The History of ADSL 

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ADSL was founded in 1983 as a specific response to growing racial tension in Dorchester. ADSL offered local youth from an ethnically and racially diverse neighborhood, a space for reconciliation and the opportunity to be on the same team, instead of seeing one another as adversaries.
 

Originally, All Dorchester Sports League was exclusively a youth sports organization. ADSL’s mission changed in 1997 when we saw an unmet need and added an education resource center (ERC) for tutoring and academic guidance. In 2008, in response to new challenges faced by residents in our community, ADSL expanded once again to offer fitness and nutrition education. After years of continuing growth and success, we changed our name to reflect our new, holistic goal of health and wellness, to All Dorchester Sports and Leadership.

 

In 2020 we have a strong and diverse board, a dedicated Executive Director, and several programs that are highly valued by our participants, their parents, and the larger community. Currently, the overall numbers of youth served by all of ADSL’s programs is about 2,800 per year (up from 500 in 2012). Our goal is to serve all of our youth well through programs which are relevant in today’s social context—including health and nutrition, physical fitness, and academic advancement.

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