Heading into the 2019 season, Louis E. Dieruff High School softball found itself extremely low on participants.

Located in Allentown, PA, the student poverty rate at the school is 90%. Many kids do not have their own equipment at all. Others show up with cleats and gloves that are too small, or not built for high-school level play.

Coaches must therefore get creative in their recruitment, and lean on other sports programs in the school to generate interest.

โ€œIn efforts to keep the program alive, we worked closely with girls basketball to recruit as many athletes as possible,โ€ said Brianna Knipe, head softball coach at Dieruff. โ€œWe had eight girls make the team who had never played softball before, three of whom were able to get varsity time.โ€

Knipe said this was only possible because of the donated equipment that the school received prior to the season. Each girl was given a brand new glove, cleats, a bag, a practice bat, and a batting helmet.

Participating in softball helped the girls maintain strong grades in the classroom, and feel confident in their athleticism by training and succeeding in a new sport.

It also strengthened the bonds between the girls, who now found themselves teammates in multiple sports.

โ€œThis was by far the most together team I have ever coached,โ€ Knipe said.

โ€œI think being able to have girls who play multiple sports together created a bond. They were excited about the season, participated in study halls, and there were no fights or drama.โ€

One student received her very own catchers gear thanks to the donation. Knipe said it was a life-changing moment for the student.

โ€œShe wanted to be a catcher so badly, and this desire drove her to maintain passing grades and report daily on her behavior so that she could play.โ€

The donated equipment distributed through PIFBS has greatly helped Dieruffโ€™s efforts to grow its softball and baseball programs over the past two seasons. If you have lightly-used baseball or softball equipment you would like to donate to help kids get back on the field around the world, please email us atย info@pifbs.org.