A student-led initiative is making sports more accessible to Santa Barbara area youth. Ready Set Play Sports, founded and led by Dos Pueblos High School junior Johnny Duffy, held its first sports equipment donation drive last week, with the intention of distributing the lightly-used gear for free.
“I really want to level the playing field and make it more accessible because sports have really benefitted me since an early age, both mentally and physically, and so just making that opportunity more available to everyone is really important to me,” Duffy said.
Last week, community members dropped off baseball bats, tennis rackets, lacrosse sticks, cleats, and more in red donation bins located at Dos Pueblos High School and Goleta Valley Junior High School. Duffy and several other students then cleaned and refurbished the equipment. This past weekend, they organized the first of what they hope will be many redistribution events.