Two local moms are spearheading an initiative to provide sports equipment, gear, and apparel to children from low-income families.
Let Them Play flyer
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
Two local moms are spearheading a new initiative to provide sports equipment, gear, and apparel to children from low-income families.
Worcester County residents Ashley Barcus and Lauren Nornes have kick-started Let Them Play, a program that aims to ease the financial burden of sports uniforms, field hockey and lacrosse sticks, soccer balls, cleats, baseball bats, dance costumes, etc., off economically disadvantaged parents. The pair are partnering with Horizons Delmarva, a nonprofit supporting low-income public-school students in Wicomico and Worcester counties to bridge the “achievement gap.”
“We are adamant that sports are more than just getting out there and playing a game for an hour and a half, especially for young kids,” Nornes said. “Having the option to play sports helps them develop. So many kids never get the friends, morals, and values that come from doing a sport.”
The project leaders said they have seen first-hand how pricey athletic programs can get. Barcus noted that her children play baseball and soccer, and one wants to try out for football in the fall. Nornes’ family is into soccer, horseback riding, and running.
“When it came to my child playing for Berlin Little League, it gets expensive fast,” Barcus said. “Kids’ gear was breaking down halfway through the season, and they asked other kids in the dugouts to borrow theirs. We started wondering what we could do to help.”
“Horseback riding is what got my mind thinking,” Nornes continued. “It is so expensive … We want to make these things more accessible.”
According to the Let Them Play creators, children ages six to 18 from low-income households quit sports six times the rate that kids from higher-earning families.
An Aspen Institute study found that among students from homes making less than $25,000 a year, participation in a “healthy level of activity” fell to 26.6% in 2021 from 34.1% in 2013. For youths from houses that bring in $25,000 to $50,000 annually, participation decreased to 35.7% from 38.1%.
“One of the things we have said is as a parent if you have to choose between an electric bill and your kids playing sports, it is the worst feeling in the world,” Nornes said. “…We want to alleviate that.”
Barcus and Nornes sent out “feelers” on Facebook requesting assistance setting up their program. The pair said they heard from Joe Laque, a Horizons Delmarva board member, who offered to provide guidance.
The group and its current executive director, Tiffany Kuykendall, agreed to enter a six-month partnership with Let Them Play, which was solidified last month. Per the agreement, Barcus and Nornes’ project falls under Horizons Delmarva’s nonprofit license. When donations come in, HD acts as the bookkeeper.
Barcus and Nornes hope that Let Them Play will exist as a nonprofit entity once the six months are up. Until then, the Salisbury-based organization will provide the backing necessary to get the sports-donation program off the ground.
Horizons Delmarva will allow Let Them Play to apply for grants, ease donation collection, and propel the initiative to success.
“As much as we are trying to do as much good in the world as we can, we are learning,” Barcus said. “Horizons Delmarva is like our big brother.”
Let Them Play accepts “lightly loved” apparel and gear for all sports. Anyone who wishes to donate can contact Barcus at 443-365-3635, Nornes at 410-390-1791, or email LetThemPlayDelmarva@gmail.com to set up a pickup time.
The pair said they have received and continue to receive usable equipment, such as a basketball hoop, lacrosse gear, and dance items. The program is also accepting monetary donations. The do-gooders ask that checks be made out to Horizons Delmarva, and it is specified in the memo line that it is for Let Them Play.
Barcus and Nornes noted that the criteria for families seeking this kind of assistance are being worked out. While they are just taking in donations at this point, the idea is that households that qualify for Maryland’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, formerly known as Food Stamps or the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, will be eligible to receive the sports equipment.
“Athletics should be a lot more manageable,” Nornes said. “Your dream as a parent is that your kids are great at it, but that means paying for way more than just the beginning fees. There are multiple teams, uniforms, equipment, travel, and hotels. A kid shouldn’t have to sit out because life is life.”