Fresno entrepreneur turns childhood challenges into opportunities for thousands of young athletes

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Jesus Garcia grew up with limited resources and relied on community support to pursue sports. Today, his organization serves thousands of young people across California.

ABC30 highlights Jesus Garcia during Hispanic & Latin American Heritage Month.

Jesus Garcia knows firsthand how much an opportunity can change a young person's life.

Growing up in Fresno in a Mexican immigrant family with roots in Michoacán, Mexico, Garcia loved sports.

Money was often limited, including when it came to competitive sports.

Soccer became a major part of Garcia's life. He also played basketball, volleyball and later continued playing through California Odyssey, Fresno City College and Fresno Fuego.

But some of the opportunities he wanted came with a price his family couldn't always afford.

Scholarships and support from others in the community helped Garcia continue playing.

Those experiences eventually inspired him to create opportunities for other young people.

The Clovis East High School graduate attended Fresno City College and Clovis Community College. Garcia moved on to pursue entrepreneurship.

In 2012, he founded High Performance Academy, or HPA.

What started as a small local organization has grown more than 15 times in size, becoming a multi-region youth development company serving thousands of young people across California each year.

Garcia has also developed partnerships with major sports organizations and brands, including AFC Bournemouth, FC Bayern Munich, Valencia CF, Gatorade, Nike/US Sports Camps and adidas.

One of those partnerships helped bring Gatorade's sports equity initiative to more than 20,000 youth participants, helping expand access to sports and development opportunities.

Garcia's own childhood experience also led him to establish the Project Athletes Foundation, originally known as the HPA Foundation.

The foundation is designed to help remove financial barriers that can keep young people from participating in sports through scholarships, equipment and other support.

Garcia says the goal is simple: a young person's ability to play, develop and pursue meaningful opportunities shouldn't be limited by what their family can afford.

Garcia's work in Central California isn't unnoticed.

He was named a Central Valley 40 Under 40 honoree in 2022 and is a member of Leadership Fresno Class 39.

In 2026, HPA was recognized by the Consulate of Mexico in Fresno for its community impact and work supporting Mexican youth.

HPA also received a City of Fresno proclamation recognizing its contributions to youth and the community.

For Garcia, the journey from athlete to entrepreneur is more than building a successful business.

It's about creating the kind of access, mentorship and sense of belonging that helped shape his own life-and making sure the next generation has those same opportunities.