Beyond the Boardroom Paul Austin, executive director of Play Marin
How did Play Marin expand its reach? I started having a lot of families from other areas of Marin County coming and saying they wanted their kid to participate in the program. These were families that, some of them, were fortunate and had means. Some of them were also kids of color that were living and going to school in predominantly white areas and were looking to be around other kids of color—and parents valued that. What’s a Play Marin accomplishment you’re particularly proud of? In 2020 we were able to get the Marin City rec basketball courts redone in partnership with the [Golden State] Warriors. Are there any mentoring opportunities for young adults who want to gain experience working with youth? Over the last year we really opened up our volunteer opportunities to high schoolers as a destination to come and volunteer in whichever way they see fit. We did a tennis program the last couple of years because a high school volunteer organized it, got a group together. . What goals are ahead? We need a [new] playing field in Marin City. We don’t have one like every other area—which just leads back to kids being able to be brought up in a healthier community and being able to do all of the field sports. The one we have is around 70 years old and I feel like it’s falling apart. And we need more space because if we had more space, we could do more programs—I could provide more. So, I have to be able to fight for that. How do you handle the pressure of being a role model to underserved kids? A lot of prayers. Part of it is understanding that it is bigger than myself. Being put into this position, where people trust you, people believe in you and count on you, it is a lot of responsibility. But I also have a background where I was raised in a church, I’ve always been an activist and I believe that God won’t put anything on my shoulders that I can’t handle. How do you approach leadership? I’m a pretty calm person, I’m a thinker. For the most part, I can see a silver lining all the time. The glass should always be half full, in my eyes. In times when it’s not though, I don’t mind standing strong and standing on my beliefs and morals. Making sure that I continue to put black and brown bodies at the forefront of why we are doing this work. What’s your favorite sport to play—and favorite to watch? [At the moment] I like to play bocce and bowl. Both sports are competitive, easy to do and are good ways to meet people. My favorite sport to watch is basketball—I can watch it all day. Do you enjoy pickleball as much as the rest of the North Bay? I do enjoy pickleball. I had a skate park put in Marin City. The skate park started to fall apart because it was wooden, so we took it down and put in pickleball courts. It’s so fun—and I like that it moves so fast. Your go-to game with kids? Red Light, Green Light is a classic. You can never go wrong with that one. P aul Austin noticed there was a need for more inclusive athletic programs in Marin City, where he felt kids didn’t have the proper access to sports. This was the catalyst for establishing Play Marin, which bills itself as a nonprofit designed to provide equitable access to enriching activities like athletics, adventure programs and arts. Launched in 2012, Play Marin has grown substantially over the years. Initially the program began by offering basketball programs, and now the organization has expanded to incorporate track and field, tennis, volleyball, mountain biking, as well as creative spaces like theater and art. Beyond team sports programs, Play Marin also has summer and fishing camps, ski trips and an annual gravity car derby. Austin would also like to incorporate more music-focused activities. Austin pushes the kids of Play Marin to be their best—not just in sports, but also as students and as people. Play Marin is dedicated to fostering community engagement, leadership skills and personal growth to children and teenagers from diverse backgrounds—Austin wants the trajectory for each of the Play Marin kids to be sky high. For more information, visit playmarin.org. By Rosie Padilla
Duncan Garrett Photography
66 NorthBaybiz
March 2025
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