Who Gets the Gear?
The Sports Shed serves schools and non-profits in under resourced areas, mainly in the city of Chicago, who struggle to run athletic programs due to lack of funding. We are partnered with over 230 athletic programs. Youth sports are declining in urban areas because of the high cost of gear and disparity of resources. We develop long term partnerships with programs so we can continually increase and improve athletic opportunities for thousands of kids who need a chance to compete.
Chicago Schools
Academy of Scholastic Achievement
Acero Charter Network
of Schools (15 campuses)
– Archer Heights (3 campuses)
– Avondale
– Brighton Park (3 campuses)
– Gage Park (3 campuses)
– Galewood
– Humboldt Park
– Little Village
– Pilsen
– Rodgers Park
Amandla Charter
High School
Ariel Community School
Association House
High School
Chicago Bulls
College Prep
Chicago Hope
Academy High School
Chicago Tech Academy
Christ the King Jesuit
College Prep
CICS Basil Charter Elementary
Corliss High School
Corliss STEM High School
Curie High School
Dodge Academy Elementary
DRW College Prep
Dyett High School
Farragut Career Academy
High School
Frassati Catholic Academy
Frazier Prep High School
Gary Comer College Prep
High School
Gary Comer Middle School
Hales Franciscan
Harper High School
Holy Trinity High School
Hope Institute
Learning Academy
Horace Mann Elementary
Horace Mann High School
Horace Mann School
Immaculate Conception
Instituto Health and Sciences Career Academy
Intrinsic High School
Johnson College Prep
Kenwood Academy High School
Legal Prep Charter Academy
Leo High School
Lindblom Math and
Science Academy
Ludwig Van Beethoven Elementary School
Martha M. Ruggles
Elementary School
Mary E. Courtenay Language Arts Center
Mary Lyon Elementary School
Mather High School
Morgan Park High School
Morton School of Excellence
Muchin College Prep
High School
Next Level Kids Program
Noble Academy
Noble Street College Prep
High School
Our Lady of Tepeyac Elementary
Our Lady of Tepeyac
High School
Paul Revere Elementary School
Perspectives Charter –
High School of Technology
Perspectives Charter – ITT Math and Science Academy
Perspectives Charter – Leadership Academy
Perspectives Charter –
Middle Academy
Perspectives Charter – Rodney D. Joslin Campus
Phillip Murray Elementary/Middle
Plato Learning Center
Richard T. Crane Medical Prep High School
Ruggles Elementary
Sacred Heart School 96
Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy High School
Saucedo Scholastic Academy
Sealy Elementary
Shields Elementary
South Shore International College Prep
St. Bruno School
St. Helen Catholic School
St. Mathias School
St. Micheal the Archangel
St. Pius V School
St. William School
Tarkington School of Excellence
Theodore Roosevelt
High School
Thornton High School
UIC College Prep
ATHLETIC LEAGUES
1 World Sports
360 Sports Academy
A Ray of Hope on Earth
Back 2 the Basics
Beyond Athletics
Black Yankees
Born Legendz Basketball
Bronzeville Venom
Brainerd Park Bengals
Calumet Chargers
Cameo Legends Baseball
Chicago Hitters
Chicago Go Getters
Chicago Lions Rugby
Dixmoor Vikings Football
Dream Chasers Basketball
Ernie Radcliffe Baseball League
Ford Heights Baseball
Greater Good Foundation
Harvey Little League
Humboldt Park Little League
Fast-pitch Softball
I Will I Can Ice Program
Jeffery Manor AAU
KAOS Foundation
(5 programs)
– Football
– Baseball
– Basketball
– Track
– Cheer
Lady Reign/Fusion Basketball
Lawndale Investments Basketball
Leading Lady Basketball
Lil Dawgs Basketball
Lil Dawgs Football
Lindblom Park District
Lost Boyz – Girls Fast-pitch Softball
Lost Boyz Baseball
Near North Raiders
Near West Little League
Near West Side CDC
New Beginnings Camp
Pink Lady Ballers Basketball
Progressive Trojans Football
RA Black Elementary
Riverdale Jaguars (Riverdale Foundation)
Roberto Clement Little League
of Humboldt Park
Roseland Vols
Rosemoor Little League
Rosenbloom Park District
Starting With Me
The Dream
Tomlisen Youth & Athletic Foundation
We Can We Will
West Lawn Little League
Westside Baseball
XS Tennis
YOUTH PROGRAMS
Altgeld Park
America Scores Chicago
Anointed Scholars
Ark of St. Sabina
Austin Community Center
Austin Community
Family Center
Because I Care
Beyond The Ball
Boys and Girls Clubs
of Chicago (4 locations)
– Little Village
– Logan Square
– Louis L. Valentine
– Martin Luther King Dr. Jr.
