Youth Sports Alliance gives youth a seat at the boardroom table

Sheccid Mejia-Villanueva is taking a seat on the Youth Sports Alliance Board of Trustees. Photo: Keela Jarvis Photography

PARK CITY, Utah. — Sheccid Mejia-Villanueva has accepted a seat on the board of trustees for the Park City nonprofit Youth Sports Alliance (YSA) this month.

Mejia-Villanueva was one of the first students to sign up when the Youth Sports Alliance launched its Get Out and Play program more than a decade ago. She participated in Get Out and Play skiing throughout her elementary school years. Fast forward and she is heading to the University of Utah in the fall on a full ride to the Business Scholars Program. While wrapping up her final year of high school, she’s juggling her internship with the Park City Community Foundation’s RISE program, work with the Women’s Giving Grant Committee, leading the Park City High School Cheer squad as Captain, and serving as the student representative on the Park City School District Board.

“After starting off young with YSA, I’m excited to see how many things have changed and how many things I can change being on the board with them,” she said. “When they reached out to me, I didn’t expect it but I felt like I was ready and no doors had opened for me yet until YSA came along. I’ve always been very engaged with YSA so when they asked me to join their board I didn’t hesitate.”

Learning to ski in fourth grade with YSA and skiing ever since, she also snowboards, ice skates and has mentored in the mountain bike program. Her passion for sports was ignited through YSA, she said. 

“We are excited and proud to have Sheccid join the YSA board,” said Thor Kallerud, president of the YSA Board of Trustees and director of research for Wasatch Global Investors. “She is a very successful young woman who has already accomplished impressive goals. The fact that she grew up in the YSA program in Park City adds a ton of value to the YSA board.”

Representation of the youth aspect of the Youth Sports Alliance is seen as important to the organization on all levels. The sports aspect comes in the form of partnerships with resorts, equipment companies and transportation entities. The Alliance aspect looks like strong, trusted working relationships with school districts and sport governing bodies.   

“Our Get Out and Play programming is at the point where the kids who signed up as first-graders when we launched the programming are now young adults. Sheccid brings with her first-hand experience of our programs and helps to better connect us to the Latinx community,” said Emily S. Fisher, executive director of the Youth Sports Alliance.

“I was thrilled to hear that Sheccid, as a young leader in the Park City community and a past participant in the Youth Sports Alliance programs, was interested in joining the board. When I met her in person for the first time, I was inspired by her story, her energy and her desire to give back. The decision to add Sheccid to the board was an absolute no-brainer,” said Hannah Kearney, YSA board member and Olympic Gold and Bronze Medal Skier.

View YSA donation options here.