News Archive
Browse all news posts from our blog. Note, some news postings share multiple categories.
Note, these do not include published Past Events —go to the Past Events section for those.
We are hiring a part-time Operations Manager to help us stay organized and responsive as we grow. The Operations Manager will support scheduling, communications, and coordination tasks to ensure our programs and partnerships run smoothly. This role reports to and is supported by our Founder, Olanrelé, who currently carries out Executive Director duties.
Pay: $300/month | ~5 hours/week | 1-Year Term
This is a modest stipend for a support-focused role intended for someone passionate about community organizing, LGBTQ+ youth, or sports access. Ideal for students, freelancers, or community advocates looking for a flexible, meaningful side role.
Unmatched Athlete proudly presents its 2024 Year-In-Review + Annual Report. Browse online on Canva!
Join us for climbing days and FREE flag football this September! Plus we’ve got some news to share, scroll down if curiosity bites!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7/9/24 Baltimore, MD — Unmatched Athlete in partnership with Under Armour Unified announces the inaugural Unmatched Pride event for LGBTQ+ and allied youths on July 20th, 2024 from 11am - 2pm. All families are encouraged to attend and the event will be held at the Stadium at 2601 Port Covington Dr in Baltimore Peninsula.
The Administrative Director is a part-time staff position, who reports to the Executive Director. This position implements policies and procedures as developed by the Board and Executive Director; including maintaining internal and external contact lists for all accounts and coordinating financial accounts including invoicing and accounts receivable, and general bookkeeping, while reporting to the Treasurer.
Part-time staff paid (~20 hr/mo.): beginning at $20 per hr = $4,800 a year
Press Release: Unmatched Athlete, in partnership with Movement Hampden and supporting businesses at Union Collective, invites the public to celebrate the 3rd Annual Union Collective Pride event on Saturday, June 1, 2024, from 1:30pm to 9pm. This all-day fundraiser aims to support Unmatched Athlete's mission of promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports and assisting the organization's staff and coaches. View full release here.
Grab Print-Friendly PDF. Join us to celebrate our third annual Union Collective Pride on Saturday, June 1, 2024 from 1:30pm-9pm. In partnership with Movement Hampden and supporting businesses at Union Collective, we will be holding a day of fun activities and performances for LGBTQ+ and ally youths, adults, and all families to celebrate Pride month. Activities for the day…(read more)
Unmatched Athlete proudly presents its 2023 Year-In-Review + Annual Report. Join us for insights into our upcoming winter season, program updates, partnerships, and more. Whether you prefer scrolling online or flipping through a PDF, we've got you covered!
We've got THREE events coming up this December! Join us for FREE pickup basketball at the Greater Annapolis Y in Arnold (Anne Arundel Co) on Dec 9; plus two climbing days ($5 a head) at Movement Crystal City on Dec 16 and then Movement Rockville on Dec 30.
Plus, it’s Giving Tuesday! It'll be the most helpful today if you would please consider giving just-for-now or perhaps a little every month.In order to keep the lights on, we always need financial support. Please note that we would appreciate donations from the public or any organization(s) that align and support our mission.
Huge thank you to @underarmour and Unified Team for featuring us in their commercial! We exist to give the LGBTQ+ community a community for sports and we are so excited we got to share that with Under Armour! #pridemonth #letkidsplay #lgbtqsports #unmatched #athlete
We are back! Join us on Saturday, January 28th for the first of occur LGBTQ+ Youth Climbing Days in 2023, at Movement Columbia! Check out the full quarterly schedule!
Happy Holidays! What a busy year it has been! With Unmatched Athlete having just turned two years old earlier in June, our board is grateful to our young athletes, members, sponsors and partners for their feedback, their insight and energy! Together, we're committed towards making sports a more inclusive and fun for LGBTQ+ and allied youths. Please take time to give your feedback on our End of Year Survey. We appreciate your feedback. Thank you.
Unmatched Athlete is happy to share our 2022 Annual Report!
We have continued to be an organization that strives to create spaces that are safe, supportive and fun for all of our LGBTQ+ athletes: youth, allies, and families.
Read more: Open in new window
Happy Holidays! What a busy year it has been! With Unmatched Athlete having just turned two years old earlier in June, our board is grateful to our young athletes, members, sponsors and partners for their feedback, their insight and energy!
