Empower Girls with Leveling the Fields

Last February, at the National Sports Forum in Pittsburgh, I was inspired by an amazing author Macaela (Mac) Mackenzie. After meeting her and having the honor of having her sign my copy of Money, Power, Respect I finally had a moment on the flight home to read this amazing women’s work. And while she covered a lot of ground, one thing stood out: women who play sports thrive in all areas of their life. It was clear from her writings that sports played an important role in shaping our future leaders.

Girls who play sports have a higher likelihood of finishing high school, are more likely to go to college, and are more often leaders in their fields. They also have a decreased chance of becoming pregnant teens or ending up in abusive relationships.

Feeling inspired, I pulled out my notebook and mapped out a non-profit organization to help more girls get into sports; targeting girls who are currently at a disadvantage due to resources, logistics, or finances. An organization that would come to be called Leveling the Fields.

I've been incredibly fortunate to collaborate with some remarkable individuals in building this organization, but we need your help. While we wait the six to nine months for our 501c application to be approved by the IRS, we don’t want to stop moving forward. Your donation will help us get our pilot program off the ground THIS fall, help with organizational set up costs, and provide us with the tools and platforms we need for long-term success.

Starting in the fall of 2024 we will kick off our pilot program at a local Elementary School. The 12-Week Sports Empowerment Program is a dynamic 12-week sports program aimed at empowering young girls through athletics and is designed specifically for girls in 3rd through 5th grade. Leveling the Fields coaches will be onsite and provide more than just sports training. Our program is designed to foster self-acceptance, positive body image, and good sportsmanship through our unique empowerment package.

Beyond our pilot program, we have mapped out several additional programs all speaking to our mission to get more girls into sports and expose girls to a wider range of sports options – helping each girl find her passion and grow into the successful leader we know she can become. To see a list of our programs please visit our website at levelingthefields.org.

Thank you for your support. We are truly grateful and excited to get moving!

Melyssa Jaskiewicz

Founder, Leveling the Fields