GOALS – Growth Opportunities through Athletics, Learning & Service

GOALS – Growth Opportunities through Athletics, Learning & Service – is a nonprofit organization headquartered in central Anaheim, California, that offers free programs to low-income children in the Anaheim area. It was originally established in 1994 as an outgrowth of the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of the then-named Mighty Ducks of Anaheim professional hockey franchise. The program has since expanded into many low-income communities, combining educational enrichment, team and fitness-oriented athletics, and community service activities in which GOALS youth help others. GOALS describes itself as the worldwide leader in providing ice hockey access for minority children, and it has also developed opportunities in lacrosse, soccer, tennis and roller hockey. The program involves more than 2,000 youth ages six to nineteen each year. GOALS operates indoor and outdoor facilities and a bus fleet, and provides all necessary equipment, insurance, coaching, teaching and supplies at no charge to participating youth. Activities are organized within designated underserved communities and linked to central GOALS facilities through a community bus network. A hallmark of the program is that youth are required to serve through a "Summer of Service" in an arm of the program called GOALS Cadets. This initiative leads efforts to read storybooks to children in school, clean up parks, paint out graffiti through GOALS CityPride, coach disabled young people through GOALS Special Sports, visit veterans at local VA hospitals, and pack food for local food distribution centers that support the poor. GOALS operates a host of interrelated community-based programs, often partnering with regional school districts including the Anaheim Elementary School District, Anaheim Union High School District, Magnolia School District, Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District and Ocean View School District. It has also partnered with civic agencies such as the City of Anaheim Community Services Department, Anaheim Police Department and Anaheim Public Works Department. GOALS programs revolve around free opportunities in athletics, learning and service, and the organization operates after-school enrichment programs, a morning enrichment program for children not attending school, and a free public charter school, GOALS Academy. In 2009, GOALS dropped the "Disney" from its name as a joint decision by both organizations, though the entertainment company still provides some support. GOALS has continued to expand its facilities and community partnerships, including the 2010 opening of the 28,000-square-foot Dreamscape and the 2017 second phase, Dreamscape Too.

