Hi! My name is Mia Barakat, and I am currently a junior who has been given the opportunity to be a student-athlete at Hinsdale Central High School. 

I have been able to play tennis, my favorite sport in the world, for a major portion of my life. However, being on my tennis team these past two years has opened my eyes to the privilege that I had greatly underestimated. 

From the young age of five, I was handed tennis lessons multiple times a week and given new sets of clothing from the highest quality brands. Every six months, whenever my clothes would get too small, I would go through a cycle of use and throw with new pairs of shoes, rackets, and clothes. Slowly, tennis would become an integral part of my life as I would sign up for more and more lessons per week and enter tournaments that would often cost up to one hundred dollars each. I quickly gained a sense of order, pride, and true joy in playing my favorite sport with people who became my closest friends. 

However, because of how routinely I was given these privileges, I grew to view them tennis items and lessons as necessities in my life instead of as luxuries. So, becoming a member of my school's tennis team and traveling multiple times a week to compete against other tennis teams from a range of schools would open my eyes to this grave reality. 

I first-handly witnessed how many students were not only not given poor coaching, but not even given functional rackets, clothing, shoes, or courts. I will never forget how the courts I played on were so ill-maintained with cracks so big that our tennis balls would bounce off the cracks or almost get stuck in them almost every game.

This is why I will work hard with my co-partner, Sofia Malinas, to ensure that no child or teen athlete's success in sports may be limited by their lack of ability to access proper sports equipment or clothing.  

Hi! My name is Sofia, and I am currently a junior student athlete at Hinsdale Central High School! As a student-athlete, I experienced firsthand the incredible impact that sports can have on a young person’s life. Growing up, sports were my passion and a way for me to connect with others. They taught me invaluable life lessons in discipline, perseverance, and teamwork—lessons that shaped me into who I am today, both as an athlete and as a student. 

Most importantly, they taught me how to be resilient. Soccer is the type of game where one goal can change it all, so it is devastating when one mistake determines the result. Over the past couple of years, my team has qualified for national tournaments and then lost in the late stages of the playoffs due to small errors. 

Despite our defeat, we got ourselves right back up and prepared for our upcoming season. This left us with no time to sulk, so we shook off our tragic loss and kept going. Although the loss still stung, we didn't let it define our season, and we kept working hard and together as a team. Although it was a hard loss, I want every child to experience a moment like that, a moment where defeat does not define you. Countless moments like this have turned me into a resilient student and athlete, something that is priceless. 

Another story I would like to share that takes place off the field is when I had a severe stutter in elementary school that ultimately made talking immensely difficult for me. Early on, I struggled to talk out of fear that I would mess up; I lacked confidence in my ability to communicate. At this same time in my life, I was also starting to play club soccer, and we were having a really good season. I gained lots of confidence on the field, which started to show in the classroom as I began to take more risks, and eventually, I did get my stutter under control. I wouldn't have been able to do that if I hadn't gained my confidence on the field first. Empowering a child in multiple areas ultimately leads to confidence that translates to better academics, athletics, and mental strength.

I am in a position where I can give back, and I want to make sure that no child ever has to sit on the sidelines because of financial constraints. Donating sports equipment is more than just about providing physical tools; it’s about giving a child the opportunity to grow, to believe in themselves, and to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Sports changed my life, and I want to ensure that every young person, regardless of their background, has that same chance.