SEATTLE — The idea for Level the Field Sports came when to brothers realized not all their friends could afford to play youth sports. Seventh grader Justin and his brother Jacob, a 5th grader, presented the problem to their parents, and their nonprofit was born.
“We started it because we thought it was unfair that only people who could afford to play sports had sports available to them,” said Justin Rivera of Level the Field Sports.
His brother Jacob said creating the nonprofit felt "very joyful."
"We're actually making an impact on the world.”
Their mission is to promote equal access to youth sports by eliminating financial barriers and raising awareness for inclusion.
“Money shouldn't even be a factor about thinking for sports” said Jacob. “We think sports should be free.”
Competitive sports are no longer an activity where children can just show up and play. There are team dues and required fees to join local leagues, in addition to gear and travel costs.
“Club sports are not inexpensive. You have to buy the equipment, you have to shuttle your kids to practices-- all those costs add up,” said Diego Rivera.
Removing these barriers will create equal access to youth sports.
“Not everybody has it easy and it's not automatic that all kids can just play sports,” said Nancy Le.
What started as two brothers' idea to help fellow teammates, is now a nonprofit that provides scholarships and financial assistance to children in grades K-5.
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