. However, some athletes, like the four-time NBA champion, have gone the extra mile to extend Take Back Sports’ reach.

“Ensuring kids have access to quality sports that helps them gain lifelong skills is one of my top priorities at the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation,” said Stephen Curry, and ESPN has teamed up not just with Curry but with his foundation too. While Lexi Rodriguez or Jordan Larson are yet to post about the initiative, ESPN has started posting athlete interviews for Take Back Sports.

Many athletes have already starred in the short vignettes on the Positive Coaching Alliance YouTube channel. The volleyball stars’ videos will follow. Yet, with that out of the way, you may be asking, what does this initiative actually plan to do?

Take Back Sports’ four-point plan

“It’s time to take back youth sports from a system that has prioritized profit over well-being,” ESPN’s Vice President of Corporate Citizenship, Kevin Martinez, said in March during the initial announcement. “Travel leagues have overtaken recreational leagues, specialization has replaced multisport play, and winning has come at the expense of fun,” he added.

So that’s exactly what the initiative plans to change. With their community recreational leagues, ESPN plans to help kids of all skill levels and different sports backgrounds have a place where they can play and compete. This multi-sport approach is also the reason why they’re bringing athletes like Lexi Rodriguez on board. Take Back Sports plans to have a role model for every kid.

The initiative also plans to make quality coaching more accessible. They have already partnered with the Positive Coaching Alliance and the National Recreation and Park Association as part of the Million Coaches Challenge to make that a reality. The initiative’s fourth and final pillar is to make sports fun and promote better mental health in young athletes.

In a world where even Olympic legends like Simone Biles have struggled with mental health issues stemming from unrealistic expectations, the initiative hopes to prove things. On that front, ESPN has teamed up with Doc Wayne to provide sport-based therapy and educate coaches. Yet, that’s not all; ESPN has put its money where its mouth is and committed $5 million to the initiative. Partnering with athletes like Lexi Rodriguez, Stephen Curry, Lamar Jackson, and others is the next step.