Gloves for All

According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) Topline Participation Report for 2023, baseball and softball participation is at nearly 19 million in the United States; baseball is at the highest officially recorded level for the sport since SFIA’s survey of more than 120 sports began in 2008 and softball has grown by 500k which represents the greatest increase since 2022. Of those participants, less than 30% are living below the federal poverty level and about 25% are from diverse communities.  The research shows that while participation and interest in the game is growing, there is still quite a disparity in the composition of participants. The expectation is that children show up with the equipment needed to play, which averages around $200 on top of registration fees. As the game gets more and more expensive, it has become cost prohibitive for under-resourced families to participate. This is why Pitch In For Baseball & Softball (PIFBS) exists – to ensure that equipment is never a barrier to play.

2024 kicked off with a record number of equipment grant applications, which reinforces the data that more kids than ever are playing, but equipment continues to be a hurdle for many families. So far this year, PIFBS has donated nearly 14,000 gloves to 365 programs worldwide. All of the PIFBS equipment grants include gloves, as it is the most essential and personal piece of equipment. The impact of the donation is bigger than just the equipment, reporting shows how PIFBS grants help kids to improve self esteem and confidence.

For Berea HS: These donations helped a lot of our first time players gain confidence with the sport because they were able to have equipment of their own. Due to many of our students coming from low income areas, many could not afford equipment so we had to share. This equipment gave them something they called their own. They gained confidence and look forward to playing everyday. We have also seen them take school more seriously because they have wanted to remain eligible to play. Jah, Trayvon, and Elias have all seen increases in attendance and grades because of their ability to participate in sports now without money being a barrier.

For the Bomb Squad in Texas, the donation helped to make the season possible. " At the beginning of the season, we were told that we were not going to have a season because only four people were able to afford the registration fee so when mom found a sponsor that would reimburse registration for all of the girls to play. 13 girls were able to sign up and almost all of them we're in lack of some piece of equipment to be able to play. At the first practice, we had girls show up without helmets, some without faceguards, some with a glove- but for the wrong hand, and many without bats. We had a set of old worn-out catching gear but it barely fastened and didn't fit most of the girls, we didn't even have a catching mitt. Through the grant, each girl was able to receive the required gear to play."

A big THANK YOU to our donors who help make grants like this possible.