Mikey's League - All Kids Should Play

ALL KIDS DESERVE THE CHANCE TO PLAY

We’ve all seen the videos.  A student with a disability and the passion for football puts on the pads and gets in the game for one magical play.  

He runs left, dodging a tackler who dives wide.  He zigs right, racing past another defender into the end zone for a touchdown.  The crowd goes crazy. He is encircled by his friends who lift him up and celebrate his success.  We all clap and some cry.  

For that one shining moment that he will remember forever, his peers go out of their way to make him feel like the star of the team.  But rarely do we stop to think about why athletes with disabilities have limited chances to experience triumph through sport. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

Mikey’s League is a 501(c)3 organization created by two families challenging the limitations of typical sports leagues and creating new opportunities for kids to play on a team, regardless of ability.  By adapting sports, we can let everyone compete in a meaningful way and reap the benefits of team-based sports: friendship, physicality, focused discipline and lasting childhood memories.  And for these memories to extend to an entire season of play, not a single moment of glory.   

We believe in the power of sport to unify, heal, and provide the confidence needed to be successful in life, regardless of challenges.

THE IMPACT

In Arizona, there are an estimated 74,000 kids between the ages of 5 and 20 that are reported to have a disability.  These kids deserve the opportunity to meet their peers on common ground and experience team sports.  

THE GOAL

We need your help to kick start Mikey’s League.  After a successful first season of flag football we have proven to ourselves that the need is real and that we are more than capable of addressing it.   Now we need your help to take Mikey’s League to the next level. We are raising funds to cover the costs of our startup and continued growth as we seek to expand across Maricopa County.  Our goals for 2020 include providing services for high school aged kids as well as adding new programming for our younger athletes.   Your generosity will allow us to build a stronger community.

Potential impact of suggested donations

$50- Could cover the costs of 2 hours of field use for 30 kids

$100- Could cover the costs of premium uniforms for 3 athletes

$500- Could cover the costs associated with one athlete for a full season (insurance, equipment, uniform, field use, etc)

$1000- Could go a long way towards providing adaptive equipment such as an all-terrain wheelchair that would assist athlete’s with physical challenges to compete

A special thanks to the students of the Kellis High School Media Arts Club for producing our video.