Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Tech Startup Offering Scholarships to Athletes

  • 01/04/17

NEW YORK, NY – When it comes to sports, the phrase “pay to play” has never been more applicable. No matter what sport you play — baseball, lacrosse, hockey, etc.— the price of gear is rising dramatically. Not only is gear getting more expensive, but costs to play and participate on club and travel teams are rising too. That’s why SidelineSwap, a startup which launched in 2015, built an online marketplace where athletes can make extra cash by selling their extra gear and find great deals when shopping for their next season.

Keeping in line with its mission, the company is introducing the #GearForTheYear Scholarship. The company will select six athletes and outfit them for their preferred sport at no cost (up to a $500 value). Applicants will be judged by a panel of experts based on a short application and an essay describing the special opportunities sports have given them.

Co-founder and CEO of SidelineSwap, Brendan Candon, is a former college athlete and experienced the high cost of competing first-hand. In addition to costly club registration and travel fees, staying equipped with high quality gear was expensive. At the time, his only option was to buy brand new equipment at high priced sport retailers.

According to Candon, athletes were looking for a “peer-to-peer marketplace” where they could buy, sell and trade their gear with athletes just like themselves. On SidelineSwap they know they are buying gear from someone they can trust, another athlete who has used the gear he or she is selling and can help with the buying experience. Large online auction sites and retail sport stores do not offer this specialty marketplace with a community of experts.

Sellers on SidelineSwap are currently generating millions of dollars in sales and they community is growing quickly. “Our mission is to empower athletes by making sports gear more affordable. We’re doing that everyday as our community grows, and our #GearForTheYear Scholarship initiative is an extension of that mission,” says Candon.

To apply, you can visit deals.sidelineswap.com/scholarships. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2017.

Featured

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • A digital silhouette works at a computer, immersed in a glowing, interconnected world

    How Will AI Transform Learning Space Design?

    For years, higher education has designed learning spaces around technology as a tool for display, capture, collaboration, and connectivity. AI changes that equation.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.