What a busy Pride Month, right? We have save-the-dates for you! While we did not have a pickup game this past Saturday, please add July 23 to your calendar, and add these upcoming games and events! Click the dates to sign-up and add our calendar reminders.
We're so excited for Pride Month! We invite you to join us and fly your rainbow flag! Each event and game is listed below, and if you scroll down, you'll see a flier with more information on each activity.
Good news--our Participation and Intake Waiver is now on Docusign. Much easier and faster to complete now. Please complete ahead of Saturday (along with Movement's waiver), or come a few minutes ahead of time to complete in person.
As required in Unmatched Athlete’s constitution and by-laws, Unmatched Athlete announces its four quarterly board meeting dates, to be held over Google Meet with tele-conference line. At the time of this posting, these are closed sessions and are not open to members or the general public. These dates are subject to change, and do not include any workgroups and interim board meetings or special meetings.
Hope you are staying warm and toasty during this winter weather. While 2021 continued to present some challenges (ahem... COVID-19), we were thrilled and lucky to have achieved some pretty incredible feats too thanks to all of your support.
In June, we ran our first event that served as our pre-launch at the UA Field House in Baltimore. We played soccer and KanJam and even had Poe (the Baltimore Ravens mascot) join in the fun. We the board thank Living Classrooms for their support and Leveling the Playing Field again for providing us free soccer kits for all the youth. In addition, we thank Under Armour for sponsoring the pre-launch and providing t-shirts, which you can purchase by clicking here! We are a little biased, but the t-shirts are pretty dope.
We also were given an opportunity of a lifetime to throw out the first pitch at last year's Pride Night at the Park in June. No worries, the ball got to the plate...barely. We truly thank the Pride Center of Maryland and Baltimore Orioles for providing us that opportunity.
On September 25th we held our first official pickup game in Howard County at Cedar Lane Park. We played frisbee and volleyball and are grateful to The Charmery for providing all the youth free cream after the game. Yum! This was followed by our last pickup game of 2021 on October 30th which we called a Spooky Pickup Game at the aforementioned Cedar Lane Park. We played flag football and in the spirit of Halloween and of course, ate a lot of candy.
Season’s Greetings! We are honored to announce a new joint partnership with the Howard County Public School System. Together, we will support LGBTQIA+ students and their families with resources and services in sports and fitness. Let's encourage ALL kids to be active and feel seen!
We look forward to exploring future partnership events and collaborating with schools in Howard County towards creating more safe and supportive spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth to engage in sports and fitness.
A big thank you to Danielle DuPuis at Hammond High School, whose voice in leading the HoCo Rainbow Conference continues to inspire us. And shout outs to Denise Kelehan at Mount Hebron High School and to Mary Schiller in the Partnerships Office, for their guidance and enthusiasm. If you are a parent, student or teacher and would like for us to make an appearance at your school in Howard County, please feel free to reach out to us! Our email address is info@unmatchedathlete.org and our social media is unmatchedathl.
We are so excited to finally share that Earth Treks climbing gyms are now one national community called Movement Gyms. Howdy @MovementGymsDMV on Instagram! It’s a new name for some, but we know it'll always be a community for all. And we have local LGBTQ DMV news to share!!! In the upcoming months, Unmatched will coordinate new LGBTQ+ YOUTH CLIMBING DAYS at Movement Gyms in Columbia, Hampden, Timonium and Rockville!
Climbing days will be divided into two age groups i.e. 5-12 and 13-18 on separate days. We are currently planning for the Climbing Days at the Columbia Movement location scheduled in March 2022. So keep an eye out for details soon regarding dates and time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@unmatchedathlete.org or social media handle
More Info Coming Soon!
We thank Dick's and the EVOLVE Foundation for recognizing the need for more LGBTQ+ visibility in sports. Just as these two generous foundations firmly believe that sports provide the structure, foundation for discipline, and create hope for a better future—
We too believe that sports create a bridge— for LGBTQ+ youth to be ACTIVE, to be BRAVE, and to be THEMSELVES.
Sports & fitness should be accessible to all kids, no matter their identity, income, where they live or upbringing. We organize biweekly pickup games across the Baltimore-DC corridor. Let’s encourage more LGBTQ+ and allied youth to play together! To learn good technique, to make new friends, adapt healthy habits, have fun and push for that next goal; that’s what it means to be Unmatched!
Everyday is an opportunity to put in your best effort. Everyday you can improve. Let’s enlist the mindset to #LetKidsPlay!
