Sports World

As “Doc” Ira Lee Eshleman witnessed the power of the platform that professional athletes had with young people, he grew a passion and heart to help the next generation make positive choices through positive role models. In 1978, Doc founded an organization known as Sports World, Inc. The mission of Sports World was simple: to address problems facing our nation’s youth by sending professional athletes to share personal life experiences with students, helping them to recognize the consequences of their choices while challenging them with a message of hope.

Today, 37 years later, Sports World has encouraged over 17.5 million students, teachers, coaches and administrators along the way.

Because of their professional athletic backgrounds, these trained speakers are able to capture the hearts of students nationwide – providing the hero students so desperately need. Sports World Pros communicate that while the pressures of life continue, each individual battle can be won by making positive choices. Sports World provides opportunities to experience ongoing encouragement, as well as access to tools and resources to equip and empower students long after the event is over.