At The Diverse Athletes Project (DAP), we believe that sports have the power to do more than build muscle—they build character, community, and lifelong opportunity.

Founded in Naples, DAP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underserved and underrepresented youth and post-high school athletes through mentorship, training, and access to resources that open doors.

Why It Matters:

* 70% of young athletes say sports helped them develop leadership skills and self-confidence (Aspen Institute).

* Students involved in athletics are 4x more likely to attend college and 2x more likely to graduate (Women’s Sports Foundation).

* According to the NCAA, only 7% of high school athletes play at the college level—and for underserved athletes, that number is even smaller.      We're here to change that.

What We Do

At DAP, we don’t just hand out playbooks—we help young athletes write their own.

Here’s how:

💬 Mentorship Match-Up: We connect youth athletes with former players, coaches, and community leaders who walk with them on and off the field.

🎓 College Bound Support: We assist graduating seniors in navigating the college process—helping them find grants, financial aid, and opportunities that fit their goals.

🤝 Community Connections: We help “would-be athletes” find local training programs, leagues, and community teams to get active and become       motivated.

🏈 Post-Graduate Development: Through partnerships with organizations like Naples Knights Football Academy, we give overlooked high school grads a structured second chance to train, grow, and get recruited.

A Call to the Chamber:

As a proud new member of the Naples Chamber of Commerce, we’re looking to grow our impact, and that takes community.

We welcome connections with local businesses, donors, volunteers, and leaders who see the value in investing in our youth. Whether it’s through mentorship, sponsorship, or simply sharing your platform, we’d love to team up.

Let’s show our young athletes that they’re seen, supported, and built for more.

To learn more or get involved, visit www.thedap.org

You can also find us on most social media platforms @thediverseathletesproject