Alejandro Escarrá Gil is a man on a mission to make a positive impact wherever possible, and he is always ready to do it in his unique way. His background is diverse, and his empathy for the ones around him is one of the many things that make him so great at what he does. Alejandro originally began his education by studying Business Administration, but he soon became convinced that at that time his future was in the world of Law. Not only did he come from a family of lawyers, but he knew that he had talent and a strong connection with the discipline of the legal industry. He found out how accurate that assessment was as he continued along this path.
Alejandro graduated from Venezuela’s Universidad Católica Andrés Bello with his Law degree. He continued to obtain a specialist degree in Human Rights from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and a Diploma of Advanced Studies (D.E.A) in the PhD Program in Constitutional Law from the Carlos III University of Madrid. He spent the next 17 years working with companies of all sizes, from large to small, as well as non-profit groups and government agencies. Alejandro is incredibly proud of his work with the Caracas Foundation, the entity in charge of housing for disadvantaged citizens, the Simón Bolíivar Foundation, and the Supreme Tribunal Justice in Venezuela.
In 2009 Alejandro and his wife decided to spend some time volunteering in a school in Uganda, working with kids with financial struggles. What astonished him was the endless smiles on all their faces despite their poor conditions.
Alejandro happily lived his life with no regrets, however, in 2019, while in Venezuela, Alejandro Escarrá Gil had what he describes as an existential, life-changing experience. This revelation pushed Alejandro to reevaluate his life’s priorities and help him turn to embrace the field that he has always had an interest in – reaching out to the youth in poor communities through a love of sports.
Alejandro returned to school to pursue his ultimate life’s dream. He received a Sport and Society degree from Duke University, followed by certification in Sports Law from Barça Innovation Hub Universitas. He then earned his MBA in Sport Management from the Universidad Europea and the Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid.
Alejandro Escarrá Gil’s last experience was as an intern at the LaLiga Getafe Football Club Foundation, which works to better society through the Club’s Social Responsibility policies. For him, one of the best projects he worked with was the Genuine Project, a competitive league implemented by the LaLiga Foundation for boy and girl with an intellectual disability to a degree of more than 33%, where they developed their social, leadership and sport skills, with a sense of inclusion and pride difficult to see somewhere else.
Alejandro Escarrá Gil on Sports Foundations Making a Difference
Alejandro Escarrá Gil sincerely believes that sports have a positive effect on youth all over the world. Academically, student-athletes perform better, and sports teach them the concept of teamwork and how to problem-solve. There are also numerous health benefits to staying active, leading to a boost in self-esteem and a way to relieve stress, proven to have a physiological connection to the body. Aside from all these personal benefits, Alejandro knows there are also plenty of ways in which sports partner with charities to give back to communities.
The Foundation for Global Sports Development is one such organization. This group’s mission is to support initiatives to promote education, abuse-free sports, fair play, and education. A division of the organization, Sidewinder Films, helps promotes this message by delivering it to a broader audience through films and documentaries. Each year, they review grant requests and choose those that share their vision.
Karsyn’s Krusaders is a one-of-a-kind partnership that joined the racing world with the fight against childhood cancer. In addition to promoting fundraising events that support advanced research initiatives, they also sponsor activities designed exclusively to put a smile on a child’s face. This ranges anywhere from sending a card to fulfilling a make-a-wish type of dream.
Another organization Alejandro Escarrá Gil was amazed to know about is the Beyond Sports Network Foundation. This group helps to guide promising young athletes as they transition from high school to college. The BSN Foundation has created a new metric in athletic testing that provides coaches with valuable information to help the recruiting process. It works by BSN evaluating an athlete and returning a quantifiable score to illustrate the areas of strength and areas of focus an athlete needs to develop. Free events sponsored by BSN bring together athletes, coaches, and communities who rally support, local athletes. After a review of their work, one of Alejandro’s beliefs is that they take dreams and make them a reality.
While team sports may get more notoriety, Alejandro knows that even something as individualized as skateboarding can make a massive difference to a community. The Harold Hunter Foundation (HHF) is a nonprofit organization based in New York to honor the skateboarder Harold Hunter’s memory. They work tirelessly to provide opportunities and promote advocacy for NYC youth. There are other groups based on skateboarding legends as well. The Tony Hawk Skatepark Project provides access to legal, safe places to skate all across America, benefitting youth who could otherwise get into trouble or who have no other positive influences in their lives. Action Sports Kids Foundation (ASK) is a club in Long Beach, CA, dedicated to providing youth an alternative to gang life on the streets. They offer activities such as skateboarding, education, and community involvement. The Long Beach skate park program was one of the most successful projects in America.
Although Alejandro Escarrá Gil has not worked personally with these foundations, they represent the positive effect sports can have on people and their communities, which is one of his greatest passions.
