Adopt A Student Athlete is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit expanding access, mentorship, and opportunity for youth in underserved communities.

We exist to address the gaps many families face when navigating youth sports, education, and post–high school pathways—gaps created by rising costs, limited guidance, and unequal access to information and resources.

 

Our work is grounded in a simple belief: talent is universal, but access is not.

​

Our Mission

Adopt A Student Athlete expands access, mentorship, and opportunity for Black and Brown youth by addressing the structural barriers that limit participation in sports, education, and post–high school pathways.

We work alongside schools, families, and community partners to ensure that talent is not lost due to cost, lack of guidance, or unequal access to information.

 

Why We Exist

Too often, young athletes are forced to step away from opportunity—not because they lack ability, but because they lack the support systems needed to continue. Families are asked to make difficult sacrifices while navigating complex systems with little coordination or guidance.

 

AASA was created to respond to these realities by providing consistent, school-connected, and community-based support that helps youth and families move forward with clarity and confidence.

 

 

Our Approach

We use soccer as an entry point to deliver wraparound support that extends beyond the field. Our approach centers the whole student—athlete, scholar, and individual—while engaging parents and caregivers as partners in the process.

 

Our Work Includes

​

• Mentorship and guidance from trusted adults and former student-athletes

• Academic accountability and tutoring referrals

• College recruitment navigation and pathway support

• Mental stamina, confidence, and communication skill-building

• Parent education and engagement

• Access supports that reduce financial and logistical barriers

​

Who We Serve

We primarily serve youth and families in Canarsie and surrounding Brooklyn communities, with a focus on Black and Brown students who face systemic, financial, and informational barriers to opportunity.

 

Our programs are inclusive, culturally responsive, and shaped by the lived experiences of the communities we support.

 

 

Our Founder

Celia Springle, Founder

Adopt A Student Athlete was founded by Celia Springle, a Brooklyn-based advocate and longtime youth soccer parent with over a decade of firsthand experience navigating youth sports systems.

 

Through her lived experience, Celia witnessed the sacrifices families make and the lack of coordinated support available to help young people succeed academically, athletically, and beyond high school. AASA was created in response to those gaps—grounded in community, access, and long-term impact.

​

Our Commitment

We are committed to:

 

• Access over exclusivity

• Partnership over isolation

• Long-term pathways over short-term success

• Supporting youth on and off the field

 

 

Our work is not about producing elite athletes—it is about ensuring young people have the tools, guidance, and support they need to thrive.

 

 

Organizational Status

Adopt A Player Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.