Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC) has announced the creation of a new Sports Equity Fund, which will provide scholarships to Ohio’s youth athletes in need of financial assistance to pay for athletic equipment, team fees or other expenses relating to participation in sports.
The fund is designed to reduce barriers to participation for Ohio LGBTQ+ athletes, though all K-12 athletes between the ages of 12 and 18, including recent high school graduates, are eligible to apply for funds. The scholarships can also be used towards club sports, recreational teams and classes not affiliated with school athletics.
“We are grateful for our community partners for providing KYC with resources to create the Sports Equity Fund,” said KYC executive director Erin Upchurch, MSSA, LISW-S. “Especially during a time when transgender athletes are under attack, we are excited to have a way to help reduce additional barriers to participation for young athletes. Sports and exercise provide countless mental health benefits, and all young people should have the opportunity to gain the social, leadership and communication skills that come from being part of a team.”
Equal access to athletics is presently at risk in Ohio as the state legislature is considering HB 68, which would ban transgender girls in Ohio from competing in sports in K-12 and higher education. The bill is currently moving through the Ohio Senate after being passed by the Ohio House in June. If it passes the Senate, HB 68 would next head to Governor DeWine for his signature. HB 68 also bans gender-affirming care for minors.
The Sports Equity Fund was created from a $10,000 donation from the GSWS Columbus and the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA), a 501c(3) international sports organization dedicated to providing opportunity and access for the LGBT community to participate in organized softball competition in safe environments. In 2021, Local Committee and NAGAAA held a fundraiser to support the creation of this grant during the Gay Softball World Series (GSWS), which was hosted in Columbus that year.
“Sports are associated with lower rates of stress, anxiety, depression and suicidal behavior,” said Dallas Aldridge, GSWS-Columbus Executive Director. “LGBTQ youth who are excluded from sports participation are unable to benefit from its positive effects. It’s critical that we take steps to remove all barriers to participation and create opportunities for youth to access sports organizations that are accepting and welcoming of the LGBTQ community,” he added.
The Sports Equity Fund application will open in January but you can sign up here to receive more information when the scholarship process goes live. Applicants must provide a description of the sport they are playing, the amount needed from the fund and what expenses the money will cover. 🔥
Ignite Action
- Sports Equity Fund applications will open in January 2024 at kycohio.org/as-a-youth. Sign up here to receive more information when the scholarship process goes live.
- If you would like to donate to help support the fund, go here.
- KYC has a podcast called “Speaking Queerly” and they discuss this wonderful opportunity in the latest episode. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
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