Justin R. '28 and Jacob R. '30 Awarded Wayne and Anne Gittinger Inspirational Youth Award

“It all started in 2018, my brother and I were playing soccer at Arena Sports, and the coach blew the whistle, pulled one of my teammates off the field, and benched him,” Justin explained. “Later, we found out he could not play because his family had not paid their team dues. So, the team came together and helped pay for him to play.”

Although they were able to help their teammate that day, Justin and Jacob were shocked that kids had to pay to participate in youth sports and wanted to make a change. After launching Level the Field Sports at just eight and nine years old, they’ve since raised over $250,000 in support of their philosophy: All children should have equal access to sports. These funds have supported nearly 1,000 underserved youth across Washington, ensuring they have equal opportunities to play, belong, and thrive on a team.

“It’s a very common thing as students are trying to get into sports during their middle and high school years, you’ll have someone who’s never played sports before try out for a team, and they’ll compete against student-athletes who have been playing since they were five years old,” Justin said. “Those students receive the extra coaching and support that other students may not be able to get because they can’t afford it. That’s why I think it’s very important to, you know, level the playing field, so everyone has an equal chance.”

Justin and Jacob offer support through their nonprofit by encouraging families to complete applications on their website based on their financial needs. The brothers review the documents and work with applicants to help cover sports expenses, such as equipment and uniforms. They have also organized school-wide gear drives at Bush and community-activist events, such as their “Stop Asian Hate On and Off the Field” campaign. Read more about Jacob and Justin’s inspiration nonprofit organization here.

“We worked with the Athletic Student Council to organize a gear drive last year,” Justin said. “We got to use the gear we received from Bush and distribute it to kids at Lowell Elementary School. Without Bush, many kids wouldn’t have received the support they did that day.”

The trail-blazing siblings hope to organize another gear drive for the school year, but they have their sights set on expanding Level the Field Sports to communities outside the Seattle area.
 

“It’s an amazing, big accomplishment to receive this award,” Jacob said. “The Bush community has really helped me nurture Level the Field Sports, and when I did a gear drive for the middle school, everyone was so supportive. Our nonprofit received a decent amount of publicity after this award, so we hope it opens more opportunities for us to make connections and network with people. We just want to expand as much as we can in Washington, and eventually, across the United States.”

Their empathy, ethical judgment, and selflessness have been recognized by Comcast and the Seattle Sports Commission, which awarded them both the Wayne and Anne Gittinger Inspirational Youth Award, which honors young Washington athletes who overcome significant obstacles and inspire others. Hear Justin and Jacob’s award acceptance speech here (seven-minute mark).

“At Bush, we have experienced what it feels like to truly belong,” Jacob said. “This has influenced how we think about belonging in both sports and school. That perspective is the foundation of our mission: that every kid should have the same opportunity to participate and feel like they belong. That’s what inspired Level the Field Sports.”