In 2011, parent and coach Mark McDaniel looked at a pile of sports equipment and outgrown kids’ shoes in his garage and was struck with a beautiful idea: Why can’t we give these things to kids who would like to play sports but can’t afford to? This idea eventually grew into the nonprofit organization Cleats for Kids.
Mark’s desire to help kids formed long before 2011. Stacy McDaniel, co-founder of Cleats for Kids, recounted, “Mark was coaching our kids in several sports, and often gave kids rides to and from games and practice. He was also familiar with kids that hung around games and wanted to play but didn’t have the right gear or shoes.”
Fourteen years later, Cleats for Kids and its service of sharing gently used shoes and gear have expanded so much that Stacy, once working as a full-time lawyer, now serves as the Executive Director and works full-time to coordinate its services. To date, the organization has served 290,986 children in the state.
She said, “This is the first year where we have served kids in all 77 counties in Oklahoma in one year, so it has been a very exciting year for our team.”
Cleats for Kids has several ways to get shoes and gear to kids, but Stacy is most proud of The Locker: “We have a locker room set up where kids can come in and shop for new and gently used shoes and sports equipment. What one child has outgrown will help other athletes play their best. The shopping experience is almost as important as them getting the shoe; we try to set up appointments. Many of our families are first-generation sports families, so when they come in, they are tentative and shy, and when they leave, you can see the energy and confidence in their face.”
Helping kids get involved in sports is helping them succeed in the classroom as well. McDaniels says, “There have been some studies by the Aspen Institute — kids who participate in sports have a higher graduation rate in both high school and college. Test scores and grades are higher. What we have seen is that kids are learning life lessons as they play sports: problem solving, leadership, perseverance and teamwork. Skills that we use every day as adults.”
Numerous Oklahoma kids have grown up and gone on to get college scholarships because someone donated their shoes to Cleats for Kids. One such success story is Caya Smith, currently playing basketball for the University of Oklahoma. Caya’s dad reached out to C4K when he was on disability for cancer. He sought out shoes for his two children throughout their high school careers. Stacy remebered the joy and pride she felt watching Caya’s first basketball game at OU.
One element of C4K is that kids can be involved in giving back to other kids; this early involvement can set them up for a lifetime of philanthropy. Stacy told a story of a student from Carl Albert who has been running yearly collection drives for C4K since he was in third grade. “He is graduating from Carl Albert this year and just completed his final collection drive. He completed his high school athletic career as the quarterback for the Carl Albert football team. He has been such an example for so many young men.”
Cleats for Kids doesn’t stop at donating shoes to student athletes. It also works closely with many foster agencies, Palomar Family Justice Center, ReMerge and OKCPD Youth Enrichment Department. If a house has burned down, or students are facing an emergency move, Cleats for Kids is the call for many schools around the state so that kids in crisis have a pair of shoes to wear to school. McDaniels emphasized, “Shoes are just the vehicle to serve the child.”
