Westminster Student Kyle Kroll’s Nonprofit Offers Sports Opportunities to Low-Income Children

Kyle Kroll ’19 ΣΑΕ, a senior and Business Administration and Marketing major from Montgomery City, Missouri, founded the nonprofit Give & Play to provide opportunities for low-income children to participate in athletics. Below, hear more from Kyle about his organization, his plans for after graduation, and how Westminster helped him discover the power in his purpose.

Give & Play’s accomplishments to date:

• Accepted for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in January 2018
• 11 athletes sponsored in Montgomery County for the 2017 youth basketball season
• 7 athletes sponsored in Montgomery County for the 2018 youth baseball season
• 3 athletes received full sponsorship for an exclusive summer league traveling basketball team
• Give & Play has raised over $3,800 in sponsorship funds from 3 charity events
  • 2017 Give & Play Summer Back-To-School Drive
  • 2017 Give & Play Hometown Christmas Drive
  • 2018 Give & Play Spring BBQ Fundraiser

What inspired you to start your nonprofit?

After returning from studying abroad for a semester in Gold Coast, Australia, I recognized the value of a global perspective, which in turn motivated me to make a positive impact on the people around me.

Feeling energized and inspired, it was only a short amount of time after my return home that I had the idea of starting Give & Play. It started with the knowledge that a very high percentage of families in world have some form of used sporting equipment collecting dust in their garages and closets.

Having grown up in Montgomery City, I was well aware of the challenges that low-income families face every day, and I figured that any sporting equipment that could be collected and donated back to the community would be of better use than creating clutter in families’ homes. 

Tell us more about what Give & Play does.

Give & Play was created to provide support for low income families with children who have a desire to participate in athletics.

We at Give & Play work to collect sporting equipment and monetary donations to provide this support for families so that there is no burden related to their children participating or having an interest in athletics. 

Give & Play’s 2017 Christmas Drive

What organizations are you involved in on campus?

I’m a member of the Westminster Student Ambassadors and the Blue Blazers Investment Committee, and I also play on the Westminster Football team.

Also, I recently founded the Nonprofit Entrepreneurship Organization on campus. NEO will have a local partnership with Give & Play, to give student members hands-on experience with nonprofit and charity organization and development.

This club is open for any Westminster College students who wish to serve their community while getting valuable experience in the nonprofit field. 

You’re about to start your senior year—what are your plans for after graduation?

I plan on working to develop Give & Play in the Mid-Missouri and St. Louis area until I graduate in May of 2019.

I have a 12-week summer internship with ATS (Advanced Technology Services) in Peoria, Illinois, and I have hopes of accepting a full-time position with this company after graduation.

Regardless of where I may be located after graduation, I plan to develop a staff to continue to serve and expand Give & Play’s impact in the Missouri area.

I have goals of continuing to expand Give & Play into several other states nationwide, and even into other countries on a global scale. I believe that if we continue working toward fulfilling our mission, there is no community in which Give & Play’s services could not be utilized. 

Is there anyone at Westminster who has had a particular impact on you?

Football coach Jake White and Student Ambassador Adviser Sarah Munns have had a profound impact on my character and professional development during my time thus far at Westminster.

Jake has and continues to exemplify an outstanding work ethic in order to accomplish goals for your teammates, family, and friends. Sarah Munns has served as a professional mentor for me since we first met during my freshman year. I know that she is always there to have my back and support me in the current and future endeavors that I have in mind.

In what ways has your Westminster experience shaped you?

Westminster College has helped to shape my leadership skills and seek higher purpose by providing every academic and extra-curricular opportunity that a student like me could ask for.

The small school community has helped me to understand just how big of an impact that any one person can have on the people around them.

Through study abroad, school involvement organizations, and Greek life opportunities at Westminster, I have been able to identify the purpose which I want to carry into this world, and in my opinion, there is nothing more valuable that a post-secondary education institution can provide for their students than that.

To learn more about Give & Play, visit the organization’s website here.

Below, view photos of Kyle and his Sigma Alpha Epsilon brothers at Give & Play’s Spring BBQ, co-sponsored by the Montgomery City Lion’s Club.