Detroit Police Athletic League Incorporated

Detroit pal has been running diamond sports leagues for more than 50 years. Diamond sports involves baseball, softball, and the t-ball program. Our fall 2024 fall ball league, was created to develop outdoor play during the pandemic and had 8 teams representing 114 youth and 16 volunteers. The combined number for all diamond sports was 104 teams representing 1405 youth and 208 volunteers. The diamond sports league continues to grow since the pandemic. The teams were involved in the program an average of 8 hours per week for a 10-week program that taught life lessons through sports including goalsetting, resilience, embracing health, and accountability. Our league is successful because we were able to run sports in a safe, positive way. Many new youth get involved while many returning player continue their passion for the game and their skill development. We were able to host many games at the corner ballpark, the location of the old tiger stadium off of michigan near trumbull.

Football is a program pal has run for many years in conjunction with myfl. Our football and cheer programs have existed for more than 50 years and continues to be a feeder system for sports into our school programs. We work directly with football nonprofit organizations throughout the detroit and greater detroit area to organize, administer, and operate middle school and elementary football programs for student-athletes. Practices and games are programmed at a variety of public fields throughout the season. We had 12 football organizations for the 2024 season. Each organization providing a variety of 5 football teams at several age levels. That totaled over 80 football and cheer teams with 1943 youth and over 500 volunteers. Teams were involved in the program an average of 8 hours per week for a 12-week program that taught life lessons through sports including goalsetting, resilience, embracing health, and accountability.

We continue to grow our littles programs which in 2024 included mighty cheer, little putters, tiny tennis, little sluggers, little blitzers, little hoopers, and little lions flag football. These programs provide youth with an introduction to sports so they can sample and indentify the future sports they want to participate in. These introductory programs allowed more than 650 young participants to play, learn about the sport and learn the importance of team work and sportmanship. Other sports such as volleyball, soccer, hockey, and track remained strong throughout the year.