Please consider giving to Unmatched Athlete this #GivingTuesday to support our mission and our upcoming 2022 biweekly pickup game schedule.
This year has seen so many triumphs for LGBTQ+ rights, and yet there are so many hurdles to overcome in the sports. Unfortunately, there are still many negative examples of overcoming taboos, toxic masculinity, and thinking you're just not good enough, athletic enough or welcome to play in sports for LGBTQ+ people.
We believe that changing this narrative starts with creating a safe, supportive and fun environment for LGBTQ+ and allied youth. Let’s show them how to move, be active, and enjoy all the benefits participating in sports and fitness can offer. Your support will serve as a small step towards making your mission a reality.
We are excited to announce that we will be partnering with GLSEN Maryland! For those who aren’t familiar with GLSEN Maryland, they support students and educators locally, organizing around LGBTQ-affirming public policy, planning teacher trainings, and hosting events for students, educators, parents, and allies.
In tribute to National Coming Out Day, we had some amazing youth who were kind enough to share their coming out stories.
We thank Cami, Rose and Sam for sharing their stories! Also, we thank their parents for their support.
We would love to hear about your coming out story too! You do not have to be fond of sports and/or fitness to share. Everyone is welcome to share their story regardless of of age. You can do so by e-mailing us or on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter).
A special thanks to everyone who attended and supported our launch event on Saturday! We also thank all of our sponsors for their continued support and The Charmery for the delicious ice cream. More please? We plan on having another pick-up games event on October 30th and should have more details about it soon. Thank you again and hope to see y'all soon!
Hope you are safe and enjoyed Pride month this year! Though we are still experiencing challenging times, it is important to remind ourselves that there is light ahead of the tunnel. So let's all hang in there and continue to persevere.
We want to thank The Baltimore Ravens Foundation for awarding us a 2021 Play 60 Grant. We are incredibly humbled and excited for the recognition. We look forward to creating a space that is welcoming and safe for LGBTQ+ athletes. This is just the beginning! Ultimately, our goal is to create more representation for LGBTQ+ people in sports. We look forward to our next event, our Meet and Greet, next Saturday, August 14. We hope to see you there!
General News
Join us for a spooky-fun Climbing Day at Movement Rockville next Saturday 10/18 from 12:30pm - 2:30pm for LGBTQ+ & Allied Youth 5-18. Dress up in your favorite Halloween costume! 🦸♀️🧟♂️
Just make sure your costume is comfy and safe for climbing—think climbing appropriate clothes. All families are welcome to join the fun!
So sign-up now by using this link: Sign Up Sheet
Unmatched Athlete's summer season schedule is here! The summer brings our:
Unmatched Pride event on July 20 at the Stadium at Under Armour House
A continuation of our climbing days at Movement Rockville and;
The start of our flag football clinics!
Most events are free, with climbing days costing $10. Plus, we offer FREE Rideshare Available over Lyft! To sign up, registration sheets will be posted for each event on our website at unmatchedathlete.org. Follow us @unmatchedathl and contact us if you have any questions at 410 989-1586 or e-mail info@unmatchedathlete.org. Remember to be yourself and have fun!
Unmatched Athlete's spring season schedule is here! The spring season offers climbing days, ultimate frisbee clinics, an obstacle course field day, and don’t forget to grab the flyer for our Union Collective Pride fundraiser trifecta on June 1st. Plus, save the date—our Pride Olympics event will be July 20th at the Stadium at Under Armour House. Most events are free, with climbing days costing $10. Plus, we offer FREE Rideshare Available over Lyft! To sign up, registration sheets will be posted for each event on our website at unmatchedathlete.org. Follow us @unmatchedathl. and if you have any questions, give us a call at 410 989-1586 or e-mail info@unmatchedathlete.org.
Check out our events for the rest of the year! We got a bunch coming up you don’t want to miss! Stay tuned for more soon.
The spring schedule is here! You're invited! Highlights include Climbing Days the last Saturdays of the month at Movement Gyms, a new partnership with USA Ultimate, and a Field Day with Enoch Pratt Free Library Govans Branch. We’re also excited to share we’ll be holding a session at Howard County Rainbow Conference. Please save the date for our Fundraiser Celebration for PRIDE at Union Collective on June 17. All events’ sign up are on our Eventbrite.
