The Watts Rams (originally The Watts Bears) was started in 2013 as a football program to serve the youth residing in one of the most gang affiliated and violent communities of South Central Los Angeles. The Watts Rams were created by LAPD officers from the Southeast Division, with these officers coaching and mentoring student-athletes in football, track, and field. The goal was to offer underprivileged youth in Watts a chance to play organized sports but on a larger scale, and to positively change the historically strained relationship between the police and the community of Watts. 

The program provides a safe and positive outlet for well-deserving kids. To be eligible to participate, the student-athletes have to meet standards in school, stay out of trouble, and must possess a desire to positively contribute to society. The coaches use sports as a one vehicle to introduce, reinforce and promote concepts that we all value in society; strong moral character, positive values, personal responsibility and a commitment to academics. The coaches stress structure, discipline, team spirit, friendship, and positive competition. 

The Watts Rams program hopes to positively change the minds of the youth by challenging, guiding and teaching all our student-athletes to be positive leaders, not only in Watts, but in life.

PILLARS OF SUCCESS

All of our programs are committed to five pillars of success:

Academics
Project Blue programs require all kids to meet a mandatory academic standard. Kids who do not meet this standard will participate in academic enrichment programming (which is also available to kids who exceed the mandatory standard).

Health & Wellness
Project Blue promotes kids’ physical and mental health through education, programming, and other activities. Kids in Project Blue programs get physically healthier and develop greater resilience.

Life Skills
Project Blue kids develop constructive interpersonal skills, professional etiquette and other capabilities that help them function effectively in life. Project Blue kids acquire the skills needed to become successful future adults and productive citizens in society.

Service
Project Blue kids take part in regular service projects within their communities in order to develop pride in their community and a sense of the importance of contributing to their community thriving.

Support & Safety
Project Blue programs will ensure that each child has a parent or guardian meaningfully involved with that child’s participation, and provide extra mentoring for those in need. One or more police officers will lead or participate in each Project Blue program. Officers involved with programs engage with kids and parents in order to foster safety, community, and trust.

The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in Los Angeles, California. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The club has won three …

The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in Los Angeles, California. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The club has won three NFL championships, and is the only one to win championships representing three cities (Cleveland in 1945, Los Angeles in 1951, and St. Louis in 1999). The Rams play their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, until the completion of SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in 2020. Against a loud backdrop of inflamed passions fanned by polarizing media attention, scores of officers and hundreds of children are growing together, learning from one another, and lighting the way toward an increasingly promising future for the children, their families, and the Watts community

Icelandic Glacial is natural spring water from Iceland and is renowned for its high quality and exceptional purity. It is the world's first bottled water to be certified as CarbonNeutral for product and operation. The source of Icelandic Glacial is …

Icelandic Glacial is natural spring water from Iceland and is renowned for its high quality and exceptional purity. It is the world's first bottled water to be certified as CarbonNeutral for product and operation. The source of Icelandic Glacial is Iceland’s legendary Ölfus Spring.

Verbum Dei Jesuit High School's singular objective is to be the best college preparatory school in Los Angeles. To do this, each action we take as an institution must be squarely aimed at supporting the personal growth and development of Verbum Dei students to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to achieve their full potential.

To achieve our objective, every aspect of Verbum Dei Jesuit must be focused on collaboration, teamwork, transparency, programming, and accountability. Our goals will be ambitious - borderline audacious - to ensure we stretch ourselves as an institution to continually strive for excellence.

Verbum Dei Jesuit is unique. Our entire student body is comprised of students from supportive families of limited resources. Each student is provided with opportunities to expand their minds and to develop their character both on-campus through the hard work of our talented faculty and staff and off-campus through our Corporate Work Study Program and community service. Combining these characteristics with the rigor of a Jesuit education truly distinguishes Verbum Dei's mission.

We hope you will join Verbum Dei Jesuit on our journey of excellence as we seek to provide each student with life-changing opportunities to become impactful in our community and beyond.

Watts Rams Partner: Children's Institute

Children's Institute supports children & families in achieving emotional well-being & educational success, which build pathways to economic mobility & lifelong health. We believe that everyone deserves to lead a fulfilling life and realize their abundant potential. We are partners in healing and growth for children and families in Los Angeles communities affected by underinvestment and racist policies that have led to trauma and diminished opportunities.

Against a loud backdrop of inflamed passions fanned by polarizing media attention, scores of officers and hundreds of children are growing together, learning from one another, and lighting the way toward an increasingly promising future for the chil…

Against a loud backdrop of inflamed passions fanned by polarizing media attention, scores of officers and hundreds of children are growing together, learning from one another, and lighting the way toward an increasingly promising future for the children, their families, and the Watts community

The Crown Robinson Family Philanthropy (CRFP) is the giving vehicle of a Los Angeles family that seeks to create private-public partnerships that enable creative solutions to trenchant social problems. Much of CRFPs most vital work is currently done in historic Watts, Los Angeles, where CRFP supports LAPDs community police officers, who often work side-by-side with community members - in mentoring, coaching, tutoring, and otherwise developing youth.

By creating models for officer-engaged organizations to develop the whole child, see the child through developmental challenges, build resilience and academic and athletic confidence, and demonstrate the results of these efforts, the Crown Robinson Family Philanthropy aims to make an impact on Los Angeles that will become a beacon of inspiration for urban communities across the nation.

Project Blue’s mission is to transform the perception of police officers’ roles in the community by partnering with local youth outreach programs. Promote children’s welfare by working with community police departments to help kids in inner cities t…

Project Blue’s mission is to transform the perception of police officers’ roles in the community by partnering with local youth outreach programs. Promote children’s welfare by working with community police departments to help kids in inner cities transcend adversity, form and pursue life goals, and achieve their potential to be good and do good.

SoLa Impact is a family of social impact real estate funds with a double bottom line strategy focused on preserving, refreshing, and creating high-quality affordable housing in low-income communities. Our proven track record leverages data-driven social impact strategies to deliver superior financial returns.

Since 2014 Hav A Sole has given over 65,000 pairs of shoes in 40 cities while touching thousands of lives through, social activism, volunteering and community building. Our movement not only affects the individual who receives the shoes but it increases a sense of social responsibility with its young volunteers offering them a way to get involved in their community. Built upon a grassroots model, Hav A Sole’s goal is to double our efforts so we can increase the amount of shoes given out and touch even more lives. While we receive support from friends from all over the nation, we are especially grateful for the support of ten local Nike outlets who have donated thousands of shoes so the Hav A Sole team could deliver them to homeless individuals and at risk youth.

Watts Rams Partner: Anti-Violence Ventures

We invite Black Men and Boys to Join the Conversation "Stopping All Forms of Violence in our Communities." Anti-Violence Ventures (AVV) intends to break the cycle of violence in the Black community through a series of community conversations that engage Black men and boys.

Contact Us

For all further inquiries on the programs offered by The Watts Rams,
feel free to contact us via this form or take a look at our social
media outlets.

As for volunteer opportunities, we always welcome help with open arms!
Volunteers are needed in all areas, from coaching positions to academic mentoring. With the Watts Rams, everyone makes a difference in what they do. If you are interested, don't hesitate to let us know.

We look forward to hearing from you!