Local nonprofit removes barriers to team sports for kids

A Tacoma nonprofit is working to fund access to sports programs and mentorships for underprivileged children. 

By Michaela Ely

The organization Let’M Play was founded in 2024 by a Tacoma native and U.S. military veteran Michael Hollis Jr. It aims to provide scholarships, coaching and mentorships for underprivileged youth in the Pierce County community. 

As someone who grew up in a less fortunate household, Hollis Jr. has seen the struggles of parents trying to pay for their children to participate in sports. Thus, he created Let’M Play to help parents overcome these financial barriers and give youth the opportunity to play a variety of sports. 

Several recreational sports programs in the Pierce County area feature pay to play programs that require registration fees, equipment fees and more.?The average family pays $883 for one child annually if they participate in a sport, according to Project Play, 

“I figured I’d fill the gap and figure out a way I can, I guess, build a nonprofit organization that works as a scholarship program to get kids that probably should be playing a sport and not sitting at home doing nothing or on the streets. [I chose] sports in particular ‘cause that’s what saved me as a kid,” Hollis Jr. said. 

Let’M Play’s scholarship program covers the many fees that cover team sports such as registration fees, equipment, uniforms and travel expenses.  

Let’M Play also has a youth mentoring program that pairs student-athletes with experienced mentors who will be able to provide support on and off the field, helping youth gain mentorships in all aspects of their life. 

Hollis Jr. also spoke about the benefit of getting kids off of the streets and into sports instead. He has previously met with two of the “Kia Boyz” here in Tacoma and one of the ones that he spoke to told him that he was stealing cars for pizza or food.? 

“It doesn’t even have to be a sport, if you have a child that wants to participate in an extracurricular program, whether it’s art or music, I’m willing to fund that too. I just don’t want the kids on the street doing things they shouldn’t be doing,” Hollis Jr. said. 

Hollis Jr. told The Ledger about the process of starting his nonprofit, something that was greatly helped by another Washington state nonprofit, Tabor100. Tabor100 is based out of Tukwila and focuses on supporting African-American individuals and businesses to increase their economic power and prioritize social equity.  

Tabor 100 was able to help with designing a logo and the website, both of which were fully paid for by them. 

“I want to do it the right way, fundraise, grant money and do it that way where it’s not my money out of pocket,” Hollis Jr. said. 

Costs for starting a nonprofit can range, depending on the state or any extra steps involved in getting the nonprofit off the ground. As a baseline, in Washington the cost to start a nonprofit, including all necessary paperwork filing fees is around $700. This does not include any fees to start a website, hire staff or other expenses. 

Let’M Play has a few different ways that community members can get involved. Community members can choose to volunteer, either through coaching, mentoring or through administrative support.  

“I think I’ve just got to surround myself with the right people, which I’ve been doing, and asking the questions I needed answered and I’m pleasantly surprised at how many people are willing to answer my questions,” Hollis Jr. said.  

There are also options for fundraising and donations, as well as community partnerships, to provide direct support to the nonprofit. 

To get involved or support Let’M Play directly, you can visit their website here.