GOALS was originally established in 1994 as an outgrowth of the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of the then-named Mighty Ducks of Anaheim professional hockey franchise. Since then, this not-for-profit program has expanded into many low-income communities, fielding a combination of educational enrichment, team and fitness-oriented athletics, and community service activities where GOALS youth help others. While GOALS is described as the worldwide leader in providing ice hockey access for minority children, the program has taken major strides in other sports opportunities such as lacrosse, soccer, tennis and roller hockey. Currently, the program involves more than 2,000 youth ages six to nineteen each year. GOALS operates indoor and outdoor facilities and a bus fleet, and provides all necessary equipment, insurance, coaching, teaching and supplies all at no charge to participating youth. GOALS organizes activities within designated underserved communities and links those areas to central GOALS facilities with a community bus network. One of the hallmarks of the GOALS program is that youth are required to serve through a "Summer of Service" in an innovative arm of the program called GOALS Cadets. This initiative leads efforts to read storybooks to children in school, clean up parks, paint out graffiti through a program called GOALS CityPride, coach disabled young people through GOALS Special Sports, visit veterans at local VA hospitals, and pack food for local food distribution centers that support the poor. In 2005, GOALS began a strategic expansion in close partnership with the city of Anaheim, with the opening of GOALS Gardens, an adaptive reuse of the indoor Martin Recreation Center in Anaheim's La Palma Park. This 8,000-square-foot indoor center was renamed and renovated with an indoor rink and has become the home for roller hockey, indoor soccer, and some adaptive recreation utilizing ringette hockey as a feature sport. GOALS expanded a bus fleet to meet increased geographic growth into neighboring cities adjoining Anaheim and ferries hundreds of low income youth daily to and from GOALS facilities. In 2009, GOALS dropped the "Disney" from its name as a joint decision made by both organizations. The entertainment corporate giant still provides some support to the community-based organization with the hope that other regional entities will expand their level of support for the betterment of low income children and families. GOALS operates a host of interrelated community based programs often partnering with regional school districts to do so. These include the Anaheim Elementary School District, Anaheim Union High School District, Magnolia School District, Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District and Ocean View School District. GOALS has long had an effective partnership with multiple civic agencies including the City of Anaheim Community Services Department, Anaheim Police Department, Anaheim Public Works Department, and many others. GOALS programs all revolve around free opportunities in athletics, learning and service. GOALS is described as the largest diversity program for ice hockey in America and also fields programs in lacrosse, soccer, basketball, tennis, Olympic handball, roller hockey, and skating. GOALS operates major after school enrichment programs in multiple communities, hosts a morning enrichment program for children who are not attending school, and operates a local free public school (see GOALS Academy below). In 2010, GOALS opened the 28,000-square-foot Dreamscape, which features two championship tennis courts, a circumferential track for jogging and fitness, a 6,000-square-foot artificial turf arena for field sports, a small community garden, and a 1,400-square-foot fitness gym with anaerobic fitness equipment. The McCarthy Construction Company led a group of 37 construction and design firms to create this multi-million dollar facility as a massive community service project. In the summer of 2017 a major second phase, Dreamscape Too, with a basketball center, volleyball center and synthetic ice skating rink on a nearby 28,600-square-foot land parcel in north central Anaheim opened and substantial community expansion followed. Multiple benefactors have stepped forward to support this innovative regional program, most prominently Disneyland, the Orange County Community Foundation through the ACT collaborative, LA 84 Foundation, The Ueberroth Family Foundation, Eisner Foundation, Ben's Asphalt, and the Los Angeles Lakers among many others. The City of Anaheim, Tait & Associates, Berg Electric, McCarthy Construction Company, and RJ Noble have also stepped up on multiple occasions to assist GOALS especially with their landmark facility development to involve more underserved children free of charge. GOALS has continued to support community needs in creative ways and in 2015 opened the first free public charter school in the City of Anaheim. GOALS Academy was founded by GOALS as a Kindergarten to 6th grade elementary school located in north central Anaheim. More than 230 youngsters attended this school daily, and a well attended after school program has been operated by GOALS daily from the same location. In 2018 GOALS launched a major development initiative dubbed "A Better Community" or ABC for short. This model community project led to a major physical restoration of a clubhouse and large "common" area within a very deteriorated area.

• 2018

  GOALS launched the "A Better Community" (ABC) development initiative.

• 2017

  Dreamscape Too, a second-phase facility with a basketball center, volleyball center and synthetic ice skating rink, opened in north central Anaheim.

• 2015

  GOALS opened GOALS Academy, the first free public charter school in the City of Anaheim.

• 2010

  GOALS opened the 28,000-square-foot Dreamscape facility.

• 2009

  GOALS dropped "Disney" from its name as a joint decision by both organizations.

• 2005

  GOALS began a strategic expansion with the city of Anaheim, opening GOALS Gardens in La Palma Park.

• 1994

  GOALS established as an outgrowth of the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim hockey franchise.

A nonprofit provider of free athletics, learning and service programs for low-income youth in greater Anaheim, described as the largest diversity program for ice hockey in America.

• GOALS Academy

  A free public charter school founded by GOALS, serving Kindergarten to 6th grade in north central Anaheim.

• Dreamscape

  A 28,000-square-foot facility with tennis courts, track, artificial turf arena, community garden and fitness gym.

• Dreamscape Too

  A second-phase facility with a basketball center, volleyball center and synthetic ice skating rink.

• GOALS Gardens

  An 8,000-square-foot indoor center in La Palma Park with an indoor rink for roller hockey, indoor soccer and adaptive recreation.

1. 1GOALS (nonprofit organization) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2GOALS – Growth Opportunities through Athletics, Learning & Service - Wikidatawikidata.org