Hats for the Hatless

The Washington Post recently reported on a heart warming story about an organization dedicated to getting sports uniforms and equipment to underprivileged children.

Max Levitt founded the Silver Spring, MD area Leveling the Playing Field in 2013.  Levitt said, "I wanted to start something on my own, to hopefully change a systemic problem.” Leveling the Playing Field 

takes donations of gently used sports equipment, uniforms, and caps, and makes them available to groups such as Dynamic Works Program Support, a D.C. area youth sports organization run by Kevin and Tondrea Giles.

Said Mr. Giles: "In my mind I’m saying, ‘God, you are faithful'...This is almost unbelievable. You cannot overstate how much this is needed.”

Youth sports participation has increased in some areas in recent years. However, as Michael S. Rosenwald reports, "There is a concern that the uptick appears limited to children in higher income families." 

He continues, "A 2014 study by the University of Florida showed sports participation rates for children among families earning more than $100,000 per year is 33 percent. For those below $25,000, it's 15 percent."

Many of the life-long lessons imparted by team sports can be lost to young people who don't have these opportunities, and this can in turn create a self-perpetuating cycle, in which the very people who would benefit most from the structured atmosphere of team sports are the people who don't get the chance to participate.

This comes amidst reports that

youth sports participation on the whole is dropping. Rosenwald tells us, "More than 26 million children ages 6 to 17 played team sports in 2014, down nearly 4 percent from 2009, according to a widely cited survey by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. Total sports played have plummeted by nearly 10 percent."

Many factors are suspected to be behind this trend, including a focus on sport-specialization, increasing economic stratification, and the pull of screen-based entertainments such as tablets, cell phones, and video games. Rosenwald finds much of the fault with the parents of youth sports, who often often pressure their children to focus on winning and competing at ever higher levels, even when this means the young athletes get less satisfaction and ultimately quit sooner.

Still, few dispute the net positive impact sports participation can have on development, and the many parents, coaches, teachers, and administrators involved will continue to strive to give as many kids as possible the best experience they can. The more kids who have the sports team uniforms and equipment they need, the better experiences they will have, and ultimately the more growth their communities will have as a result of their experiences. 

Pinstripes and Patriotism on 84th Street

Here at TSP HQ in the birthplace of America, Philadelphia, we’ve always appreciated the unique relationship between baseball and this great country of ours. Like warm apple pie and cold vanilla ice cream, acoustic guitars and sad songs about mama, few things go together in the summer time as well as baseball and America.

Unfortunately for us, our hometown Phillies haven’t exactly been lighting the National League on fire in the summer of 2015.  So we’ve been looking elsewhere for our baseball-inspired patriotism fix. Luckily for us, one of our very own Team Sports Planet-outfitted teams has got that covered and then some.

Based out of Byron Center, Michigan, and sponsored by the 84^th Street Pub & Grille, each of the young players on the 84^th Street Sliders baseball team has found a unique way of showing their pride and appreciation for the land they love. While Camo uniforms are all the rage in baseball these days, these jerseys represent something much more than band-wagon, trendy uniforms.

Seen here in our exclusive design-your-own Camo Rilla baseball jersey, featuring a pin stripe body and camo sleeves, the Sliders chose to go the extra mile to show off their pride in playing America’s pastime in the heartland of America.  They opted for player numbers with an American flag design and our red, white and blue Pro Trucker Hat that speaks for itself. But they didn’t stop there.

Each member of the team also honors a fallen soldier by wearing his or her name on the back of their jerseys in place of their own name.

Nick Fedwa, pictured above, chose to honor Petty Officer Third Class Walter Scot Blakey with his jersey. Blakey was killed while serving on the battleship USS Iowa in the North Atlantic near Puerto Rico in 1989.

Scot was killed when 550 pounds of gunpowder exploded inside of the number 2, 16 inch gun turret on the battleship USS Iowa in the North Atlantic near Puerto Rico on April 19, 1989Scot was killed when 550 pounds of gunpowder exploded inside of the number 2, 16 inch gun turret on the battleship USS Iowa in the North Atlantic near Puerto Rico on April 19, 1989Scot was killed when 550 pounds of gunpowder exploded inside of the number 2, 16 inch gun turret on the battleship USS Iowa in the North Atlantic near Puerto Rico on April 19, 1989Scot was killed when 550 pounds of gunpowder exploded inside of the number 2, 16 inch gun turret on the battleship USS Iowa in the North Atlantic near Puerto Rico on April 19, 1989Scot was killed when 550 pounds of gunpowder exploded inside of the number 2, 16 inch gun turret on the battleship USS Iowa in the North Atlantic near Puerto Rico on April 19, 1989

These patriotic sluggers recently finished another successful season, capturing championships in four tournaments: the All-American Slugfest, the Windmill Super Regional, the Backyard Blast, and the Battle for the Beach. 

For a little more information on how these folks are honoring America’s fallen heroes while scoring success on the baseball diamond, check out this video.

And to keep up with all things Sliders, be sure to like and follow their Facebook page HERE.

We’d like to salute their success on the field and even more importantly, their class in showing appreciation and respect for America’s heroes.