By The Hand Club
for Kids (4 locations)
– Altgeld-Murray
– Austin
– Englewood
– Cabrini Green
Cabrini Connections
Champs Mentoring
Chicago Dream Center
Chicago Hopes
For Kids (5 locations)
– Cornerstone
Community Outreach
– House of Good Shepherd
– Lena Washington
– Madonna House
– Roseland Christian Ministries
Chicago Training Center
Chicago Youth Centers
Chicago Youth Centers – Fellowship House
Crusher Club
Faithful Few
Four Point Play
Girls in The Game
Hamdard Center
INTRSCT Ministries
Jane Adams Hull House
Kids Off the Block
Knowing Your Worth
Living Hope Church
Love to Serve/Tuley Park
Lydia Home
Men in Action
Mercy Home For Boys
Paving the Way
R-City
Ring of Hope
Safe Alternatives
for Teens and Youth
Skills and Score
St Martin De Porres Church
Sunshine Gospel Ministries
The Ace Project
The Support Group
U.N.I.O.N. Impact
Youth Outreach Services
BEYOND CHICAGO
SUBURBAN
Adopt-a Family Program
AJK Katzenmaier School
Arden Shores
Beyond Sports
Boys and Girls Club of
Lake County – North Chicago
Boys and Girls Club of
Lake County – Waukegan
Calumet City Wildcats
Cristo Rey St. Martin
College Prep
Eternal Light of Maywood
Fellowship Housing
Arden Shore Child
and Family Services
Foss Park District – North Chicago Foundation
Skate Ministry
Isglasia Bautista
Emanual – Waukegan
JAMS Sports
Program – Waukegan
Lambs Farm
Larkin Center
Learn Charter School
Campus 6
Frassati Elementary
Heart of the City Soccer
Maryville Academy
Joliet Celtics
Maywood Park District
McCall Elementary
Learn Charter 10 Elementary
My Joyful Heart
Neal Math and Science Academy
North Chicago Baseball Camp
North Chicago
Community Partners
My Father’s Business
North Chicago High School
Omni Youth Services
Passion Outreach
PAV YMCA Berwyn
Zion Alternative Program
Orchar Village Special Olympics
Waukegan Middle Schools
– Daniel Webster
– Jack Benny
– Miguel Juarez
– Robert Abbott
– Thomas Jefferson
NATIONAL
Dr. Earl J. Leonard
High School – Ruskin, FL
Impact Ministries
– Evansville, IN
Sport Wayne – Fort Wayne, IN
INTERNATIONAL
Army of the Kind – Haiti
Gear 4 Goals
H. E. D. A. C. – Honduras
Juna Amagara – Uganda
Kids Alive International/
Christ the King
Baseball Academy –
Dominican Republic
Project Winter Camp Jamaica
Soccer for Zambia
Warm Blankets – Camodia
Willow Creek Global Partners
WE MAKE MIRACLES HAPPEN
Sarah E. Goode STEM High School opened in 2012 on the South-side of Chicago with basketball and baseball as the only sports offered. The Sports Shed started working with their part-time Athletic Director in April 2013 to help launch a football program by fall with a $3,000 athletic budget. They had a field but no equipment. Football helmets alone would cost nearly $10,000! The Sports Shed found partners like Sports 11 in Libertyville and Rust-Oleum Corporation to provide the equipment needed including new Riddell football helmets!
Equipment was delivered in time for July practice and allowed the team to compete in the Fall 2013 season. Three years later, with continued help from The Sports Shed, the school has hundreds of student athletes and 26 girls and boys teams. The sports offered are soccer, volleyball, softball, baseball, swimming, basketball, wrestling, track/cross country, and cheer. The football program has expanded to three levels: Freshman, JV and Varsity!
“Thanks to The Sports Shed for all the baseball equipment. Without it, our school wouldn’t have had a team this season.”
—Ron Fugger, Baseball Coach
Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy
Inspired by my passion for sports
Tina Sernet founded The Sports Shed in 2009. Since then, they have distributed over $2 million worth of quality gear to over 230 schools and athletic programs mainly in Chicago. Helping schools start new sports programs, increase participation and elevate their level of play is the top priority!
