Sports In A Bag: A Story of Pivoting in a Pandemic
To say that COVID-19 has changed our world is an understatement. When sports were cancelled, we knew that our Foundation needed to quickly pivot so that we could still reach the children we serve. That is where Sports In A Bag was born. What started off as a simple idea has now turned into a once in a lifetime opportunity, that we might have never realized if it wasn’t for COVID-19.
This initiative provides free sports equipment and at home drills and activities to kids in Central Ohio to keep them active and engaged during the crisis. Each bag contains one jump rope, four cones, one ball of their choice (soccer, football, basketball) and programming from our partner OSU LiFEsports that includes different drills, exercises and activities. We are so appreciative to Dick’s Sporting Goods, Franklin and NIKE for joining our initiative and providing sport equipment for each child.
In addition to Sports In A Bag, The Lindy Infante Foundation, in partnership with OSU LiFEsports is offering free virtual summer camp to 1,000 kids in Central Ohio. The virtual camp experience includes at home drills, incentives, and also virtual meetings with camp counselors and other campers. We are thrilled to be able to offer this program to kids in Central Ohio to keep them active and engaged in a safe way. It may not be the same as attending a camp in person – something that our kids rely so heavily on – but we know that by offering this free summer camp, we are still making an impact.
Sports in a Bag Distribution
To date we have distributed nearly 2,000 bags. On May 27, 2020, we distributed 1,000 bags to 15 Columbus City School sites. Kids and their parents were lined up outside the buildings for Sports In A Bag. It was an incredible experience. The smiles and the thank you’s we have received truly inspire us to keep going. Stay tuned for more to come!