We’re back! Browse the Winter 2023 schedule! Grab the quarterly flier!
Sign up on Eventbrite
Download Flier as PDF
Grab Google Calendar
We're so excited for Pride Month! We invite you to join us and fly your rainbow flag! Each event and game is listed below, and if you scroll down, you'll see a flier with more information on each activity.
Save the dates! Games and events through June. We can't wait to see you! Our next pick up game is MAY 7 - Soccer and Frisbee at Patterson Park; then, please join us at the Canton Chipotle for a fundraiser! We need you, and you need burritos! Please share with someone you know
Join us this May for our next two pick up games for LGBTQ+ youth and allies. We'll be playing soccer, flag football and possibly ultimate frisbee. Kids ages 5-12 and 13-18 are welcome to attend. Sign up for FREE one or both games. Please note that day-of, we may have games for one or both age groups to participate in. Thank you and hope to see you soon!
On May 7th, we will have a fundraiser at Chipotle at the Canton Baltimore address (2400 Boston St Ste 126, Baltimore, MD 21224). The fundraiser will go from 4pm - 8pm (promo code: NB842GK).
We're switching parks! We'll be moving to Cedar Lane Park Field 5, which is turf! 5081 Cedar Ln, Columbia, MD 21044. See you at 1pm!
Thanks to those who joined us at the Focus Group for Parents yesterday. Eight people joined us on the call, so a nice turn-out for an intimate discussion. We've copied five of our key questions onto our Facebook page: Feel free to comment on each with your thoughts.
Please stay tuned for our regular seasonal e-newsletter and if you haven't already, please consider sharing our Call for Volunteers and Call for Board Members on social media.
We're running The #PrideStride 5K on Oct 11th! Support team @UNMATCHEDathl by supporting the @pridecenterofmd's work on #NationalComingOutDay!
Support Team Unmatched
Game Schedules
Unmatched Athlete proudly presents its 2024 Year-In-Review + Annual Report. Browse online on Canva!
Unmatched Athlete proudly presents its 2023 Year-In-Review + Annual Report. Join us for insights into our upcoming winter season, program updates, partnerships, and more. Whether you prefer scrolling online or flipping through a PDF, we've got you covered!
Unmatched Athlete is happy to share our 2022 Annual Report!
We have continued to be an organization that strives to create spaces that are safe, supportive and fun for all of our LGBTQ+ athletes: youth, allies, and families.
Read more: Open in new window
Annual Reports
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7/9/24 Baltimore, MD — Unmatched Athlete in partnership with Under Armour Unified announces the inaugural Unmatched Pride event for LGBTQ+ and allied youths on July 20th, 2024 from 11am - 2pm. All families are encouraged to attend and the event will be held at the Stadium at 2601 Port Covington Dr in Baltimore Peninsula.
The Aspen Institute’s Project Play Summit is currently in Baltimore as part of our national effort to find solutions for more children to access quality sports opportunities. Baltimore was home to our first community State of Play report in 2017 that assessed the barriers and opportunities Baltimore uniquely faces. In the years since, local organizations and leaders have taken significant steps in Baltimore to improve sports access for children.
How Baltimore is improving sports access for children, by Jon Solomon: “Sports opportunities for LGBTQ+ youth and allies created”:
Olanrele Oni grew up loving to play soccer, but never felt he could truly be himself in sports because he is gay. In 2020, as the Black Trans Lives Matter movement grew across the nation, Oni created Unmatched Athlete and started with clinics in climbing, obstacle courses, flag football, Ultimate frisbee, basketball, soccer, and volleyball. The goal is to eventually create leagues and tournaments and hire a coach to teach sports fundamentals.
The events are nongendered, meaning every child plays together. To date, 177 children ages 5-18 have registered or participated in Unmatched Athlete’s events in Baltimore City and Baltimore, Montgomery, Howard and Prince George’s counties. More than half of the children (51%) identify as female, with 35% identifying as male and 14% as transgender or nonbinary. Nationally, research shows LGBTQ+ youth play sports at far lower rates than their peers.
“Regardless of how you identify, sports are for everyone,” Oni said.
Catch the end of Olanrele Oni, our president and founder, being interviewed at the Orioles Pride Night by Jim Palmer and Kevin Brown. Thank you so much to MASN and the Orioles for the opportunity to spread our message. #pridenight #lgbtqsports #orioles
Olanrele Oni watched from afar as the Black Trans Lives Matter movement swept the nation in 2020. He spoke to his husband, Justin Fair, about wanting to do something, anything, to counter the lack of empathy in the world.
