More than two years after its initial establishment, Hoosier Sport has grown by leaps and bounds. This innovative program, founded by SPH-B faculty, staff and students, pairs college students with youth in rural areas of Indiana to help them shape healthier futures. Formalized as an undergraduate course in the fall of 2024, the program welcomes Eastern Greene Middle School as an official project partner for the 2025-26 academic year alongside White River Valley Middle School and Clear Creek Christian School.
Now, Hoosier Sport is poised to make history, thanks to a $5,000 Gainbridge Assists Powered by Parity grant recently awarded by Gainbridge Parity and the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF). Hoosier Sport is one of only 32 organizations selected for this prestigious grant from 400 applicants, according to Kyle Kercher, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and one of the founding faculty members of the program. The amount of the grant is significant because it is the same amount Billie Jean King received in 1974 when she was named Best Female Athlete of the Year, which she used to found what we know today as WSF.
"Billie Jean King spoke to our team and her main message for us was to turn that $5,000 into something way bigger and super impactful the same way she did,” says Kercher. “We will be using it to host a Hoosier Sport Girls Leadership Symposium on campus for students between sixth and eighth grade on Friday, November 14."
Kercher says the team anticipates 70 to 100 girls will be bussed in from their partner schools and will work in small groups led by SPH-B students to create leadership development plans for the year that are personalized to each participant. He is thrilled to work alongside key Hoosier Sport team leaders in preparing for the event, including undergraduate students Grace Mangan, Amie Sorkin, and Lexi Juday. Funds from this grant will provide transportation to the IU Bloomington campus, food, apparel, and guest speakers that will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Kercher says the Hoosier Sport team was inspired to apply for this grant in July because the goals of Gainbridge, Parity, and WSF so closely align with the program’s core values.
"We want to promote gender equity in sports and for all kids to feel welcomed and valued. A huge part of that intentional effort is to promote girls and women in sports," says Kercher. "Bringing college students and kids together is such a wonderful way for this symposium to promote the leadership and personal development that is at the heart of all our work."
Stay tuned for more details coming soon about this exciting event through SPH-B official news and social media outlets!
To read more about SPH-B community outreach, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.