BORN SPORTS LEAGUE USING SPORTS TO BUILD COMMUNITY

“If you want to go far, go together.”

That’s a simple quote with a powerful message. It’s also a central theme for Born Sports League, a Dallas-area nonprofit organization focused on bringing together LGBTQ+ and ally people through organized sports. The mission is simple: have fun, create a sense of belonging and acceptance, and give back to the communities it serves.

Through sports, Born Sports League does just that. It hosts leagues in kickball, sand volleyball, and cornhole throughout the year. Its tenets include safety, participation/inclusion, respect, fun, honesty/ fair play, and competition as it strives to make the world a better place through sports by bringing together a diverse and inclusive community to have fun while creating a sense of belonging and acceptance.

The organization is the brainchild of co-founders Logan Nichols and Jeffrey Manning. The two met while playing in a similar league on the East Coast. Their passions aligned, and when they both found themselves in Dallas, they knew what the LGBTQ+ community in Dallas needed.

Since launching in January 2021, more than 1,00 people have participated in the various sports Born Sports League offers. Currently, about 110 athletes are in the cornhole league, about 180 in kickball, and about 130 in sand volleyball.

But both Nichols and Manning are looking for ways to grow the organization even larger while also pursuing their own professional careers. Nichols co-owns and manages a residential real estate brokerage in Dallas. Manning is Director of Customer Experience for a software company based in Chicago.

“The big thing is that we are all about the community,” Nichols said. “That’s what drives us. Moving forward we need to find more partners, including corporate sponsors and sports teams. We would love to have Born Sports League nights at stadiums and arenas. Our community would love to engage, and in turn we can give back. The more we can do, the more we can give back.”

Manning noted existing corporate partnerships with a handful of local businesses, and even a partnership the organization had with Target.

“I met all of my friends there,” Manning said about his experience participating in a kickball league within Stonewall Sports, a similar organization that looks to build community through sports. “The environment it created was secure inclusive, and that’s what we are trying to foster here in Dallas.”

Born Sports League features co-ed teams that includes LGBTQ+ community allies.

“It’s all about inclusion,” Nichols said. “We want everybody who wants to play a sport to be able to play, no matter who they are or their skill level. We want to create a safe space for people to feel comfortable doing what they love.”

Nichols and Manning hope to leave a lasting legacy through Born Sports League, one that makes a positive impact on the local LGBTQ+ community.

Born Sports League summer sports are in full swing, with registration opening soon for additional fall sports. The organization is also hosting its annual beer pong tournament in August. The event serves as one of the organization’s largest fundraisers, allowing it to support fellow LGBTQ+ organizations in Dallas.

For more information about Born Sports League, to register for any of its leagues, or to become a donor, visit BornSportsLeague.com.