Sports seemed like the proper solution. “To me, sports is one of those things that can change culture. I truly believe that,” Oni said.
Additionally, the O’s turned their attention to how LGBTQ kids relate to sports. While noting that “1 in 10 LGBTQ+ youth have been discouraged from playing school sports due to their sexual orientation or gender identity,” the Orioles also emphasized how important sports are to our community.
“One in three LGBTQ+ youth are interested in sports,” the team posted, “Unmatched Athlete is a Maryland-based non-profit that encourages youth who identify as LGBTQ+ and allies to participate in sports and fitness.”
Olanrele Oni admits that even though he grew up playing soccer, he was never the best athlete — “A for effort,” he likes to say.
But when he was younger, Oni, who said he always knew he was queer, once suspected his teammates were refusing to pass him the ball on the field because of his sexuality.
“I felt as a little gay kid, I felt self conscious. Is it the way I’m running? Is it the way I’m speaking? Is that playing a role?” Oni said. “You start creating these narratives in your head that may not exist.”
Read more
Huge thank you to Under Armour and Unified Team for featuring us in their commercial! We exist to give the LGBTQ+ community a community for sports and we are so excited we got to share that with Under Armour!
The Truth In This Art: In today's episode, we have an enlightening conversation with Olanrele Oni, the President and Founder of Unmatched Athlete, an organization dedicated to promoting LGBTQ+ representation in sports and fitness. Delve into Olanrele's journey with Unmatched Athlete and discover the mission they passionately share with our listeners. Throughout our discussion, Olanrele shares their experiences, insights, and the incredible impact that Unmatched Athlete has had in creating a more inclusive and empowering environment.In this episode, we dive into Unmatched Athlete's impact on the LGBTQ+ community in Maryland through inspiring success stories. Olanrele sheds light on the organization's transformative role. We also delve into how Unmatched Athlete educates and involves allies, crucial for a safe environment. Finally, we preview the Union Collective Pride Fundraiser—an upcoming event celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion and support, uniting Unmatched Athlete, Movement Hampden, and Union Collective businesses. Joy, empowerment, and fundraising await.
WATCH 2023 Press Clip on WJZ:
A Baltimore-area organization, "Unmatched Athlete," is empowering LGBTQ+ youth through sports. This program creates a safe space for young sports enthusiasts who identify as LGBTQ+. Their goal is to normalize queer people and their love of sports at an early age…
WATCH 2023 Press Clip on WMAR: Among the many events for Pride Month will be one featuring athletic opportunities for local LGBTQ+ young people...
Organizers Unmatched Athlete, Movement Hampden, and businesses in the Union Collective invite the public to celebrate the 2nd Annual Union Collective Pride event on Saturday, June 17, 2023. The event will run from 12pm-10pm. The day’s celebration activates Union's participating businesses to affirm LGBTQ+ inclusion by kicking-off Baltimore Pride Week with an all-day fundraiser trifecta for Unmatched Athlete. The fundraiser goes towards organizational support and assisting Unmatched Athlete staff and volunteers. The public is invited to (1) A free climbing day for youth ages 5-18; an (2) evening Stoop Storytelling show at Movement; followed by (3) drag performances at Union Craft Brewing. Current additional sponsors include Union Craft Brewing and GLSEN Maryland.
## with Olanrele Oni of Unmatched Athlete
Unmatched Athlete encourages LGBTQ+ and allied youth between the ages 5 - 18 years old to engage in sports and fitness. Their President and Founder, Olanrele Oni sits down with Elena Russo to discuss the importance of athletic creativity and the impact that sports can have on LGBTQ+ and allied youth.
Movement Gyms celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community year-round with monthly queer climb nights, meetups with local LGBTQIA+ organizations, progress belay tags for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies, and more.
Thank you for this segment on Fox 45! Lead: Demi Gough, Digital Editor/Segment Producer at Fox 45 Morning News
Montgomery County Recreation Department and Unmatched Athlete will partner for a day of outdoor games and sports on Friday, June 24 at 12-4:30 p.m. at White Oak Recreation Center. No matter your athletic ability, there will be something fun for everybody! Following Pride on the Field, come hang out at White Oak Rec Center’s new LGBTQ+ Safe Zone from 7-10 p.m. Register for Pride on the Field.
