Two years after he retired from the NFL, former Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald has embarked on an alternative career path. During his 10 great years in the league, Donald established himself as one of the best defensive players in the history of the league. Although he isn’t taking down offensive linemen or sacking quarterbacks anymore, Donald has now teamed up with ESPN to give back to those in need through sports.

“Sports gave me discipline, purpose, and opportunity. Through the AD99 Foundation and initiatives like ESPN’s Take Back Sports, we want to make sure every kid, no matter where they come from, has that same chance to play, grow, and succeed,” Aaron Donald, as per a tweet shared by ESPN Citizenship, unveiling the Rams star as a Take Back Sports Ambassador.

As part of this venture, ESPN’s Take Back Sports will organize a Youth Sports Week. This will be a three-week initiative from April 13 to May 1 to celebrate the positive impact of youth sports on young athletes, families, and communities. Vice President of Corporate Citizenship at ESPN, Kevin Martinez, further highlighted how this program will use sports to empower the youth.

“Sports have the power to shape confidence, character, and community at an early age, but with only 38% of kids playing sports on a regular basis, ESPN recognizes the critical need to build systems that make those opportunities accessible to more young athletes,” said Kevin Martinez. “Through Take Back Sports and ‘Youth Sports Week’, we’re working alongside partners and communities to ensure youth sports remain a positive and meaningful experience for families across the country.”

In this case, Aaron Donald, who has partnered with ESPN, one of the NFL’s major broadcasting partners, valued at more than $50 billion, will be one of the Take Back Sports ambassadors alongside WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes, Atlanta Falcons cornerback AJ Terrell, and American beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings, who has won the Olympic gold medal three times. In the same manner, Jesser, the founder of JesserCo and Bucketsquad, will be the first Creator Ambassador.

As Aaron Donald and his show, AD99, which was launched in 2019 in Pittsburgh, join hands with ESPN’s Take Back Sports, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has also taken an interest in the world of podcasts with his own show, The Inner Circle, which he hosts alongside Matt Ryan, the former star quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons.

No doubt, this time’s Take Back Sports will surely have a huge impact on the network, considering what happened in its first year.

ESPN’s Take Back Sports report card

In only the first year of existence, the Take Back Sports campaign by ESPN managed to impact almost a million people around the nation. These involve offering financial support to 935,000 youth footballers through grants, offering sports-related mental healthcare services to 125,000 athletes, and introducing over one sport to 96,000 children. The campaign also sought to tackle the adults that shape the sporting landscape through training 67,000 coaches and improving over 2,300 recreational leagues.

ESPN is planning to add to the number of its ambassadors with Youth Sports Week. They include such famous sports personalities as Stephen Curry, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, A’ja Wilson, Lamar Jackson, Francisco Lindor, and Aaron Donald, with the latter being the latest addition to the team. All of them contribute to the development of a healthier youth sports culture.

In addition, ESPN launched an online quiz for parents aimed at evaluating their approach to their children’s participation in sports. To expand its impact, resources provided by Positive Coaching Alliance have become more readily available via its platform, with new tools in the Spanish language coming out this week. With this website upgrade, both coaches and parents whose native language is Spanish will be able to access advice and videos that will help reduce the stress associated with youth sports, as well as specific tools, such as “Cinco Consejos Para Padres Deportivos.”

ESPN, meanwhile, will showcase its involvement in the campaign all throughout the week, with specific segments, interviews, and features aimed at keeping the topic in the spotlight.

On the other hand, from being a successful football player, Aaron Donald has transformed into an active participant in the support and empowerment of youth and sports in general through the AD99 Foundation, and he still stays in tune with the sport by hosting his podcast, The Inner Circle.