Logan’s Dugout provides sports equipment for kids in need

WIMBERLEY — Oftentimes, financial barriers can keep a kid from signing up for sports and extracurricular activities because the cost of the equipment can be too expensive for a family’s budget. However, the team behind Logan’s Dugout works to alleviate that burden, so that kids can play.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Logan Overall poses for a photo in his Wimberley Texans football gear. Before his sudden death in 2020, he made a lasting impact on those in the community.[/caption]

The resource was created to honor the life of Logan Overall, a Wimberley ISD student who died suddenly on April 14, 2020. He impacted the lives of people of all ages and even now, he continues to inspire, bringing happiness, kindness and a helping hand in the community.

"He was just my social butterfly. He was always willing to help somebody. If somebody needed something, he was always willing to, like, if he had extra money, he would go and buy them something,” said Julie Overall, Logan’s mother. “I found out a story. He was in eighth grade and he always wanted to go [to school] early. I didn't understand why and sometimes, I couldn't get him to school really early. A friend of mine told me later that her son — and I hate to use the word bully —but kids will pick [on him] and he was a sixth grader. Well, [Logan] would get there early and he would walk with him to class.”

His mother continued to say that she has heard a lot of stories that have showcased that Logan’s memory is still living on in helping others.

“Freshman year, they played football and it was like it was meant to be. One of his best friends asked for his football shoes. They were going to put them on the bench and one of his friends did not remember to bring his football shoes, so he actually got to wear [Logan's] shoes and play the first game,” Julie said.

Initially, there was a group of people in the community that was doing 50 acts of kindness in Logan’s honor. What started out as a Facebook group turned into The Barnabas Connection adopting Logan’s Dugout as a permanent program and purchasing a physical space in the fall of 2021.

“All of a sudden, it just grew really fast and had a lot of followers. It was like a swap. You post equipment when you have a need. If you had something to give, you could [do] like a share/trade kind of situation. So many people were accessing it that I brought it to the board and said, ‘Is this something that we can do permanently,’” said Kate Sowell, executive director of The Barnabas Connection. “Last year, we were able to help 144 kiddos with supplies and equipment for extracurricular activities.”

Being in a more rural community, there are times when parents do not have access to travel to a sporting goods store or there are financial barriers that stop them from being able to purchase equipment, Sowell said.

“It's not always about the financial barriers. Sometimes it's just because you don't have time to make it to San Marcos or Kyle, but other times, it is that parents actually don't have the ability to sign their kiddos up for sports or an extracurricular activity because the cost to play is high. You have not only the registration fees for the sport or activity, but also all of the equipment,” she said. “When you add all of that up together, it can be really expensive. You're talking about several hundred dollars for the fees and then, several hundred more for the equipment. And if you have multiple children, that can be thousands of dollars per season and that's every season because they grow; kids are always growing.”

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
In honor of Logan, one of his best friends asked for his football shoes to put on the bench of the first game of freshman year. However, it was “meant to be,” according to his mom, because one of his friends got to wear the cleats since he forgot his own pair.[/caption]

Sowell said that Logan’s Dugout removes barriers for families and it allows them to be able to sign up their kids for sports or extracurricular activities and then come in to get access to equipment: “It just eliminates a kid not being able to play just because they don't have access to that equipment. There won't be any kiddos in our community who can't play because they don't have access to the equipment.”

Julie, who is a teacher in the community, said, “I don't want any teacher appreciation gifts or anything. For the last few years, I was just telling [my students], I would rather you donate equipment [and] if you don't have equipment and you’re able and you would love to donate money, I would appreciate that to help the community ... Just knowing how it is with three kids, and mine played sports, things are expensive. It was hard and we would borrow from others.”

Logan’s Dugout offers equipment for a variety of sports and activities, including, but not limited to, volleyball, soccer, baseball, softball, football, golf, tennis, dance, cheer and band.

Donations of gently used and new items are accepted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at The Barnabas Connection office at 101 West Spoke Hill Drive in Wimberley. Financial donations are also welcomed to help purchase specific items needed that Logan’s Dugout does not currently have in its inventory.

“[For example], if a family comes in, let’s say they are looking for a pair of cleats and we don’t happen to have the size, then we will use funds donated to purchase the item,” Sowell said. “So, we want to make sure that we are able to provide whatever is needed for every kiddo.”

Students who live within the WISD footprint are eligible and there is no cost to receive the items.

“So, not just Wimberley kids, but we have KAPS [Katherine Anne Porter School], St. Stephen’s and Blanco River Academy. There’s multiple schools in our area,” Sowell clarified.

To learn more about Logan’s Dugout, visit . Those wanting to make a monetary donation to Logan’s Dugout, or any other program through The Barnabas Connection, can visit .