New upcycling nonprofit needs space for sports gear

LACONIA — A new nonprofit organization forming in the city will assist families with the cost of youth sports equipment, but they’re short one important thing: storage.

Kate LeBell attained nonprofit status for Kid (Re) Play in August, and registered as a 501(c)(3) organization in September. They’ve got five board members, and LeBell is the organization’s director.

“I’m passionate about being involved in your community, about making it better,” LeBell said. 

“It’s all new,” she said. She grew up in Ohio, then attended the University of New Hampshire. She’s lived in Laconia for over three years, volunteering as a youth sports coach, and works for the state in social services. She previously served as a police officer in New Hampshire.

Though she’s athletic herself, she didn’t participate in youth sports as much as she would have liked to as a child.

“I really wasn’t,” she said when asked if she was an athlete growing up. “I think finances had to do with that.” 

A single mom of a 6- and 7-year-old boy active in sports, LeBell felt compelled to help other parents with the price of equipment, season after season. Her kids started in sports at age 4, and she’s watched the price tag climb.

“It just became apparent to me that it was pricey to play a sport each season,” LeBell said Wednesday. 

Kids quickly outgrow their sports equipment, especially in their younger years, and replacing it can be expensive — especially when the need comes around two, three or four times each year.

LeBell described sports as a “lifeline” for a lot of kids, laying a solid foundation for them as they grow and become young adults. She’s seen the progression of individual children over the course of one season, the increase in self-confidence and the bonds they make with teammates. She’s also noticed barriers.

“I’ve seen kids show up at sports and their sneakers are literally coming apart.”

Her plan: help with the donation and distribution of quality sports equipment to parents and children, regardless of their personal financial situation. She’s going to accept equipment, ensuring function and safety, and clean and sanitize them before they move on to another child. It’s essentially upcycling for sports equipment.

But before Kid (Re) Play can get the ball rolling, they need a space.

LeBell said she’s working through various options, like in the basement of the city’s community center on Union Avenue, but that spot is in high demand. Christmas Village, for example, makes use of the building each winter.

A better solution would be a dedicated space, like a storage unit or a large garage, which the organization could use as a sort-of “home base.” There, she’d store the equipment and organize it by sport and by season using shelving, “just like a store.” They’d likely have a couple of days each month when they’d take equipment in, and a couple of days to give it out.

A donation of space could offer a tax break and serve as advertising, too. 

“Somewhere that’s somewhat accessible for the community to get to,” she said. 

“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.”

People who need help wouldn’t need to live in Laconia, prove a financial hardship, or anything else that could prove a barrier — if they need help, they get help, “no questions asked.” 

LeBell has put out feelers into the community, like on a Facebook page she created, and the response has been positive. People are already reaching out to her with items to donate, she said. 

“I feel that people are ready and waiting.”

And the community need for such an arrangement is great, she said. It's not limited to families hovering under the poverty line — there’s people from all sorts of backgrounds and in varying financial situations that sometimes just cannot afford to put their kids through seasonal sports. Equipment costs are high, especially for certain sports, but the cost for registration can also be prohibitive. 

Kid (Re) Play's motto, “Play It Forward,” illustrates their mission.

The idea isn’t exactly new. Members of the community hand down sports equipment among friends, family, teammates and neighbors already, and youth sports organizations like the Laconia Chiefs organize an equipment night on their own, but she hopes Kid (Re) Play could centralize community efforts. 

Once the basics of the organization are established, LeBell intends to create a scholarship program to assist children and families in paying for sports registration fees, too.

“That should not play a part in [children] participating in a sport if they want to,” she said. 

Anyone who would like to volunteer their time or contribute equipment to Kid (Re) Play should contact LeBell at kidreplaynh@gmail.com, or at Facebook.com/61579390992084. She anticipates the highest level of need will be for gently used equipment for sports like lacrosse, football and hockey, but equipment for any sport is greatly appreciated.

“I’m really excited.”