Tech Startup Offering Scholarships to Athletes

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

  • University of Kentucky Reopens Scovell Hall

    The University of Kentucky recently reopened Scovell Hall, part of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), following comprehensive renovations to the 120-year-old facility in Lexington, Ky., according to a news release.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Fayetteville State University Opens New College of Education Building

    Fayetteville State University (FSU) in Fayetteville, N.C., recently celebrated the opening of a new $69.3-million College of Education building, according to a university news release.

  • Purdue Fort Wayne Opens New Student Housing Complex

    Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW) in Fort Wayne, Ind., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, 600-bed student housing complex on campus, according to a news release.