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ON in The Community: How you can help Sport Central
Photo credit: Oilersnation
Jun 4, 2026, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 4, 2026, 02:39 EDT
Sport Central is a nonprofit organization that provides people of all ages, most specifically children, with access to sport despite their financial situations. In order to make this happen, they need your help.
On Monday, the staff from Oilersnation got to tour their brand new facility that opened on Feb. 1 this year. Their storage facilities went from spanning across four buildings and 20 sea cans, to the bulk of their gear finding a home at the new West Edmonton location.
They serve schools, communities, and individuals all across northern Alberta, spanning many towns and cities. Kyle Campbell is the community outreach manager and self-proclaimed “equipment guy.”
“Being from a small town, I know a lot of these communities and people. I speak their language, and have probably played hockey at rinks in their town,” said Campbell, a Manning, Alta. native.
“Sports are hugely important. Even just thinking on my own experiences growing up, that’s how I met friends and kept busy. It’s good for your mental and physical health, it’s good for your social wellbeing… Every kid should be able to play, and we help facilitate that.”
One corner of the new Sport Central warehouse.
Oilers themed fitting room at Sport Central, where the kids can write their last names above their stalls while getting fitted.
Their new facility is massive, including two fitting rooms, one dedicated to the Edmonton Oilers, and the other dedicated to the Edmonton Elks, a warehouse for storage, multiple individual offices, and a massive staff room.
The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation is one that plays a big role in supporting Sport Central through the Every Kid Deserves A Shot program. They provide grants to the nonprofit organization to assist their facility, as well as to provide kids with purchasing brand new equipment in sports that see shortages.
Their facility also has an abundance of vintage equipment donated to them that they keep on display around the space. This equipment is too outdated for kids to use nowadays, but it’s still intriguing to get a glimpse at the history of sports gear.
Some of the vintage sports equipment at Sport Central
Currently they are lacking in a few areas when it comes to stock of their equipment, especially 20 and 24-inch bikes, as they are the most commonly requested equipment, but the amount of donations doesn’t match the desire. Other sports needing donations at the moment are baseball, and junior golf kits.
“Every month, we do a social media post for the top seven equipment shortages, so people can find out what we need at any given time through there.”
Campbell said that the equipment requests are mostly seasonal and that hockey is generally the most donated and recycled gear that they see in their shop.
“If anyone knows any hockey goalies who need gear, we have a massive amount of goalie gear,” he said. “There is a goalie shortage because the gear is too expensive, but we can help.”
They are always accepting sports balls of all variations to fulfill their annual program, where they give Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Edmonton Police Service (EPS) members soccer, basketball, football, and other balls to distribute amongst their communities.
“We give six-to-eight deflated balls to RCMP detachments, and they carry the bag in their car… if they see a kid out playing, then they can give them a ball. It helps them with their representation in the community, and also helps kids get involved in sports.”
Kyle Campbell holding size-18 shoes.
Their main goal is to ensure that kids are active and that all kids get a shot at their athletic dreams. One notable client that they mentioned was Canada Men’s National Soccer Team’s own Alphonso Davies, who is arguably the best Canadian soccer player at the moment.
“Davies came in for a bike and cleats when he was a kid, and now look at him… He started here with us, that’s special,” he said, adding that they aren’t dressing kids with intentions of them to go pro, but that it’s still touching they can provide this possibility.
“Everything in life is expensive… sports are something everyone should be in. We are breaking down barriers,” he said. “I was lucky my folks could afford to buy my equipment, but not everyone is in that position. One of the most gratifying things is seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces. When they leave with their gear and sticks that’s like the most gratifying thing, it’s like Christmas morning to them.”
You can make a huge difference in someone’s life simply by bringing your equipment to any fire hall around the city, United Sport and Cycle at 7620 Gateway Blvd, EPS headquarters, or by going straight to the Sport Central facility at 10331 176 St.
Sport central warehouse and bike shop stations.
However, they say none of this would be possible without the many volunteers who come in and help pack, store, repair, and fit equipment. If you are not able to donate, you can still make an impact by donating your time at the West Edmonton location.
“We are always looking for volunteers,” Campbell said. “You can check our website for more information. We have volunteer opportunities in our bike shop, equipment sorting, van drivers, there are a number of different ways you can volunteer as an individual. We are always looking for help.”
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