Outline:
Empowering Girls Through Sports
Leveling the Fields, the January community partner of News 4, is dedicated to empowering girls through sports. This nonprofit organization, based in the Charleston area, provides after-school sports programs for elementary school girls. The initiative aims to introduce them to athletics at a young age and help build pathways to leadership later in life.
Girls in the Lowcountry are learning lacrosse, soccer, and basketball through the program. Founder Melyssa Jaskiewicz believes that exposure to sports at a young age can translate into confidence and leadership skills as they grow older. She shared a compelling statistic: “Only 24% of C-suite executives are female, but 94% of them played sports.” According to Jaskiewicz, this highlights the importance of getting more girls involved in sports to increase the number of women in leadership roles.
Breaking Down Barriers
Jaskiewicz pointed out that cost, access, and limited options often prevent girls from participating in sports. To address these challenges, she launched the Empower Play program in February 2024. This initiative brings coaches directly to Title I elementary schools, eliminating transportation issues. The nonprofit fully funds the nine-week program, which rotates through three different sports.
“The fact that we’re going onsite takes out access. We’re fully funding it, so that takes out cost,” Jaskiewicz explained. “And by offering three sports, we’re taking out options as a barrier.”
The first pilot program started in April 2024. Since then, the nonprofit has expanded into schools across Charleston and Berkeley counties, completing 11 programs in 2025. Looking ahead to 2026, seven schools are already signed up for spring sessions, with three additional schools on a waiting list due to funding limitations.
Community Support and Growth
Jaskiewicz mentioned that the organization’s biggest expenses are coaches and equipment, but support from volunteers has been strong. “Everyone really aligns with the mission,” she said. “Most of us played sports, some at the college level, and one even professionally. People understand how sports helped get them where they are.”
The nonprofit has ambitious goals for expansion. Jaskiewicz hopes to reach all 39 Title I schools across Charleston and Berkeley counties within five years, with Dorchester County potentially next. Long term, she envisions chapters in every state within 20 years.
Lessons Beyond the Field
One of the most important lessons that sports teach is resilience. “The biggest thing sports teaches us is how to lose,” Jaskiewicz said. “You learn it’s not the end of the world. You get up and you keep going.”
Jaskiewicz hopes these lessons will help set the girls up for success well beyond the playing field. By fostering a love for sports and instilling valuable life skills, Leveling the Fields is making a meaningful impact on the lives of young girls in the community.