The crisp swish of a basketball net as a ball goes through… Shouting between participants of a race outside on the track… The plunk of a skateboard as its rider executes the landing of a jump… These are all standard sights and sounds of kids being kids and competing in their chosen sports, but at the recent Angel City Sports Youth Weekend, there was a little bit of a twist. 

Through a recent NIL engagement with House of Victory, the Official NIL Collective of USC Athletics, more than 20 USC Football Athletes joined in the fun supporting kids of all ages who have physical disabilities as they tried more than 12 different Paralympic-style sports.

“Playing alongside kids with physical disabilities who share the same love for sports as me was incredibly inspiring,” said Trojan defensive lineman Keeshawn Silver. “It showed me that passion and determination go beyond physical limits. Their resilience, teamwork and joy reminded me that the true spirit of sports is about effort, heart and connections - not just ability. It just made me feel more thankful for everything that I have.”

Over the course of the day, the athletes tried out several adaptive sports, playing alongside the youth participants and supporting them physically and emotionally as they tried out new sports. 

Among the sports offered that the Trojans got in on the action for were archery, para-track and field, including hand cycling and sitting shot put, wheelchair basketball and WCMX (wheelchair skate park). As to be expected, the Football Athletes quickly picked up the hang of the new sports, and brought their ever-present competitiveness to the games as well. 

“My favorite part was spending time with the kids, doing the different sports with them and just realizing how much fun and joy it brought them, and me, was incredible,” said quarterback Jayden Maiava. “I’d never tried most of the sports before so it was fun. One of my biggest takeaways was just to always love one another and be there for each other no matter what.”

Before the day’s activities got underway, Maiava spoke to the youth participants and their families, introducing his teammates alongside fellow Trojan, two-time Paralympic Gold Medalist and Angel City Sports Co-Founder, Ezra Frech. The entire Angel City Sports team was grateful for the Trojans’ presence and loved getting to see them get outside their own comfort zones and make an impact for the kids.

“My favorite part of the weekend was going into Hamilton Gymnasium during lunch time on Sunday, and seeing the gym full of USC Football players dispersed throughout the various tables getting to know the kids and their families more intimately,” said Angel City Sports Program Manager Alvin Malave. “I saw the joy and excitement on the kids’ faces as these giant, elite athletes sat with them taking time to make them feel seen and heard.”

For the House of Victory athletes in attendance, hand cycling was a definite favorite activity, with several races between athletes and participants breaking out. Wheelchair basketball was also a favorite, with every football athlete who participated in any one of the many competitive games trying the sport for the first time.

“My favorite part was playing wheelchair basketball because it was an experience that made me open my eyes to the way other individuals compete,” said defensive lineman Kameryn Fountain. “A takeaway I had from the event was that I have to be grateful to be able to do what I can do because so many others have a hard time doing even the simplest things that I take for granted.”

For Angel City Sports, events like Youth Weekend are about introducing kids facing physical disabilities with opportunities to play, get active and enjoy sport, but it’s also about making lasting connections beyond the sport and showing how sports can improve an individual’s life.

“I am confident this was an unforgettable experience for each kid in attendance and my hope is that many were inspired to further pursue their athletic goals and dreams after this experience,” said Malave.

For everyone involved, it was a special day to see the enthusiasm and energy that the football athletes brought to every adaptive sport that they tried and to see the smiles on everybody’s faces.

For more information about events like this one, follow House of Victory on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X. If you’d like to make a charitable contribution to support the work of House of Victory student-athletes in the community at events like this, you can make a tax-deductible contribution here.