Our Mission

The Heritage Youth Sports Foundation encourages youth development by providing opportunities for personal and athletic growth.  The Heritage Foundation promotes sportsmanship, self-esteem, and the development of life skills through engaging youth in sports while providing a safe, healthy, positive environment where the youth of our community can learn the fundamentals of sports. 

We believe all children can embrace who they are, can define their future, and can change the world.

Our Goals

• To promote sportsmanship, teamwork and cultural interaction through sporting competition
• To provide the highest quality athletic programs for Minnesota's young people
• Set goals that are worthy of their time, energy and focus.
• Achieve a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem and learn valuable leadership skills.
• Establish personal standards of excellence.
• Unite in group goals and common commitment.
• Build skills in empathy, humility, generosity and compassion.
• Learn life lessons both on and off the field of play.

On KARE 11 - December 2, 2021:
Mike Shelton makes sure kids learn about more than just sports with the Heritage Youth Sports Foundation. They also learn how to become better people.

Our Programs
 

Youth Sports
Boys & Girls -  Grades K-3 & 4-7
Our Youth Sports program has three main components - camps/clinics, teams and tournaments.

• Camps/Clinics
  Camps/Clinics are for beginning learners with the goal of developing skills and understanding the fundamentals of the sport - so they have the background they need before joining a team.   Clinics are generally 6 weeks and held on Saturdays.
   
• Teams
  Once kids have the skills and understand the fundamentals of the sport they can advance to one of our teams.  The teams are formed by grade level and/or ability level.
   
• Tournaments
  Some of the sports have tournaments - and teams/team players can advance to this.

In addition to instruction in the sport itself we encourage healthy emotional growth, physical fitness, social diversity and a love of sport; as well as instilling values of teamwork, respect, self-confidence and more.
 

Athleadership
Boys & Girls -  Grades 8-12
Our Athleadership program is all about student athletes learning to become leaders and then mentors. (There are no team sports for this age group.)   

• Learning
  Althleaders will learn about being a leader through our Self Discovery curriculum - they will learn what it takes to be a leader, skills they need to lead others, training on conflict resolution,  and more.  All skills that can help them  on the field, at home, in school and for life.
   
• Leading
  Once they finish learning the curriculum they will move up to teaching that curriculum to younger students - through the clinics and teams in the youth sports program.   They become a mentor and role model for the younger students.  All this is done under the guidance of a HYSF adult.