SHARE THE GAME.
DONATE SOCCER GEAR TO KIDS IN NEED.
Soccer builds more than skill — it builds character, community, and confidence. But for too many kids, the cost of jerseys, cleats, shin guards, and soccer balls is the only thing standing between them and the game they love. Your gently used or new gear can change that. When you donate, you’re not just clearing out a closet — you’re opening a door for a kid to play, belong, and grow.
SOCCER GEAR COLLECTED/REQUESTED: 300
VALUE OF ITEMS DONATED: $9,000
NEED GEAR?
Request gear and we’ll provide!
If you are a Santa Monica AYSO family in need, our GearShare program will help your players get the soccer gear they need to play this season. We help individual families right here at home, and we also support schools, teams, and non-profits in our larger Los Angeles community and beyond to give kids the equipment they need to play — no cost, no hassle.
- Download and complete the 30-second PDF form below.
- Email the completed PDF to gearshare@ayso20.org with subject “REQUEST” to fulfill your request.
DONATE GEAR!
Have gear to give? We’ll take it!
Whether you’re an individual, a family, or a team looking to run a collection drive, we make donating easy. Partner with us and we’ll help with marketing, logistics, and collection — so your team’s old gear finds a new home. Have new or gently used soccer gear ready for its next player?
- Download and complete the 30-second PDF form below.
- Email the completed PDF to gearshare@ayso20.org with subject “DONATION” to coordinate your donation.
OUR SPONSOR
GearShare was founded and is run by a remarkable young leader — an alumna of our own program — who wanted to make sure a lack of gear was never the reason a kid sat on the sidelines. Santa Monica AYSO is proud to sponsor GearShare and its mission to share the love of soccer with kids and families in our Los Angeles community and beyond.
SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY
We partner with community organizations to get gear directly into the hands of kids and families who need it — soccer balls, jerseys, shorts, socks, cleats, and shin guards.
We can also run free soccer clinics to show kids just how fun the game can be.
We are honored to support:
Foster Children Resource Center, a program of the Assistance League of Los Angeles
Heart of Los Angeles, a program that is closing the opportunity gap by providing robust academic and enrichment opportunities for youth.
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
We are all about teamwork! We team up with other AYSO regions, soccer clubs, and nonprofits to expand GearShare’s reach. If your organization has gear to share, get in touch — we’ll handle marketing, collection, pickup, and distribution. Thank you, West Torrance AYSO Region 14, for your generous donation to GearShare!
OUR MISSION
Soccer builds more than skill — it builds character, community, and life lessons like teamwork and grit. But for many kids, the cost of gear is what keeps them off the field. GearShare’s mission is simple: remove that barrier, one kid at a time — in Los Angeles and beyond. We collect gently used or new soccer gear — balls, jerseys, shorts, socks, cleats, and shin guards. We distribute that gear by partnering with foster care centers, schools, and nonprofits to get it directly into the hands of kids who need it. Because when we share gear, we’re sharing something bigger: the chance for a kid to grow, belong, and fall in love with the game.
WHY DONATE SOCCER GEAR?
Give great gear a second life
Quality soccer gear is built to last — but too often it sits unused in closets with plenty of game left in it. Donating puts it back where it belongs: on the field.
Reduce waste
Cleats, balls, and synthetic apparel can take years to break down in a landfill. Donating instead of discarding keeps usable gear out of the trash and reduces environmental impact.
Close the gap for families who need it
Kids outgrow cleats and jerseys fast, and not every family can keep up with the cost. Your donation can be the reason a kid gets to play at all — maybe even the reason a future star takes their first step onto the field.
Build community, one donation at a time
Think about the friendships soccer has given you or your kids. That’s what community looks like. When you donate gear, you’re passing that on — and helping build a culture of generosity for the next generation of players.
READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Whether you have gear to give or a kid who needs it, we’re here to help. Together, we can grow the beautiful game — one piece of gear at a time. Questions? Reach us at gearshare@ayso20.org
OUR LEADERSHIP
GearShare was founded and is led by Kate M., a Santa Monica AYSO alumna and current competitive club soccer player in high school. Kate started playing with Santa Monica AYSO over a decade ago, at just six years old — and it gave her a lifelong love of the game and friendships that are still going strong. Even after moving on to elite club soccer, she stayed connected to the AYSO community that shaped her, and wanted to pay it forward by sharing that love of soccer with other kids.
Kate is also the founding member of our Santa Monica AYSO Youth Leadership Council — an initiative that she proposed to the Santa Monica AYSO Board to give high school–age AYSO alumni a way to give back to the community. GearShare, led by Kate, is the Youth Leadership Council’s first initiative.
Are you a high school student who wants to get involved? Reach out to Kate at gearshare@ayso20.org — whether it’s GearShare or the Youth Leadership Council, we’d love to have you. We’re happy to sign off on community service hours for all high school student volunteers.
THE COST OF PLAYING
Soccer shouldn’t be a luxury. But for many families, it is.
The average U.S. family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024 — a 46% increase since 2019. For competitive soccer families, travel, hotels, uniforms, tournament fees, and training can push that number many times higher. Source: Aspen Institute Project Play, 2024 Youth Sports Parent Survey
For too many kids, these numbers are the difference between playing and sitting out.
NEWS AND EVENTS
July 2026 – Foster Children Resource Center Donation & Volunteering
Giving Back to our Greater Los Angeles Community!
This month, we volunteered several times at the Foster Children Resource Center (FCRC), a program of the Assistance League of Los Angeles. Twice a year, FCRC gives children in the foster system a shopping experience for new clothes, hygiene items, school supplies, and other essentials.
GearShare donated brand-new Adidas jerseys and shorts from our Santa Monica AYSO elite teams — and they flew off the shelves. The timing couldn’t have been better: with the 2026 World Cup in full swing, the kids were thrilled to walk out in their own soccer jerseys.
Children at the Foster Children Resource Center with their new Santa Monica AYSO EXTRA soccer jerseys
