Leveling the Field

For all Students

Projects: What we do

Sports Gear Donations

We collect gently used sports gear from individuals, teams, and schools, then clean, sort and redistribute it through trusted local community partners. We also hope to offer coaching support for sports programs and teams. By working closely with these organizations, we match donations to real needs, helping more kids get off the sidelines and onto the field. Organizations can also partner with us to request gear and expand the reach of this effort.

Tutoring Support

We will offer peer-to-peer tutoring in partnership with local community centers, helping younger students with academics. As high schoolers, we don’t pretend to be experts, but we show up consistently to offer support, encouragement, and help where we can. It’s about more than homework, it’s about being present and building connection, both in and out of the classroom

Peer to Peer Mentorship

We’re building mentorship into everything we do, from sports to academics, by showing up and encouraging younger students to believe in themselves. As high schoolers, and having been mentored by older students ourselves - we know how powerful it can be to have someone just a step ahead helping you along the way. We want to be a steady, positive presence for students who may not always have it.

Our Purpose

Why we’re doing this

Leveling the Field is a project that started with a simple goal: we saw things that were happening that we felt were really unfair, and we wanted to do something about it. In a lot of local Bay Area communities where there is a diverse population, families and communities are facing a lot of growing challenges, whether it’s cuts to school and program funding, a lack of resources available to help those in need, and kids just not feeling safe or supported. This has led to barriers preventing many students from participating fully in school and community life.

We wanted to do something that has real impact, but it feels harder these days for young people like us to figure out how to make a real, lasting difference. So we decided to start small, with what we know and care about: sports, school, and the idea that every kid deserves a fair shot at a level playing field. We want to try to help others, because we realize that being of service to others is also a gift to us.

We hope to grow LTF bigger, into a platform where students can continue to support each other and build real connections with and across communities.

Building Confidence in the Real World

We’ve grown up surrounded by phones, social media, and constant digital noise. These things can help us and they connect us but they also bring stress, distraction, and different types of stress and pressures. We started Leveling the Field because we want to give kids more real-life opportunities to grow in ways that can’t be measured just by likes or views. Whether it’s through playing sports, learning new skills, or getting support with school, we believe that every student should have the chance to build confidence, focus, and resilience, through connections and teamwork, things we believe are important in building real life confidence.

Our Team

  • Keyo Ryang

    Co-Founder

    I played on a baseball team that practiced in Sunnydale in San Francisco, and noticed local kids watching us from outside the fence. You could tell they wanted to join, but they didn’t have any baseball equipment, and you could sense that they didn’t feel like the field was even theirs to step onto, even though they lived right next to it. That moment stuck with me. I began to see how many kids are kept on the sidelines, not because they don’t care, but because they lack the resources or support to take that first step.

    For me, sports have always been about more than just the game. They’ve given me a sense of belonging and purpose. I wanted to help bring that same feeling to more students by making sure they have a fair shot at joining in, no matter what they have or where they’re from.

    That’s why we started Leveling the Field, to help more students feel supported, and confident enough to step onto any field, classroom or any environment and build the confidence to believe they belong.

  • Brady Fitzpatrick

    Co-Founder

    From a young age, I was always around little league. My family was super involved, and my dad coached a bunch of local teams. I was able to help coach some of them with him. That’s where I first noticed something that stood out to me, not every kid had what they needed to participate. Some showed up without cleats or shin guards, or with baseball gloves that wouldn’t even open, or old bats that were barely usable.

    That’s what Leveling the Field is all about. We’re working to make sure that no kid is left on the sidelines because of what they don’t have. Whether it’s gear, tutoring, or encouragement, we want to offer the kind of support that helps every student feel included — and empowered to step up, join in, and thrive.

“With the support from Leveling the Field, we have been able to supply the latest baseball equipment to some of our young players who aren’t able to normally have them ”

— Gene R - Millbrae Little League

Contact

Feel free to contact us with any questions.

Email
team@levelingthefieldproject.org