It's been a busy two weeks for Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance!👟
We've had the privilege of partnering with four elementary schools, providing shoes and athletic gear to help ensure that every child has the opportunity to participate in P.E.
We were delighted to support Beaver Acres and Elmonica Elementary Schools in the Beaverton School District.
And we're especially excited to expand our Shoes At Play program into the Tigard-Tualatin School District, welcoming Charles F. Tigard and Art Rutkin Elementary Schools to the Starting Line family!
We also made a sizable donation of golf shoes to The Children's Course I First Tee - Oregon, helping introduce more young athletes to a sport they can enjoy for a lifetime. ⛳
Four schools, two school districts, and another wonderful nonprofit partnership. Not a bad two weeks!
GOOOOOAAAALLLLLL! ⚽🥅
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Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance had the privilege of joining Aloha United Soccer Club for their annual Picture Day!
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We had the opportunity to connect with 63 teams and hundreds of young athletes throughout the day. Along the way, we donated or exchanged dozens of pairs of soccer cleats, shin guards, soccer balls and practice apparel — helping young players get the gear they need to get on the field and play.
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And the best part? Lots of smiles from some very happy young athletes!
Days like this are a great reminder of what happens when a community comes together. The sports equipment donated to Starting Line gets a second life in the hands of another young athlete — helping remove barriers to participation while keeping perfectly good gear in play.
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Thank you to Aloha United Soccer Club for welcoming us, and to our community for continuing to donate the equipment that makes days like this possible.
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We can't wait to see what these future superstars do next! âš½
Starting the school year on the right foot! 👟
Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance was proud to deliver a Shoes At Play package to Witch Hazel Elementary School in Hillsboro.
Pictured are P.E. teacher Erik Marquez and Starting Line co-founder and board member Jim Ford.
Our Shoes At Play program helps ensure that students have access to appropriate athletic shoes so they can safely and confidently participate in P.E. alongside their classmates.
Because P.E. should be fun — and every child should have the opportunity to play!
We’re thrilled to support Erik and the students at Witch Hazel Elementary and help make sure everyone is ready to get moving this school year.
Sometimes the best way to help is to pass it on.
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When Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance receives donated items that fall outside our core mission, we make every effort to find another organization that can put them to good use.
Recently, we discovered that we had accumulated approximately 45 pairs of new shoes for infants and toddlers. While they weren't quite ready for the soccer field, basketball court or running track, we knew there were families in our community who could use them.
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We were delighted to donate all 45 pairs to Family Promise of Tualatin Valley.
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Family Promise supports families facing housing instability and homelessness by providing assistance with housing, utilities, shelter, food and other necessities — while working to keep families together during challenging times.
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Starting Line is happy to play a small part in that work. We hope these shoes provide a little practical help — and perhaps a little happiness — to the families who receive them.
We're grateful to have community partners who help us make sure that donated items find their way to people who can truly use them.
A big thank you to the Wilsonville Rotary Club for welcoming Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance to your meeting last week!
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It was a pleasure to meet so many community-minded leaders and to have the opportunity to share the Starting Line story. We especially appreciated the engagement, thoughtful questions and enthusiasm for our mission.
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And the connections didn't stop when the meeting ended!
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Thank you to Joy of Life Chiropractic for giving one of our sports equipment donation bins a new home, and to Maps Credit Union for volunteering to host a donation bin as well. Every new collection location makes it easier for our community to donate sports equipment — and helps us put more of that equipment into the hands of kids who want to play.
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Finally, thank you to the Wilsonville Rotary Club for donating a new book to the city library in Starting Line's name. And we especially appreciated that you chose a sports book!
We're grateful for the warm welcome, the new partnerships and the opportunity to connect with people who care deeply about their community.
Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance had the pleasure of participating in the LacedUp PDX Back-to-School event!
This annual event helps ensure that local kids have what they need to start the school year with confidence. Backpacks, school supplies, sneakers and even haircuts were available to children of all ages, along with food, music and plenty of activities to make it a fun afternoon for everyone.
Starting Line was there with a little surprise of our own. While so much of the day was focused on the kids, we had the opportunity to recognize some of the hardworking mothers and caregivers by providing them with a new pair of shoes for themselves.
It was a small way to say thank you to the people who do so much every day to support their families.
We were grateful to be part of such a wonderful community event and appreciate LacedUp PDX for bringing so many people and organizations together to help families get the school year off to a great start.
Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance was thrilled to donate 35 pairs of running shoes to Girls on the Run Greater Oregon!
We proudly support their mission of unlocking power and potential while inspiring girls to build confidence, increase their level of physical activity, discover their strengths, and imagine their possibilities.
There's something special about nonprofits supporting nonprofits. By working together, we can expand access to sports and fitness while helping more young people experience the lifelong benefits of being active, building confidence, and belonging to a team.
We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Girls on the Run Greater Oregon and look forward to seeing these shoes help young runners take the first steps on their journey
Last Saturday, Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance held our Spring Donation Drive in downtown Beaverton, and the event was a tremendous success!
