Findlay Acura supports youth sports

When brothers Cory and Pat Gray graduated from Centennial High School after playing football for four years, they felt remarkably alone in their quest to make a career out of what they loved to do -- play football.

They saw many of their cohorts in similar situations and watched as their peers played for nearby junior colleges and eventually turned to other pursuits.

The brothers thought: "Wouldn't it be great if there were a way for Las Vegas Valley youth and teenagers to have a support structure beyond their school that helped them train and prepare for a career as a professional athlete?"

Soon after, the Findlay Acura-supported website, www.AthletesRUs.net, was born. After a year in the making it launched in August 2009.

AthletesRUs.net is a virtual community that connects young male and female athletes to trainers, recruiters and ultimately opportunities in their sport of choice. Athletes sign up by creating a personal profile complete with sports stats, the colleges they most admire (and one day hope to attend) and demo videos and pictures, to name a few profile elements.

Although the founders are based in Las Vegas AthletesRUs.net isn't just for Las Vegas area youth. It can be used by young athletes anywhere in the world. In fact, one of the site's members is located in France.

Most of the site's members are football, basketball and baseball players, but athletes of all sports are encouraged to create profiles.

"Our greatest challenge is just getting the word out," Cory Gray said. "We're targeting high schools, coaches and star athletes to let them know about the resources provided by AthletesRUs.net. We're also reaching out to recruiters and college coaches to show them what we're doing and get their participation."

Some of the most popular activities sponsored by the site are training clinics and camps. Every Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. at Aliante Nature Discovery Park in North Las Vegas, AthletesRUs.net hosts an open training session conducted by skilled athletic trainers and focused on speed, agility and strength training. All young athletes are invited to participate.

"We couldn't do what we're doing if it weren't for community-minded businesses like Findlay Acura," Pat Gray said. "We're really grateful for their support. And we're quite proud to play a small role in the success of young athletes, both in the Las Vegas area and around the world."

AthletesRUs.net sponsorship opportunities are available. Sponsors provide the funds necessary to maintain the site and programs, and are also used to purchase athletic equipment, as well as provide scholarships for outstanding young athletes.

"We agree with Cory and Pat Gray that today's youth should be encouraged to be their best in athletics and academics," said James Cobbs, Findlay Acura's general manager. "We support AthletesRUs.net because it provides an important service to young athletes in the Las Vegas area and beyond. It helps them reach their potential and perhaps even one day achieve their dreams."