Seminole County nonprofit seeks new space to keep youth sports aid going

Sports 4 the Kids has until Aug. 1 to find roughly 1,000 square feet of air-conditioned space, or the donated cleats, mitts and registration help it provides to more than 200 children a year could be thrown into jeopardy.

The Seminole County nonprofit said it has spent 12 years in a donated warehouse space from Seminole County Public Schools, but the property is being sold and the organization must move out. Danny Trosset, the group’s president and executive director, said Sports 4 the Kids is temporarily storing equipment at a facility in Lake Mary while it looks for a new base somewhere in Central Florida.

The need is practical as much as financial. Sports 4 the Kids says it does not just hand out gear, it also needs a place to store and distribute equipment free of charge at the start of each sports season. Trosset said humidity can quickly damage sports gear, making climate control a must if donated items are going to stay usable long enough to reach children who need them.

The nonprofit says its mission is to remove financial barriers to youth sports across Central Florida. It helps pay league registration fees, buy sports equipment and support sports camps. On its own website, the organization says it has granted 1,400 scholarships, donated 4,000 pieces of equipment and partnered with 40 sports programs. It also says a $15 donation can cover items such as a baseball mitt, soccer cleats or a basketball, while the average cost to participate in a youth sports program in Central Florida is about $200 per child each season.

Sports 4 the Kids says it serves children ages 5 to 18 and estimates there are about 1,700 homeless children in Seminole County and more than 10,000 homeless children across Central Florida. Its annual charity golf tournament helps fund support for more than 200 children each year. Teen volunteer Elijah Allen, a former recipient of the program’s help, has said the organization matters because many families would otherwise struggle to afford the gear or fees needed to play.

The urgency lands in a county where the U.S. Census Bureau estimated 494,605 residents as of July 1, 2024, with 20.1% under 18. Seminole County Public Schools says it serves more than 67,000 students and 10,000 employees, making the loss of a long-running community partner more than a storage problem. If Sports 4 the Kids cannot secure a new home soon, the gap could ripple from the warehouse floor to fields and gym floors across Seminole County.