Our History
Gear up 2 Play is a nonprofit organization founded in 2020, in response to the growing inequality between those that can afford to play organized sports and those that can’t, and the prominent role of the cost of sporting goods in the industry.
After working with youth sports and professional athletics, we realized the amount of equipment that goes to waste from the health and fitness, sports community, public schools, and professional sports organizations. In response, he decided to develop and way to reuse that equipment and put it into good use
Our Mission
To provide gently used and new sports equipment to kids, teams, schools, leagues, and communities in need.
Our Vission
To create an equal environment that allows any child to participate in athletic activities without the financial burden of equipped cost.
What we do in a nutshell
Gear up 2 play collects gently used and new sports and fitness equipment then distributes that equipment to kids, schools, leagues, and communities in need.
A Note From Our Founder:
Like most kids that grew up in a low-income NY suburban community, I was not fortunate to participate in after-school or private sports activities due to financial restrictions. Wishing that I could participate in organized activities such as martial arts, football, basketball, or swimming was only a dream. I did not have the advantage to reap the emotional and physical benefits of youth sports. Like many adults today who grew up in a similar environment, I can only imagine what my childhood would’ve been if I had those opportunities.
Unfortunately, too many children from low-income families don’t have the financial means to participate in extra-curriculum activities due to the high cost of sports gear and membership fees. Statistics show that children from low-income families are more likely not to enroll in youth fitness and sports activities due to the lack of knowledge, high-cost equipment, and membership fees.
As a youth sports coach and fitness professional working with organized sports communities, public schools, and low-income families in NY, I was amazed by two things: To see how many kids didn’t join a sports activity because they thought they couldn’t afford the gear or the membership and
1. The lack of proper gear if any, to keep our kids active and safe in sports activities.
2. It was amazing to see the regularity in which people and organizations alike throw away unused or still perfectly good sports and fitness gear.
It was this personal experience that led me to develop “Gear up 2 play” which is essentially a “recycle center for fitness and sporting gear”.
Gear up 2 play allows us to collect and redistribute sports and fitness gear to kids, teams, schools, and communities in need.
With the support of local sports communities, families, and sports and fitness organizations, we can provide quality equipment to schools, youth organizations, and after-school programs. This effort will ensure that kids have the proper gear for any extra curriculum activity without the financial burden for equipment. We are thrilled to continue our mission through the combined effort of our growing network of supporters to ensure that one day all kids can have the opportunity to participate in extra-curriculum activities no matter what social or economic status they are in.
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Our Process is simple
