.png)
About Us
Welcome to Play it Forward!!
We are a non-profit based out of the suburban Minnesota area, dedicated to serving towards our goal of aiding young children to fall in love with and be able to participate in sports. You might be wondering: Why sports? And why should children invest their lives into them? Well, did you know that “physically active children become adults who are more productive at work, obtain 7-8% higher annual earnings and have lower levels of depression?” Sports hold such an incomparable potential in young lives which shape them into resilient, confident, and well-adjusted beings, determined to embrace the challenges that lie ahead.
Unfortunately, 20% of kids can't participate in sports because of financial constraints. A typical parent spends an average of $693 annually, per child on youth sports; and this doesn't even account for the travel costs! Equipment, gear, and lessons add up significantly, and this interrupts them from benefiting from all that sports have to offer. We dug deeper into how we could support these children and Play it Forward emerged!
What we do: A small impact can go a lasting way
A way we can help is to simply fundraise. We collect used and new sports gear consisting of sports clothing (jerseys, uniforms, pants, etc.), and equipment (helmets, shoes, balls). We will be having fun events and drives to assist in collecting this equipment and to spread the word to encourage others to donate. We will also need many hands to make these events a reality, and if you are a student, parent, or wanting something to do, volunteering is a great way to contribute to the cause! (check daily in the Get Involved section for updates)
Donations do not have to be expensive! If you have played a sport in the past and have some old equipment laying around, donating it is always appreciated :)
Our Story: Why we started Play it Forward
We watched as passionate sports enthusiasts our whole childhood, how the journey of playing sports impacted our naive selves. Play it Forward allowed us to combine our love for sports with the wish to have a positive effect on young lives like it did on ours. We cannot wait to see the future interactions we have with these children- to see ourselves in their eager eyes, remembering the excitement we felt when we first started discovering the joy that erupted in playing sports. As mentors and students, we will strive to create an environment where they can develop not only as athletes but also as individuals.