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ for hosting us and helping make the day possible.
We were also excited to welcome our first Donation Bin Student Ambassador, who delivered sporting goods she collected at her school and throughout her neighborhood as part of an environmental science sustainability project. We are proud to partner with students who are making a positive impact in our community and are inspired by the leadership, initiative, and service demonstrated by the next generation.
Most importantly, thank you to everyone in the community who donated equipment and supported our mission. Your generosity helps ensure that more young athletes have access to the equipment they need to participate, learn, and grow through sports.
Together, we are removing barriers to participation and creating more opportunities for kids to experience the benefits of athletics.
Join us on Saturday, May 30 for our Spring Community Donation Drive. We will be at Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ from 9 am - 3 pm. We accept new and gently used sporting goods, shoes, and apparel. Please stop by, make a donation, and say "hello"! As always, we are grateful to our friends at Bethel Congregational for their generosity
Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance had the privilege of donating a P.E. Care Package to Raleigh Hills Elementary School and their P.E. teacher, Matt Goode.
With Raleigh Hills newly rebuilt and set to welcome students this fall, we’re proud to help ensure that P.E. is ready from day one—especially for students who need extra support with proper gym shoes to fully participate.
We’re grateful for the opportunity to support our local P.E. teachers and help create inclusive, active environments for every student.
Kaitlyn Moore and Aimee Purdy are co-Coaches of the Southridge Skyhawks Multi-Cultural Club Soccer team. This is a team comprised of students in grades 9 -12 that have a passion for the "beautiful game". We were delighted to have Kaitlyn and Aimee stop by to pick up soccer balls thus ensuring every player has their own ball for practicing and games.
P.E. Teacher, Celia Whitehead from Greenway Elementary in Beaverton was the latest teacher to come by our new office for a P.E. care package. Celia picked up a range of shoes to ensure all children have access for fun and exercise with the right shoes!
Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance had a couple of "firsts" today. One, we made our first donation from our new location and we also made our first donation to Hillsboro School District! P.E. teacher, Gosia Morgan, of Mooberry Elementary stopped by for shoes that she can share with her students.
Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance had the pleasure of participating in Soles4Souls, 4Every Kid event at James John Elementary in Portland. It was awesome to be a part of an event with great impact.
We are thrilled to announce that we have a new home! Thanks to the generous support of our friends at Paulson's Flooring, we’ve moved our inventory to a spacious new location. This exciting change enhances our operational capabilities, providing us with ample room to grow and better serve our community. We’re grateful for this opportunity and look forward to what’s ahead!
Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance co-founder and board member, Chris Marino, was recently featured in a local news story. The story was about one of his former students, Alessandro Barbieri, an Olympian and competitor in snowboarding at the recent Milan Winter Olympics. The SLYSA team is proud of Chris and his impact on young athletes in his long and impactful career as a P.E. teacher in the Beaverton School District
We are pleased to donate a PE Care Package to McKay Elementary in Beaverton. Laurie Greif, the school Social Worker, picked up a range of shoes as well as playground equipment. The range of shoes ensures that children that may not have appropriate gym shoes can now use a loaner to participate in class. The playground balls, soccer balls, wiffle ball equipment, and cones will enhance recess and fun for all!
2026 is off to a great start as we kicked things off with a PE Care package to McKinley elementary and teacher Kathy Barnes! We are delighted to help ensure that all kids in class can participate and enjoy the benefits of exercise and recreation
We are happy to partner with Fir Grove Elementary and teacher Leslie Villegas in donating a dozen pairs of new gym shoes to their school. The shoes will be used as loaners for PE class thus ensuring all kids can participate. And the shoes will be shared with the music teacher for dance education. Gotta' have them dancin' shoes!
Our next donation drive will be on Sunday, December 7, as part of the Kelly Johnson Foundation Twist Yoga Fundraiser! Find out more at: kjfwi.org/oregoncommunityengagement/
November 6, Starting Line Youth Sports Alliance reached an exciting milestone by making our very first donation! Thanks to the generosity of our community, we were able to prepare a PE Class Care Package, which we proudly delivered to teacher Daniel Santos of Hazeldale Elementary School. This marks the first of many steps we are taking towards our goal of eliminating economic barriers sports and recreation. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of young athletes!
The Multnomah Athletic Foundation held its annual Impact Awards on November 4, showcasing inspiring achievements and fostering collaboration within the community. This event brought together passionate individuals dedicated to making a difference creating a vibrant atmosphere of support and innovation. Participants left energized and motivated to continue their important work, united in their mission to uplift and empower those they serve. The Impact Awards truly highlighted the power of community and the positive change can bring.
Our Donation Drive held on October 11 was a great success! A sincere "thank you" to the community for their generosity. We collected dozens of pairs of shoes that we will redistribute back to schools and leagues along with lots of excellent sporting goods supplies. Our thanks to Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ for hosting us today.
Stay tuned for updates on our next donation drive!