A Fund of Their Own

1 in 3 girls drop out of sport during adolescence—and by 17, more than half will have quit altogether—compared to just 1 in 10 boys.

At A Bar of Their Own, we know that girls who play sports become women who lead.

We want to play a role in helping change the narrative, so we’ve created A Fund of Their Own, a 501(c)3 organization that builds on the community we’ve created at the Midwest’s first sports bar exclusively dedicated to women’s sports.

Let’s face it. Sports are expensive. Multiple studies have shown that girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression. Join us in investing in girls and women in sport so we can see the impacts both on and off the courts!

We received over 125 survey responses to our Community Needs assessment and learned:

• 45% of respondents pay over $500 for registration fees per sport
• 48% of respondents pay between $250 - $500+ for equipment to participate
• 78% of respondents pay between $100 - $500+ for travel during the season
• 80% of respondents indicated there are no existing resources available to help with the financial costs of participation
• Additional barriers include: access to reliable transportation, lack of coaches/officials, access to practice facilities, cost of childcare, and lack of recreational/non-elite leagues

The need in our community is clear, and we look forward to opening our application for funds at the beginning of 2026. Every tax-deductible donation helps us support a girl or woman eager to keep playing. 

Some examples of funding needs from our Community Needs assessment:

• $30 donation covers the player registration fee for spring softball in the local adult softball league.
• $50 donation helps purchase goggles and swim caps for a new swimmer. 
• $75 donation pays for a new pair of youth roller skates for the local roller derby gear library.
• $100 donation secures one hour of practice time at the community center for a girls' basketball team.

We look forward to sharing stories with you about the impact your donations have on keeping girls and women in sport.