UNDER ARMOUR plans to fortify millions of young athletes.

Sports apparel-maker Under Armour recently decided to set up a slew of individual scholarships to help young athletes overcome the barriers to participation in high-level competitive sports. Traditionally, the brand has been a sports world benefactor through sponsorships of professional and amateur teams as well as college and university athletic programs (two years ago, Under Armour donated more than $361 million to those entities). But now, it looks as though Under Armour intends to invest that kind of money in student athletes. Among the types of scholarships the brand is said to be establishing are those that will help support sports stars (and potential stars-in-the-making) enrolled at historically black colleges and universities. Also on tap are Under Armour-funded programs to encourage female football players and other pioneering young athletes. Furthermore, Under Armour is playing a role in the creation of programs to assist kids and their coaches. The brand expects that over the next eight years it will have helped young athletes in the millions.