A two-time Olympic gold medalist for Team USA, NBA Champion, and Hall of Fame basketball player are some of the titles that Jason Kidd is often referred to as.

Now, he wants to be known as someone who changes lives in youth sports.

In 2021, Kidd launched the “Jason Kidd Foundation,” a youth development initiative that focuses on elite training and competition with the overarching goal to be a facilitator of girls’ basketball growth across the country. Kidd always has held onto his love of baseball, so last summer, he pitched the idea of expanding to youth baseball.

“We're very happy to jump into baseball,” said Kidd. He expressed how “being able to help our youth not just with their skill set, but being able to talk about leadership, discipline and respect” are some of the best ways to give back to young athletes.

Kidd initially reached out to current JK Select 15U head coach, Mike Phelps, last summer to get the ball rolling on turning the idea into a reality. “You want to do it with the right people,” said Kidd.

So far in the National Team Championships Arizona, Phelps and his team hold a clean 3-0 record going into bracket play beginning on Saturday. Last week in the 17U age division, Jason Kidd Select’s roster fought their way to the quarterfinals of Champs Arizona, setting the tone for the rest of the Select programs competing this summer.

“This is the best tournament in the country,” said Kidd. “To be able to come here and showcase your talent and be able to one day represent red, white, and blue, why would you not be here?”

Tournaments like Champs Arizona are crucial in developing the young athletes on Jason Kidd Select’s roster, and Kidd knows how to prioritize and facilitate growth in these players instead of expecting immediate results in the program’s first year. “We're not looking to win championships,” said Kidd. “We're learning to develop and put these young men in the right position to be successful.”

His approach to the program’s inaugural baseball season is focused on growth from all aspects of the organization. “I think the first year is always about learning from mistakes,” said Kidd. The focus is “being able to give back, but also being able to help these young men, that's what it's all about.”

For Kidd, the opportunity to give back is the overarching motivation within the Jason Kidd Foundation. Not only is he looking to develop and prepare players to be potential collegiate or professional athletes, but he also wants to develop very motivated people who could make significant change in the world.

“We want to develop the next leaders of our country,” said Kidd. “Someone could be a president, someone could be a lawyer, and then someone might make it to the Show, so hopefully we can play a part in that.”

As for the parents, Kidd wants to prepare them for how to handle major opportunities and assist in giving guidance when needed as a partnership for the aspiring athletes. He understands the importance of “being able to give them the right information and give them some guidance as [they] help the young men in their journey with baseball.”

Kidd’s love of the game began as a child growing up in California. Alongside his dedication and skills on the basketball court, Kidd also has great memories of playing and following baseball throughout his life.

As an adult, Kidd reflects and appreciates how his time playing baseball “helped in the game of basketball, being able to be challenged one-on-one.” What Kidd loves about the sport now is “the love and the passion.”

More than anything, supporting the game of baseball means supporting his son, Chance, a member of the 15U Jason Kidd Select team.

“He wants to be great,” said Kidd. “As a parent, I get to just cheer, not coach, just be here to cheer.”

Not only for Chance, but for the rest of the athletes in the Select baseball program, Kidd wants them to understand the importance of the relationships they are making and growing along their baseball journey. He wants their main focuses this summer to be “discipline, having a plan, and relationships,” said Kidd.

Overall, Kidd wants to spend the rest of 15U Champs Arizona focused on being a supportive father for his son. “I think it's very cool, because I'm not a coach, I'm just a parent, Uber driver, or maybe even Uber Eats,” he said. “I’m here to support.”