The Sports Shed has launched football teams, provided access to tennis instruction, started softball programs, and supplied gear to countless soccer, basketball, volleyball and baseball leagues. Tina’s passion for sports and equipment started early as her dad spent countless hours engaging her in playing softball , basketball, tennis and more. She was always intrigued by the latest athletic gear, her first job was in a tennis shop and later became a buyer for Athlete’s Foot stores, and continued to work in the industry for many years.
When Tina became a mother of 2 student athletes in the suburbs of Chicago, she recognized the over abundance of resources for youth sports that skyrocketed. In affluent communities, parents and schools afforded kids with the latest and greatest equipment and facilities in hopes to ensure ultimate success. With a heart for low-income urban areas of Chicago, she decided to research the disparity of athletic opportunities / resources and found that there is an enormous gap! Literally tens of thousands of kids have little to no access to play or compete. Hundreds of Chicago schools have extremely limited funding, facilities or space needed to provide athletics and physical education.
With conviction, compassion and the love of Christ in her heart, Tina has spent the last decade bridging this equity gap. Her own experience of benefiting from sports gave her the motivation get it started. The difference it makes in the lives of the youth that benefit, drives The Sports Shed team to continually create athletic opportunities that give inner-city kids alternatives to the negative influences like gangs and violence in Chicago’s vast areas of poverty. The goal is to continue building this impactful organization that will keep finding viable solutions by leveraging resources to gear up thousands of kids for a better future!
TINA SERNETT
FOUNDER
Executive Director
The Sports Shed
2009
TOM REED
CHAIRMAN
Former President and COO
Rust-Oleum Corporation
2014
JEFF RAGAN
VICE CHAIRMAN
Director Internal Audit
W.W. Grainger
2018
MARY GIFFORD
TREASURER
Senior Tax Manager
Mowery & Schoenfeld
2019
DON SWANSON
Wealth Advisor
Thrivent
2014
MORGAN WALDRON
Business Development Manager
Arco Murray
2018
LAWRENCE JACKSON
Athletic Director
Gary Comer College Prep,
Founder
Lady Reign Basketball
2020
BRIAN SCANLON
Vice President of Talent & Acquisition
Coyote Logistics
2019
Jesse Arnold Co-Chair, Events Committee
Taylor Beairsto
Beth Brichetto
Alec Brown
Jordyn Comitor President
Kathleen Cook
Aubrey Coquillard
Sami Freibrun
Jenny Graham
Alex Gutierrez
Sarah Gutierrez
Taylor Henning Co-Chair, Events Committee
Mitchell Johnson
Justine Johnson
Steph Koontz
Nick Korhumel
Mac Levin
Molly Madden Events Committee
Samantha Meccia
Molly Moon New Member Recruitment Committee
Brooke Overgard Events Committee
Brian Owens New Member Recruitment Committee
Paige Powell Chair, New Member Recruitment Committee
David Quinn Chair, Member Onboarding & Education Committee
Patrick Quinn Events Committee
Chrystal Ragasa
Tara Rooney
Caitlin Sernett Member Onboarding & Education Committee
Sue Sernett
Jessica Simkins Member Onboarding & Education Committee
Liz Skokna Events Committee
Chris Valvassori Vice-President
Lisa VanHouten
Cecilia Wolf
200 boxes of food
transported to food pantries for local families
700 masks
distributed to partner organizations and homeless shelters
Sports Equipment
700 pieces for virtual coaching and at-home training
Collaborating
with other youth sports organizations to determine safest ways to get kids back in the game
Dear Friends, Supporters and Partners,
Now more than ever we understand the importance of sports. We feel the loss of kids not being able to play and compete. We miss cheering for and participating in sports of all kinds and at all levels.
But most importantly, we recognize that many around the world are facing sickness, hardship and grief due to COVID-19. Our hearts go out to each of you in this time of uncertainty and loss.
At the Sports Shed we are working with our partner organizations to meet the immediate and changing needs in the community while actively preparing for and looking forward to the return of youth sports. We are thankful for the support we have received that enables us to maintain organizational stability during this difficult time. We know and are anticipating that the need for our services will be greater than ever in the coming months as we all rebuild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for the latest updates of what we’re doing.
Sports develop perseverance, fortitude, self-discipline and team spirit. The current pandemic gives us the opportunity to put those characteristics into practice.
Thank you for your continued support of The Sports Shed. We look forward to celebrating with you on the other side of this.
Stay healthy and safe,
Tina Sernett
Executive Director