On May 17th, 2022, we and our partners at GLSEN Maryland announced that we regretfully had to postpone the Get Active Youth Summit event that was originally scheduled for Saturday, May 28th.
We apologize for the inconvenience we caused to those who showed up for the event this past Saturday.
We thank you for showing a commitment to attend our event and hope to see you soon. We are thrilled to inform you that we and GLSEN MD will hold the Youth Summit event this fall in November! So, please stay tuned for details coming soon. Thank you all for all your support and look forward to seeing you in November!
As part of the Union Collective Pride Day on June 18, 2022, Unmatched Athlete, Movement Hampden, Union Craft Brewing, and the Stoop join the manufacturers at Union Collective for an all-day Pride celebration from 11 am throughout the evening. The day portion invites LGBTQ+ youth to free climbing, corn hole, arts and crafts at the Charmery, and other activities, including a guest appearance from Poe from the Ravens. The theme of the day creates supportive spaces for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people in leadership positions and in sports. Come meet affirming community partners and sponsors, then shop-and-dine at the collective throughout the day. Buy a drink from Vent Coffee, Union Craft Brewing, Wine Collective, or Baltimore Spirits Co Cocktail Gallery; enjoy a treat from the Charmery or a bite from Well Crafted Kitchen. Sign up to the day portion at unmatchedathlete.org.
AFRO American Newspapers | Charm City’s athletic organizations are on a mission to get Black Baltimoreans moving.
Recently, more than 200 residents gathered in Carroll Park for the first annual Cylovia, which took place at the Move Well Fest in Carroll Park. The two events were held together as a joint venture between Black People Ride Bikes (BPRB), Libraries Without Borders US (LWB US) and Pigtown Climbs.
More than 200 free meals were given out, along with information from more than 20 vendors- to include Aetna, Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland, Rails to Trails and Unmatched Athlete.
BALTIMORE, MD - GLSEN Maryland and Unmatched Athlete with the support of Under Armour, are thrilled to announce "Get Active", the 2022 Annual GLSEN Maryland Youth Summit. The free event for high school youth will be held on Saturday, May 28th from 10am to 4pm, at UA House at Fayette (1100 E Fayette St, Baltimore, MD 21202). LGBTQ+ youth and allies of high school age are invited to sign up at https://bit.ly/glsenmd22
This year's theme is "Get Active." This event is an opportunity for LGBTQ youth and allies to connect with young leaders across the state of Maryland, with each other, and with local community leaders to network, build relationships, share knowledge, and develop plans for creating change in local communities. This event features keynote speakers and educational workshops.
The Youth Summit is student-focused, leadership and education for LGBTQ2A youth and allies with networking opportunities, sports and fitness. GLSEN Maryland is thrilled to work with Unmatched Athlete and Under Armour's Unified Leadership Team.
BALTIMORE, MD - Unmatched Athlete, a Maryland area non-profit launched in July 2020, announces its series of free LGBTQ+ Youth Climbing Days, to be held twice a quarter, in partnership with each of Maryland’s four Movement Gyms (formerly known as Earth Treks). The first set of free events will be held at Movement Columbia Gym on March 5th from 12pm-5pm for teens age 13-18, and on March 19th from 12pm-5pm for kids ages 5-12 and above. All youth, whether they identify as LGBTQ+ or as allies, are welcome to attend. Parents, family and friends are welcome to attend.
Many Thanks to the City of Baltimore and to Mayor Scott’s Office of Children and Family Success for their recognition of our budding work! Their support means the world to us.
Join us for our first meet-and-greet Aug 14 and for our big launch Sat 25. Park locations TBA!
On this episode of Transforming Together, the HopeWorks Podcast, MC Carey (they/them) brings in three guests for a deep dive conversation around sports and transphobia. Joined by the two founders of Unmatched Athlete, Justin Fair & Olanrele Oni, and trans health and sports advocate from Trans Maryland, Jack Mirabella, together they unpack the heavy wave of anti-transgender sports bills that have been hitting state legislatures all over the country as well as the undeniably important work of creating safe space for queer and trans youth to engage in sports. Sports are meant for everyone regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation and no one understands that better than Unmatched Athlete which works to create a safe and inclusive space for queer and trans youth to engage in sports and movement. You can learn more about Unmatched Athlete by visiting https://www.unmatchedathlete.org/.
