The campaign to reverse the trend of cuts to youth sports funding is going green.The Sports Matter program run by the DICKS Sporting Goods Foundation has launched a green shoelaces movement. Under the latest all-sports initiative, DICKS will donate $2 from every shoelace sale to Sports Matter. The green shoelaces can be purchased at DICKS stores or online at dicks.com.As I travel around the country, I see more and more young athletes who dont have the means to play, and it breaks my heart, says Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden, now an analyst for ESPN and an ambassador for Sports Matter. The green laces represent more than your average shoelaces. They are a tangible way to raise awareness and start conversation around this crisis, all while raising money for kids who really need it the most.Projections show that 27% of U.S. public high schools might not have any sports programs by 2020, according to Up2Us Sports, a New York-based non-profit. With billions of dollars slashed from youth sports budgets in recent years, DICKS and its foundation have pledged more than $50 million to support teams and raise awareness of the issue. To date, the Sports Matter program has helped nearly 2,000 youth sports teams.Sports helped me get through some tough times in life, and taught me a lot about how to be a man on and off the field, says Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Kids need more chances in life, and I hate to imagine a world where sports arent around to help kids stay out of trouble and succeed.Green shoelace users can show their support as well by taking a picture of their casual or athletic shoes or cleats laced up with green shoelaces and use (hash)SaveYouthSports. You can be sure Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs will make such a fashion statement.Seeing what kids are exposed to nowadays makes the positive influences of coaches and teams more important than ever, Diggs says. The opportunity to play sports is huge in a kids life in so many ways, and not being able to afford joining a team is tragic.Thats why Ill be standing with others who purchase green laces in support of Sports Matter, and proud to wear them during Week 13 on `Thursday Night Football. `DICKS foundation also will use money donated to help raise awareness for and support underfunded youth sports programs.Other athletes involved in the program include Justise Winslow of the Miami Heat, Dexter Fowler of the Chicago Cubs (now a free agent), Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics, and Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets.The initiative also includes a short film profile of the Fifth Ward Saints football organization outside of Houston. It shows the importance of football in the lives of generations of Houston-area kids. At the end of the film, DICKS Foundation donates a $100,000 grant, including new equipment, as a gift.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLSportsMatter.com/greenlaces Herman Edwards Youth Jersey . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. Miles Sanders Youth Jersey . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. https://www.eaglessportsgoods.com/Womens-Brian-Dawkins-Inverted-Jersey/ . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. Fletcher Cox Jersey . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Nick Foles Jersey . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Hampshire have signed George Bailey, the Australian batsman, on a two-year deal to play in all formats of the game.Bailey, at 34, remains an integral part of Australias one-day squad so unless his international career takes a nosedive, or he has retirement plans on his mind, he could miss a month of Hampshires season in June because of the Champions Trophy.Hampshires director of cricket, Giles White, said: George has an excellent record across all formats of the game, has captained his country and is highly regarded as a person. He made a lasting impression during his previous stint with us and we are delighhted to have him at Hampshire for the next couple of years.ddddddddddddBailey, who spent a period at Hampshire in 2013, has also had county spells at Middlesex and Sussex.Hampshire were relegated from Division One of the Championship last season, only to be reprieved when Durham were sent down in their place as punishment for a financial bail-out. Their long run of success in T20 cricket also came to an end when they failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the NatWest Blast. ' ' '