KNOXVILLE — Playing sports is expensive and current Tennessee softball pitcher Ashley Rogers is doing her part in alleviating those costs to make sports more accessible to everyone.
Aluminum bats are $200 at a minimum, with top-quality bats coming in at over $300. A lot of softball gloves can be over $200.
Some sports may not cost as much for equipment as baseball and softball, but for those who want to take lessons and take part in travel teams, the costs can still be prohibitive.
Rogers is teaming up with Goods4Greatness to help the company distribute donated sporting equipment of all types to children who may not be able to afford them.
According to the non-profit company’s website, Goods4Greatness tries to alleviate the financial strain on families by providing low-income kids with sports equipment. It purchases new equipment and collects used equipment to give to kids and teams across the country.
“I was not in the same situation as they are, I can’t imagine having to wonder how I was going to afford a glove,” Rogers said. “I was blessed that my family didn’t have to worry about that, but some people do. I hate to think of kids not being able to participate in sports because sports changed my life.”
Rogers said her participation is largely possible because of new NIL (name, image, likeness) legislation allowing athletes to promote companies.
Since this is a non-profit, and Rogers is not making money doing this, it probably would have been approved by the NCAA anyway, but now there is no question Rogers can help promote the company.
“I just want to use my platform to help out any way I can,” Rogers said. “I think it’s an awesome company and I think what she is trying to do is great.”
The company was founded by current sports journalist Rhiannon Potkey, who has spearheaded the effort to allow more athletes of low-income families to be involved in sports.
According to the Goods4Greatness website, once she became a journalist, her idea for the non-profit gained even more urgency. She covered all levels of sports and saw the disparities at a greater degree.
Teams and college programs in better economic circumstances would cycle through balls, bats, rackets and shoes on what seemed like a monthly basis, her website says.
Meanwhile, teams from lower income circumstances would go years without quality gear.
The company is based in Knoxville, where Potkey works, but the effort to distribute athletic equipment for all sports is nationwide.
Aside from Potkey, other Goods4Greatness board members include former Olympic gold medalist Jessica Mendoza, former Tennessee All-American shortstop Meghan Gregg and Shimmy Gray-Miller, the assistant women’s basketball coach at the University of Minnesota.
