Who Are We?
Our Mission
Gear 4 Kids is a community-driven initiative dedicated to supporting youth sports by highlighting local hero coaches and officials and ensuring that teams have the equipment they need to succeed. We focus on bridging the gap for athletes in underfunded areas by connecting coaches and officials with specific needs with generous donors willing to provide monetary donations for various youth sports gear. Through our platform, we shine a spotlight on coaches and officials making a difference in their communities while facilitating donations for essential equipment, ensuring that every young athlete has the opportunity to play, grow, and thrive. Here at G4K, we believe a lack of gear should never stop someone from enjoying the sport they love!
Highlighting Hero Coaches and Officials
We believe that the true heroes of youth sports are the dedicated coaches and officials who go above and beyond to inspire, mentor, and support their players both on and off the field. Our mission is to celebrate these unsung champions by sharing their stories, highlighting the positive impact they make in their communities, and ensuring their teams have the necessary resources to thrive. By nominating a Hero Coach or Official you help us shine a spotlight on those who work tirelessly to make a difference, recognizing their dedication, leadership, and impact.
Equipping Our Local Teams
We are committed to ensuring that no child is left behind due to a lack of resources. Our approach is designed to meet the unique needs of teams, coaches, officials, and individual players. We highlight specific officials' and coaches’ needs for their teams on individual landing pages, allowing the community to rally around their requests, ranging from individual players to entire teams, and even larger-scale facility improvements in some cases. These personalized shareable pages serve as a powerful platform for coaches and officials to raise awareness and connect with supporters, making it easy for their message to be spread throughout the broader community. If you know of any coaches or officials with potential needs, please feel welcome to nominate them above or share our page!
Hero Coach Hall of Fame
Coach Larry Hetzel was a devoted coach known for his passion for the game and his commitment to developing strong leaders on and off the court. With a natural gift for mentoring, Coach Hetzel instilled values of resilience, dedication, and teamwork in each of his players. His impact went beyond the technicalities of volleyball; he cared deeply about each athlete’s personal growth and success. Coach Hetzel, who passed away in 2017 at age 30 after a battle with leukemia, is remembered for his selfless dedication and the invaluable life lessons he imparted to his players. Though he is deeply missed by his players and community, Coach Hetzel’s legacy lives on through the positive influence he had on every athlete he guided.
Coach Steve Murfin served as head baseball coach at Blake High School from 1999 to 2022, becoming the school’s longest-serving coach and leading the team to four regional finals. Under his leadership, 27 players advanced to college baseball, including 21 Division I athletes, four All-Americans, and one professional player. Murfin has also served as a coach for the Baltimore Orioles amateur teams, leading them to three world championships, including a recent victory in 2023. He has an incredible passion for giving back and has been involved in organizing the "Baseball for Troops" campaign, which provided 850 lbs. of equipment for Maryland National Guard units in Iraq. He has hosted European international students through programs teaching baseball and has helped lead fundraising efforts to replace equipment for high schools suffering from tsunamis in Japan. Murfin is featured in five Sports Halls of Fame, most notably the Towson University Athletic Hall of Fame, Baltimore Orioles Fantasy Camp Baseball Hall of Fame and Adult Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame.
Make a difference and support a local hero coach!
Nominated by one of his runners, Sylvia Woosley, who calls him "a huge inspiration," Coach Rob Torres has led his teams to 15-16 championships and mentored athletes to earn All-Conference, All-Metro, and All-State honors. Torres prides himself on creating a positive, hardworking environment where every athlete—whether varsity or not—feels valued. He says, “as long as they do their best, I’m just as proud of their success.” One of his standout moments came in 2019, when his cross country team defied expectations, upsetting two top teams to win their championship and ending the season with an awesome victory. Beyond competition, Torres has spent the last 20 years hosting cross country meets for local elementary and middle school students, giving them a chance to experience the sport. But despite his accomplishments, Torres humbly says, “I don’t feel like I’m a hero coach. I just try to give kids an awesome experience they can look back on as one of the best parts of high school.”