Watch on Youtube! What a great night! Thank you! Here's a snapshot of Olanrele repping @unmatchedathl with the first pitch at LGBTQ Pride Night with The Bird @orioles. We're all so proud! Please donate at
https://unmatchedathlete.org/donate
We’re so honored to be included in the new Pride Sizzle Reel that the Pride Center of Maryland created to celebrate this year’s Pride Month. Read the Pride Center’s full message to honor today’s Give OUT Day in their latest e-blast.
June is Pride Month, and kids are invited to celebrate and get active at Unmatched Athlete’s LGBTQ+ Youth Sports Field Day at the UA House at Fayette on Saturday, June 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. Unmatched Athlete is a new nonprofit dedicated to encouraging LGBTQ+ youth in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas to participate in sports and fitness and explore their athletic creativity.
Co-founder and president Olanrele Oni says that he became motivated to create this organization in July 2020 as the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement became an international phenomenon. Oni, angry with the violence and discrimination that Black transgender women were subjected to, wanted to do something.
ORIOLES TO HOST LGBTQ PRIDE NIGHT AT ORIOLE PARK ON JUNE 22. The Orioles will welcome Olanrele Oni, Board President of Unmatched Athlete, to throw out the first pitch. The Maryland-based non-profit encourages youth who identify as LGBTQ+ to participate in sports and fitness, and to explore their athletic creativity and become well-versed student athletes that excel beyond their time in school.
Unmatched Athlete, a new Maryland area non-profit, announces its pre-launch event, a LGBTQ+ Youth Sports Field Day. The free event will be held at UA House at Fayette, on Saturday, June 12th, 2021 from 1pm to 3pm. LGBTQ+ youth and allies ages 5-18, families and friends are welcome to attend. Activities will include a KanJam frisbee tournament and soccer drills for youth and adults to play and have fun. Due to COVID-19, only 50 people will be allowed to attend. The public is invited to RSVP at https://unmatchedathlete.org/rsvp and $10 suggested donation is requested.
Press Items
Event Recaps
Unmatched Athlete had a great time getting a bus together to go to Ravens Training Camp at the Owings Mills Campus, this past Monday, August 8th. It was a great opportunity for LGBTQ+ youth and allies to cheer on the Ravens and to hang out!
Thank you again to the Baltimore Ravens and the Ravens Community Foundation for this opportunity!
Hope you all had a great weekend. We want to thank everyone for showing up at our first LGBTQ+ Youth Climbing Day events in the Howard County area! It was so inspiring to see everyone (i.e. youths and adults) enjoying the sport of climbing while being their true authentic selves.
A special thank you to all the youth mentors and volunteers (Ariel, Catherine, Jamie, Nick, Sammy, Theo, Toluwa, Will and Xavia) for working with all the work you did to make both events a success.
Unofficially, we had 30 youths on March 5th and 86 (more than likely over a 100) youth who attended on Saturday! Thus, your presence and willingness to help us promote both events played a huge role in making the Climbing Days a success.
Our goal next year is to have multiple Climbing Days at the Movement Columbia location with the hope to have the first Climbing Day events for each age group similar to what we did this year.
As you can imagine, the work never ends, so we need your help in getting the word out and attending more of our pickup games & events. So please keep an eye out on our website and social media (@unmatchedathl) for updates regarding our upcoming pickup games and events.
A special thanks to everyone who attended and supported our launch event on Saturday! We also thank all of our sponsors for their continued support and The Charmery for the delicious ice cream. More please? We plan on having another pick-up games event on October 30th and should have more details about it soon. Thank you again and hope to see y'all soon!
View photos of our sports and games day at the first annual Catonsville Family Pride! Our favorite photos are from the 3" Heel Obstacle Race!
Watch on Youtube! What a great night! Thank you! Here's a snapshot of Olanrele repping @unmatchedathl with the first pitch at LGBTQ Pride Night with The Bird @orioles. We're all so proud! Please donate at
https://unmatchedathlete.org/donate
Join us on LGBTQ Pride Night at Camden Yards! Email us and we'll share the deets! 💪⚾ GO Orioles! Buy Tickets
We had over forty people arrive to run soccer drills, compete in the KanJam tournament, dance with Poe, hula hoop, take goofy photos, eat popsicles and pizza, you name it! We can't thank you enough. Scroll down for a recap!
