Ann Arbor, Michigan · 2026 – 2028
Kick It Forward is a student-led soccer equipment drive founded by three high schoolers who believe financial situation shouldn't decide who gets to play. We collect gently used cleats, jerseys, balls, and training gear and put them directly into the hands of underserved youth soccer programs across Washtenaw County and the Detroit metro area.
Kick It Forward is a student-led community service program founded by three rising juniors and soccer players at an Ann Arbor high school — Jonathan, Sahan, and Senith. We collect soccer equipment, including cleats, jerseys, shin guards, balls, goalkeeper gloves, portable goals, training cones, rebounders, and scoreboards, from clubs, schools, and individual donors. That equipment is then redistributed to underserved youth soccer programs and community leagues across the greater Ann Arbor and Detroit metro areas.
The program runs from Summer 2026 through Summer 2028, spanning our final two years of high school. It's built in three phases — launch, growth, and legacy handoff — so the impact keeps going long after we graduate.
Our mission: To ensure that every young player in our region has access to the equipment they need to play and develop — regardless of their family's financial situation.
We accept equipment in Good or Fair condition across these categories.
| Category | Items Accepted |
|---|---|
| Player gear | Cleats (all sizes), shin guards, goalkeeper gloves, socks |
| Apparel | Jerseys, shorts, training tops, warm-up jackets |
| Balls & goals | Soccer balls (all sizes), portable/pop-up goals, rebounders |
| Training equipment | Cones, agility ladders, speed hurdles, training vests/bibs |
| Scoreboards & other | Portable scoreboards, corner flags, ball pumps, nets |
Clean, fully functional, minimal wear. Always accepted.
Functional but visibly worn. Accepted for high-need programs.
Broken, non-functional, or heavily damaged. Not accepted.
Three focused phases — launch, grow, and hand off — built around our high school calendar.
We build the program from scratch: name, roles, storage, a donation tracking system, and a pilot collection drive (50–80 items), ending with our very first in-person delivery to a recipient program.
The core operating year: two full seasonal drives, 8–12 donor clubs, school recognition, a website and social presence, fiscal sponsorship, our first grant application, and recruiting the successor team who will one day take the reins.
Not a separate phase — the seasonal rhythm keeps running while successors gradually take the lead and founders shift into a mentoring role, freeing up space for college applications.
A final graduation drive (150–250 items), a capstone community celebration event, a complete two-year program summary report, and a full handoff of every contact, credential, and process to the successor team before we head to college.
Cleaning out a bag, a garage, or a club storage room? If your gear is in Good or Fair condition, it can go straight to a player who needs it. Reach out below to arrange a pickup, drop-off, or drop-box option during our next collection window.
Contact Us to DonateDo you run or know a youth soccer program, community league, or resettlement organization that could use equipment? We'd love to hear from you and add your program to our distribution list.
Nominate a ProgramWe partner with soccer clubs, high school programs, and local businesses for surplus gear, fiscal sponsorship, and grant support. If you'd like to formally partner with Kick It Forward, get in touch.
Partner With UsKick It Forward is student-led, start to finish. Parent volunteers serve as advisors and logistics support — not directors — while students make the decisions, build the relationships, and run the events.
Co-Founder
Co-Founder
Co-Founder
Together the three of us split the work across three roles — Project Lead (coordination and relationships), Logistics Coordinator (collection, storage, and inventory), and Outreach Lead (donor and recipient outreach, social media) — each supported by a parent advisor who helps with driving, storage, and adult-to-adult communication with organizations.
Have equipment to donate, a program that needs gear, or a question? Fill out the form below or reach out directly.
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Email: kickitforwardclub@gmail.com
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Service area: Washtenaw County & Detroit metro area