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Community Heroes
PLAY MARIN: PLAY IS THE WAY
By: Janet Carter | October 5, 2022
Play Marin envisions Marin as an integrated and unified community where individuals and families live, work and play together. They recognize that play—from organized sports to a simple play date—is important for forming lasting friendships, developing critical skills and teaching valuable life lessons.
Mission: Play Marin provides sports and other extracurricular activities to intentionally give kids of diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds the opportunity to learn and grow together through play.
About Play Marin
Eight years ago, with one basketball team of nine players, Play Marin’s founder, Paul Austin, began the task of closing the activity gap in Marin City and enriching the lives of children throughout Marin. Austin recognized the power of athletic opportunity in building confidence and success pathways. He founded Play Marin to provide youth who would otherwise not be able to participate in team sports a way to do so while simultaneously enriching the experience of all participants through engagement with a more diverse peer group. Play Marin believes that bringing together the unique experiences of different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds among us is vital to the advancement of our society. Play Marin is committed to building that bridge of understanding through its various programs. Today, the organization reaches more than 300 kids annually, teaching valuable skills, creating friendships, developing grit, and enhancing well-being and solidarity among young people from all backgrounds. While Play Marin has a hefty program for youth, there are several opportunities for adults to engage in activities.
Play
Seasonal Sports: Play Marin’s seasonal sports include basketball, girls’ volleyball, track and field, and lacrosse. Through these programs, kids of diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds come together on the same team, building essential skills and a shared sense of culture and community. Play Marin sports teams engage in top tier athletic experiences, consistently winning tournaments and championships through their commitment and teamwork.
Summer Camps: Play Marin offers a variety of summer activities for youth ages 5 through 18 to keep young people active and engaged in building lasting friendships “off season”. Their 2020 summer programming helped kids explore the incredible Marin outdoors through new adventures such as surfing, hiking, golfing, kayaking, biking and more, while learning about and adhering to Marin’s COVID safety protocols.
Extracurricular Activities: Play Marin’s ever-extending programs ensure kids stay connected with their friends and community through enrichment activities such as sports clinics, swim lessons, mountain biking, skateboarding, yoga, cooking, teen programming, social justice and more.
Community
Play Marin has empowered the Marin City community to thrive amidst great change and challenge. Play Marin takes an active role as a community advocate, engaging legal support and growth resources through community partnerships. When Play Marin’s regular programming was halted due to shelter-in-place orders, they pivoted to purchase 600+ meals weekly from local restaurants and provide them to families in need for three months. Play Marin recently led an initiative to revitalize the Marin City Community Center with some of the leading organizations in the Bay Area including the Warriors Foundation, Good Tidings, LIFEWTR, Jennifer Azzi, and Marin City Community Services District. Play Marin also brings Marin City residents together to learn and celebrate their local community.
Youth Leadership
Play Marin helps young leaders rise through its youth programming. As kids grow, Play Marin continues to support and cultivate their leadership. Marin City Matters is a social justice program that was born from this youth leadership. Teens and young adults take active roles within the Marin City community to organize and spur social change, generating empowerment within Marin City and a shared mission for positive social impact and racial equity among youth and residents throughout Marin. These young leaders share powerful stories of strength from their Marin City roots which helps them rise above the many challenges facing youth and leaders of color in today’s world.
About Play Marin’s Founder, Paul Austin
Play Marin Founder & CEO Paul Austin is a longtime Marin City resident who has been a youth advocate for the majority of his professional life. He graduated from Tamalpais High, studied early childhood education at the prestigious Texas Southern University, obtained a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Dominican University and continues a life of learning and enlightenment. Paul founded what is now Play Marin in 2012 to provide Marin City youth athletic and extracurricular activities as well as ethnically and socially diverse peer groups. After serving for several years as Director of Recreation for the Marin City Recreation Center, he began to work as a College and Career Advisor for Bridge the Gap College Preparatory Program. In summer 2020, Paul began working full-time as Chief Executive Officer of Play Marin. Additionally, Paul is the Community Liaison for Luminate Capital Partners, a LuluLemon Ambassador, Trap the Vote Leadership Team Organizer, and a board member of Extra Food.
Get involved
Join fellow SMMC families at the Play Marin Annual Walkathon on October 22. Fundraise and help support the amazing programs that this organization provides to the youth in our community. Sign up on the SMMC calendar. Learn more about the seasonal sport opportunities, summer camps and extracurricular activities offered through Play Marin on their website: www.playmarin.org
Janet Carter serves on the SMMC board as Director of Philanthropy. She is committed to helping members learn more about the wonderful organizations in Marin that support children, youth, mothers, and families. You can volunteer for events through the calendar or contact Janet at janetsmmc@gmail.com.