BENNINGTON — This holiday season, Co-Chairs of the Bennington Sports Foundation (BSF) Deborah Slaner Larkin and Jeannie Jenkins have a special message of giving for the community.
“In thinking about the Bennington Sports Foundation and equity opportunity for kids, what we really want to get out is that we have money and we want to give it away for that purpose,” explained Larkin. “But, a lot of people either don’t know about us, or don’t know how to get the money.”
For people wanting to ensure greater access to sports in the Bennington County area, Jenkins said, “If you want to do this, you can. We’ll make sure you have the equipment. We’ll make sure you have the clothing. We’ll make sure you have transportation and food.”
It isn’t just the goal of the Bennington Sports Foundation to simply purchase equipment or clothing, however – their larger goal is to increase access and help overcome hurdles and obstacles for the underserved population.
As with all journeys, there have been challenges and learning curves that have been experienced over the years. Experimenting with the best methods of reaching kids, parents, educators, and coaches – and experimenting with the best methods of connecting Bennington County youth with sports – has involved a rapidly evolving set of strategies.
“We want to work with organizations that share the goal of increasing access and equity,” Jenkins said. “I think all sports programs at their core want to do that, but they don’t all have the bandwidth to do it. So, I think finding ways in – and finding connectors – has been a journey for us for the last four years.”
What Jenkins and Larkin are hoping is that those who are wishing to service youth in sports reach out to them, asking for assistance with specific challenges – things that are getting in the way of full participation, or full access. They are also hoping that those who wish to start youth sports programs reach out with requests.
“I always think back to one of the initial meetings that we had – thinking about what we might do to expand access in the community,” continued Jenkins. “It was at the Old Benn High, and it was a time when that was just beginning to get legs; the Splash Pad had just been finished, and it had brought in a certain demographic to help form community; the bike/pedestrian path was just starting to really take off; and the Skate Park was nothing more than a twinkle in the community’s eye.”
That was back in 2021, when Jenkins and Larkin were not yet familiar with one another. It was during this time that the two of them met with an old friend and associate of Larkin’s, the late Carolyn Blitz, and the idea for the Bennington Sports Foundation was born.
With Jenkins’ background as the then-chair of the Bennington Select Board and her work with the Bennington County Regional Committee, Regional Economic Development and Workforce and Education groups, and her deep knowledge about the local communities; Larkin’s background as the former CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation and the United States Tennis Association, former member of President Obama’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and current member of the board of the National Women’s Law Center; and Blitz’s background as “the right-hand person” to the the head of the NBA in New York – in the C-Suite” – the three formed a “dynamo trio.”
“Carolyn and I worked together with the WNBA in the start, so national organizations [and] very big powerhouse women,” explained Larkin. “What brought us together here [in Vermont] was that we were both asked to be on the board of the hospital at the same time.”
Larkin and Blitz brought Jenkins in due to her “interest in seeing kids engaging in positive ways in the community.”
“We began with the intent of helping connect kids who might want to be involved with sports but might have barriers with sports, realizing that sports is an excellent way for our kids to [connect],” Larkin said. “It’s healthy, it’s a way to build community, it’s a way to learn leadership skills.”
“We find that in this community, some of the kids feel very isolated,” added Jenkins. “Often that’s because of social barriers – whether it’s finance, transportation, everybody working, they have obligations at home – but that separates them and their parents from the rest of the school community. So, we wanted to [create] a little niche within the sports community of offering funds to programs who felt as we did – and that had the ability – to attract kids who, without the financial assistance, would not be able to participate in sports.”
According to Larkin, the group has since reached a “positive turning point,” with invested board members from the community.
“This year, at the Middle School, we got with Tracy Galle – and that was fabulous,” she said. “We started a golf clinic, teaching seventh and eighth graders golf. And the other star, Meru Leon, head of the country club, got together with [Galle] and they wrote a proposal for a grant getting kids who had never played to give them access. It was great – those kids never would have thought that golf was a sport for them.”
Other accomplishments over the past few years have involved contributions to the Marauders Swim Club, Battle for the Future Basketball Program, Bennington Berkshire Family YMCA, Prospect Mountain Association, MYAA Football, the Town of Bennington Skate Park, MAU Golf Clinic, Soccer Charity Tournament, MAUHS Tennis Clinic, and an MAUMS Workshop for Basketball Athletes and Parents. Additionally, a 2024 liaison with the Bennington Bike Hub was also established.
In the Marauders Swim Club, 14 more swimmers ages 6-18 were able to participate, all from the underserved population. Additionally, three of those Bennington Sports Foundation supported swimmers qualified at the championship level.
In the Battle for the Future Basketball Program, financial supports from the Bennington Sports Foundation assisted with enrollment fees and provided transportation for nine youth.
In the Bennington Berkshire Family YMCA, a newly developed program for teens kept them involved when they aged out of summer camp, offering them leadership and mentoring opportunities – and extending access through the school year with the development of an afterschool youth center.
One of the future goals of the Bennington Sports Foundation is to begin the development of a greater variety of local “feeder programs” – programs that introduce youngsters to various sports so that they continue to gain skills and knowledge in the game, helping them “hone their skills.”
Another aspect that the Bennington Sports Foundation has focused efforts on is community building, which also plays a role in equitable access.
“What we know is that a kid may want to do something, but the whole family has to buy in – and so the family has to see themselves as a part of the community as well,” said Larkin. “Families are a big piece of this. Families belong in this.”
“We want to see more kids engaging with sports in a positive way,” confirmed Jenkins.
“We want more people thinking about creative ideas and creative ways to bring kids and families into exploring sports,” Larkin said, “and I hope the community helps us think about what’s next.
More information on the Bennington Sports Foundation is available at benningtonsportsfoundation.org.
