Geared for Health equipment reaching more kids than ever - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

A giant basketball was on display at Bankers Life Fieldhouse pavilion Tuesday, but it was the rows of cardboard boxes that attracted scores of visitors. Inside the boxes was sports equipment - tens of thousands of different items all designed to encourage children to be active.

They were there for the Geared for Health distribution day. The program puts gently used athletic equipment into the hands and onto the feet of students. People who run non-profit youth sports programs across the state filled shopping carts of donated items to help the young people they coach.

Donated items include equipment like tennis rackets, baseball gloves, cleats, hockey skates and more. The emphasis this year is on corporations, which are being encouraged to donate their overruns.

Molly Powell with Indiana Sports Corp. talked about a generous donation from Dick's Sporting Goods via the YMCA.

"We have over 44,000 items that we're giving away, which is more than double what we have done in the last five years," said Powell.

The goal, Powell says, is to provide young people with the chance to try new sports with the right equipment.

"It's so important with our youth that may not have the opportunity to stay active and fit," Powell said, adding that along with sports instruction, it's important "to be able to teach them life lessons and leadership and build characteristics."

The coaches and trainers who picked up equipment had to register through the Indiana Sports Corp.'s website. They have to fill out a questionnaire to make sure their group qualifies for help. There's no limit on what they can take back to their programs.