The organization of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games has carried out several initiatives in recent weeks such as sports clinics, inclusion programs and support for community events as part of a strategy aimed at bringing Olympic sport closer to neighborhoods with significant vulnerable populations. A trend that is becoming increasingly important, although questions remain about how much of these initiatives are genuine and how much are simply for show.

In early March, LA28 took part in several activities across the Los Angeles metropolitan area reflecting this social approach. From promoting adaptive sports to educational initiatives aimed at students from disadvantaged communities, the organizing committee wants to reinforce the role of sport as a tool for inclusion in the lead-up to the Games. And it appears that the intention is for this legacy to truly remain.

It is no coincidence that this strong commitment is taking place in a city like Los Angeles. The social context of the region partly explains this focus. According to federal estimates, the county is home to more than 75,000 homeless people, one of the highest figures in the United States. In addition, nearly 20% of children in the region live in households with incomes below the poverty threshold, a proportion higher than the national average.

A 160 million dollar program

LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans highlighted the value of these initiatives: “When Los Angeles hosts its first Paralympic Games in 2028, the world will experience a power far greater than that of a global sporting event. The Paralympic Games represent an opportunity to change perceptions about people with disabilities and to show what is possible in the pursuit of excellence.”

Many of these initiatives are channelled through PlayLA, a program funded with 160 million dollars from the International Olympic Committee and LA28. The goal is to provide young people across the city with access to quality, affordable sports activities, including adaptive programs within municipal sports offerings for the first time.

Activities across Los Angeles

One example took place on March 4 in Carson, one of the competition venue cities. The first blind soccer-specific pitch in the Los Angeles region was inaugurated there in collaboration with the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes, PlayLA and LA Galaxy. More than 60 visually impaired young people took part in a clinic led by members of the United States national blind soccer team. The discipline will be part of the Paralympic program in 2028.

The community approach was also present at the YMCA Girls Empowerment Day, held in Carson to celebrate International Women’s Day. The event brought together more than 5,000 students from the Los Angeles school district for a day focused on leadership, wellbeing and sport.

Throughout the day participants took part in sports clinics and met industry professionals, including Olympian Queen Harrison Claye. At the end of the event, LA28 distributed sports equipment through the Gift of Sport program with the aim of removing financial barriers to participation.

The same initiative was present at the Los Angeles Marathon, where more than 4,000 students took part in the race through Students Run LA (SRLA), a program that combines sports training with educational mentorship for young people from underserved communities.

What happened in Rio, Tokyo or Paris

The focus on community programs reflects a growing trend within the Olympic movement, which in recent cycles has strengthened the narrative of social legacy as a central part of the impact of the Games.

At Rio 2016, for example, sports and urban regeneration projects were promised for favela communities, although several later studies and journalistic investigations indicated that many of those initiatives had limited continuity.

At Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, inclusion and youth sport promotion initiatives were also launched, although their long-term impact is still yet to be seen.

Between real impact and Olympic narrative

The case of Los Angeles 2028 also takes place under a different organizational model, largely based on existing infrastructure. In this context, social and community legacy has become one of the central pillars of the organizing committee’s narrative and appears to have the potential to become a tangible legacy.

Experience from previous editions shows, however, that the real value of these initiatives can only be assessed over time. The challenge for Los Angeles will be to determine how much of this community momentum remains several years after the 2028 Games have ended.