Written by Brandon Wright
November 25th, 2025
Gabe (pictured right) helps load his collection drive into a van with LPF staff
Growing up, sports and giving back have always been a big part of Gabe’s life. Gabe grew up in the Greater Baltimore area playing sports like tennis, basketball, and soccer in recreational leagues.
“I was just playing sports with other kids my age, making friends. That’s where it all starts for a lot of kids. You’re just there to have fun.”
Gabe’s family taught him early on the importance of giving back to his community through volunteerism and community service. With the help of his parents, Gabe participated in activities such as preparing kits for the homeless and assisting at food banks.
“I wanted to find my own niche, my own cause I’m passionate about.”
He discovered Leveling the Playing Field (LPF) after a friend completed a volunteer session at the LPF Baltimore warehouse. Addressing barriers of entry to sports, such as not having the proper equipment, resonated with Gabe even at a young age.
Gabe’s family poses for a photo following a volunteer session at LPF Baltimore
“When I found [LPF], I realized they addressed a problem that I didn’t know existed. I think sports inequities are a very overlooked issue.”
In 2022, the average youth sports parent spent $883 on one child’s primary sport per season, according to a survey by Project Play and Utah State. Travel and equipment were the highest two expenses reported by parents. The highest annual costs for youth sports belong to youth soccer ($1,188 average cost) and basketball ($1,002), followed by baseball ($714) and tackle football ($581) which are below the average annual cost but still a high amount for families with other priorities (Aspen Institute Project Play).
Gabe and his family participated in volunteer sessions at LPF Baltimore, but Gabe was inspired to do even more. When Gabe entered high school, he stepped up to tackle sports inequity with LPF by running several successful collection drives in his neighborhood and at school. In total, he collected over $27,000 worth of sports equipment for LPF.
Gabe collected $27,000 worth of equipment during his various collection drives
“For me, it was about putting myself out there and going the extra mile on something you’re passionate about…if everyone went the extra mile and made a donation, whether it’s money or just giving their equipment, when everyone participates it really does add up.”
In addition to collection drives and volunteer sessions, Gabe referred friends and classmates to LPF for service-learning hours. Even after Gabe’s service learning hours were complete, his work at LPF wasn’t finished and he went on to serve as a Bin Ambassador and MVP, a semester-long volunteer program. He also joined program staff outside of the warehouse when he distributed PE Packs to kids at a local youth sports clinic, and joined staff to share more about LPF with fans prior to a Baltimore Ravens home game. Spreading the word about LPF was easy since he connected with the program’s mission.
Gabe spread the word about LPF Baltimore prior to a Ravens pre-season game in 2022
After graduating high school in 2023, Gabe, is completing his junior year at Wake Forest University studying Economics with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Since going away to college, Gabe remains connected to LPF and gets updates via monthly newsletter and Instagram. Another way he chooses to support from afar is through financial donations to LPF.
“Giving gear is great if you have it, but financial donations are endless in terms of what they can do. It makes a huge difference. There’s not a lot of other places like LPF.”
Gabe is already putting his business acumen to work with his dad, as he currently runs a business on eBay selling golf balls and Lego pieces, with a percentage of sales going to LPF throughout the year. When Gabe returns home, he continues volunteering when able and making an impact without missing a beat. His advice to others looking to give back: Follow your passion, spread the word, and go the extra mile.
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Here are ways to get involved with LPF:
- Pledge a donation during LPF’s Season of Giving
- Drop off your new and used gear at your closest donation bin
- Volunteer at one of our warehouses
- Share the application link with a program who could use our resources
