Our Story
Sea League began in 2020, during a moment of national reckoning that took shape through a unity paddle out organized to bring people together around reflection, solidarity, and care for one another.
Written by our Founder, Chris Ragland
There was a lot of energy around diversifying ocean sports,
but very few pathways for young people from historically underserved communities to actually get in the water in a way that felt safe, supported, and sustained.
In the months that followed, I began taking a small group of Black youth in Santa Barbara surfing, stand-up paddling, snorkeling, and out on boats. We did the things I had grown up doing and the activities that had shaped my own connection to the ocean. What quickly became clear was that the barrier was not interest - it was access, familiarity, and trust.
As I watched these kids experience the ocean for the first time, one question kept coming up: where is the Little League for ocean recreation? In most cases, kids who spend time in the ocean grow up in families with a legacy of doing so. Parents surf, sail, and swim because their parents did. Without that background, the ocean can feel intimidating or off-limits.
So what began as a unifying moment, quickly grew into a movement to reshape our relationship with the ocean. Not just in Santa Barbara but for coastal communities throughout California.
Today, Sea League serves hundreds of youth each year, many of whom are experiencing the ocean in this way for the first time. We are building something we hope becomes as trusted and familiar to families as Little League or AYSO, but rooted in the coast and centered on care for the ocean.
Sea League is a 501(c)3, fiscally sponsored project of
