LaZerte’s Level the Field Initiative

The Cause

Our idea is to level the playing field when it comes to involvement in high school sports at our school. High school athletics provide an invaluable opportunity for youth to develop essential life skills such as teamwork, discipline, resilience, and leadership. Many students at our school are from low-income families and face financial barriers that prevent them from participating in school sports programs due to the costs associated with registration fees, sports gear, and travel expenses.
Our school is seeking $15,000 to support approximately 150 students in our high school athletic programs, covering essential expenses such as uniforms, equipment, transportation and team participation fees for sports like basketball, volleyball, rugby, football and track. By ensuring these athletes have the necessary resources to participate, we can create a more inclusive and equitable school community, allowing all students to benefit from the physical and mental health advantages associated with sports participation.
As a school, we believe and have witnessed the transformative power of sports. Being a part of a school team fosters personal growth, builds community, and provides students with valuable life skills that extend far beyond the playing field. Our school works closely with local organizations, donors and families to ensure that all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, can participate in school sports. Ensuring everyone’s ability to participate is becoming more challenging due to more and more need each year. For example, in the last three years alone, we have seen a substantial rise in our need for financial assistance for our student athletes. In just three years, we have seen the need increase from $4224 in 2021-2022 to over $16,190 in the 2023-2024 school year. This drastic increase of almost four times the amount is something we are looking to combat as we believe school athletics is a force of positive change; one that can change lives and permeates throughout the community.

Who Will it Benefit?

Participation in high school sports can be life-changing, but for many students that come from low-income families, financial constraints pose a significant barrier. The costs associated with playing sports, including registration fees, uniforms, shoes, transportation and equipment, can range from $100 to $1000 per student, depending on the sport. Many of our student athletes want to participate in more than one team, but for families that are already struggling to meet basic needs, these costs are often prohibitive and therefore we see many students needing to drop out.
This financial barrier disproportionately impacts students from marginalized communities, many of whom are already facing other challenges such as systemic racism, family instability, mental health issues, and involvement with the justice system. Without access to sports, these students miss out on the physical and mental health benefits, the opportunity to build social networks, and the chance to develop critical life skills that can contribute to future success.
By providing financial assistance to cover the costs of participation in school sports, we can ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in activities that promote physical health, emotional well-being, and social connection. This project will target approximately 150 high school students who attend M.E. LaZerte High School. These students come from diverse backgrounds but share the common challenge of facing financial barriers that limit their ability to participate in school sports. Many of these students come from low-income families, single-parent households, or communities that have historically faced systemic barriers to educational and athletic opportunities.
In particular, we will prioritize students who are:
- From families living below the poverty line.
- Facing additional barriers, such as involvement with the justice system, mental health challenges, or instability at home.
- Underrepresented in school sports, including students from Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities.