Justin Herbert is helping other kids experience the youth sports program that changed his life(Getty Images)
Herbert first took steps to support Kidsports in 2021, when he announced the Justin Herbert Invitational at Shadow Hills Country Club. The inaugural tournament took place on July 8, 2021, with a fundraising target of $100,000. On July 7, 2022, Herbert returned to Eugene for the second annual Justin Herbert Invitational at Shadow Hills Country Club.
If I have even the slightest chance at giving back and helping them, I’d love to do it,” he said. “Having gone through it for so many years, I know how great it is,” Herbert said. “I think so much is learned through sports, stuff that you don’t learn in the classroom,” the Chargers quarterback said during the July 8 interview. “All of the money, all of the proceeds will go to making sure that every kid will have a chance to play,” he told KMTR in its April 9, 2021 report.
The event also brought together football personalities and local businesses, with the money going towards helping children participate in sports. “Eugene’s always been my home and I’ve loved that community and they’ve given me so much. “Teamwork and commitment and – just to have fun, and growing up and playing with your best friends, I don’t think it gets much better than that. The fundraiser did not end with its inaugural edition. The event continued supporting Kidsports and its efforts to make youth sports accessible to local families. The quarterback admitted he never expected to reach the NFL when he was playing for Sheldon High School.
I thought high school football was the biggest deal in the world and just playing for Sheldon, playing quarterback on the varsity team, that meant the world to me and I thought that was it,” Herbert told KMTR on July 7, 2022. “No chance!