Rudy Tyrell dedicated over three decades of his life to empowering students and athletes across Montgomery County Public Schools. Beginning as a high school physical education teacher and soccer coach at James Hubert Blake HS, he inspired countless young people with his energy, guidance, and unwavering commitment to their success- celebrating students’ accomplishments as if they were his own. Transitioning into school administration, Rudy served as assistant principal at James Hubert Blake, Gaithersburg, and Seneca Valley High Schools, where he became a trusted mentor to staff and students alike. Even after retiring in 2020, Rudy returned to support schools as an acting administrator, demonstrating his deep dedication to education and community. Rudy was known amongst students for going above and beyond, a man of his words and a kind mentor. He was a family man with a deep faith and a beloved figure within his community. Passing in 2023 after battling leukemia, Rudy leaves behind a legacy of service, mentorship, and love.
Hero Official Hall of Fame
Richard "Rick" Hall (1971-2021) was a dedicated basketball official and community advocate whose life was defined by passion and service. For over 25 years, he officiated games from high school to professional leagues, including Ice Cube's Big3. Beyond the court, Rick was a tireless volunteer for the National Kidney Foundation, organizing fundraising tournaments and receiving the All-Star Volunteer Award in 2019. He was known for his integrity and his deep belief that his love for the game could be used to serve a greater purpose.
John Simpers Sr. was a pivotal force in developing and leading Harford County's amateur baseball programs. He was instrumental in establishing a top-tier high school umpiring program for the county's youth and the famed Susquehanna League. This service wasn't exclusive to high school baseball, John also made organizations like the Havre de Grace Little League, where he ensured a positive experience for all participants, a priority. John Simpers compassion and love of the game showed on and off the field.
G4K Success Stories
Kicking Off Success: Launching Our First Coach in Need Campaign
At Gear 4 Kids, we take pride in using innovative technology to make a real difference in our community, and Coach Mike Rosenband’s story launch marks an exciting milestone. Powered by Technology 4 Causes and leveraging tools donated by Dicorp, we have successfully built our very first "Coach in Need" landing page—a personalized platform to highlight Coach Mike’s needs and help his team thrive.
The success of the page starts with the dedication of our student interns, who traveled to Carver Vocational High School to conduct interviews with Coach Mike, capturing his story and his team’s challenges. The Transformation Guild interns built and configured a fully customized, shareable page tailored to Coach Mike’s needs. The result is a platform where he can spread the word about his team’s goals and challenges, rallying the community for support in a way that’s never been easier or more impactful.
Since launching the page, it has already garnered significant traffic, with an increasing number of visitors learning about Coach Mike’s team and mission. This visibility gives us confidence that community support will help him accomplish his goals, equipping his players with the facilities they need.
The successful launch of Coach Mike’s landing page marks an exciting step forward in connecting community heroes with the resources they need. By blending innovative technology, heartfelt storytelling, and community-driven support, our newest landing page paves the way for a brighter future; We can’t wait to celebrate even more success stories soon!
Looking Forward to Future Wins
Gear 4 Kids is still in its early stages, so we don’t have many success stories to share just yet, but we’re excited to embark on this journey of supporting local teams and athletes in need. As we continue to grow, we look forward to continuing to share more inspiring stories here on our site, showcasing how community support has empowered local teams. We’re thrilled to see what the future holds and can’t wait to celebrate the transformative impact each donation makes.
Powered By
Technology 4 Causes
The mission of Technology 4 Causes (T4C) is to support specialized assistance programs and charitable initiatives, expanding their positive impact through the multiplying powers of technology, networking, and collaboration.
The vision of Technology 4 Causes is to operate numerous Mentoring Programs, Technology Assistance Programs, Sports 4 Causes Programs, and Helping Hubs. The combination of these initiatives creates a powerful multiplying effect for all T4C activities powered by a common technology platform and philanthropic infrastructure.