As a pre-launch event, this was more than our board could ask for! We heard from some super enthusiastic parents throughout the day, and we would love to hear your voice. As one parent pulled us aside to tell us, 'this was the first time my kid said they really loved playing soccer!' Or, as another parent said, 'my kids told me Mom, we need to go to this; and we're having a great time.' Or, as one youth told us, 'this is great, can we do this like every weekend?'
Our plan moving forward is to begin the planning process for running ongoing pick up games this fall. So please be on the lookout! We'll update our website at unmatchedathlete.org and social media platforms @unmatchedathl. We'll also be adding photos to our Instagram and Facebook pages later this week! (We've already begun adding photos as they come in!)
WHAT: 5th Annual Union Collective Pride, a two-day fundraiser! Trivia and drag show on Friday night, then youth climbing day and ice cream social on Saturday afternoon
WHO: Unmatched Athlete, Movement Hampden, Union Craft Brewing, The Charmery, and supporting businesses at Union Collective
WHERE: Union Craft Brewing and Movement Hampden within Union Collective, 1700 W 41st St, Baltimore, MD 21211.
WHEN: Friday, June 5, 2026: 6pm Queer “Sports” Trivia, 7pm Drag Show;
Saturday, June 6, 2026: 12:30pm Climbing Day then Ice Cream Social at the Charmery
WHY: LGBTQ+ Pride Month Fundraiser for Youth Sports Visibility
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3/9/26 Baltimore - Unmatched Athlete invites the public to a free Basketball Clinic for LGBTQ+ and allied youth on Saturday, April 18, 2026 from 12:00 PM–1:30 PM at the CEI Arena Auxiliary Gym on the UMBC campus (1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250).
Designed for players of all experience levels, the clinic will feature skills and drills with coaching tailored to beginners through more experienced athletes. In addition to time on the court, participants will also have the opportunity to take part in a special tour of the UMBC Lab—connecting athletics, campus life, and future-forward curiosity.
This event is centered on LGBTQ+ and allied youth ages 12–18, while staying true to Unmatched Athlete’s family-first approach: younger kids and all family members are welcome to join the fun and support the community.
Registration is encouraged. Families can sign up here:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Baltimore, MD — Unmatched Athlete, in partnership with Under Armour, invites the public to a free Flag Football & Field Day experience for LGBTQ+ youth and allies on Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 11:00 AM–2:00 PM at Under Armour Field/Stadium (2620 Port Covington Drive, Baltimore, MD 21230).
This inclusive afternoon welcomes youth ages 7–18 and their families for organized flag football and classic field day games, with snacks available throughout the event. No prior flag football experience is required—whether participants are seasoned athletes or trying the sport for the first time, everyone is encouraged to jump in and play.
Following the on-field activities, families will be invited to explore the Under Armour store, enjoy a special 25% shopping discount, and sign the athlete wall. If weather requires a change of plans, activities will move indoors for racket and yard games on the basketball court, while parents can enjoy indoor amenities including a golf simulator and ping pong.
Registration is encouraged, as spots may fill up. Families can sign up here:
SIGN-UP SHEET
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 5, 2025
Media Contact: Olanrele Oni, info@unmatchedathlete.org 410-989-1586
Celebrate the 4th Annual Union Collective Pride to Support Unmatched Athlete
Baltimore, MD - Unmatched Athlete, in partnership with Movement Hampden and supporting businesses at Union Collective, invites the public to celebrate the 4th Annual Union Collective Pride event on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 1pm to 9pm. This all-day fundraiser aims to support Unmatched Athlete's mission of promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports and assisting the organization's staff and coaches. https://UnmatchedAthlete.org/UnionCollectivePride
UPDATE: First—thank you. Whether you signed up for tomorrow’s Flag Football Clinic or had plans to cheer from the sidelines, we felt the love. We’re sorry to say that due to low registration, we’ve decided to cancel the April 19th clinic at the Weinberg Y.
But don’t worry—we’re just getting warmed up.
To keep these events going strong, we need your support to be proactive, not just day-of. When you register early, you help us plan, pay coaches, and deliver a powerful experience for every young athlete who shows up.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7/9/24 Baltimore, MD — Unmatched Athlete in partnership with Under Armour Unified announces the inaugural Unmatched Pride event for LGBTQ+ and allied youths on July 20th, 2024 from 11am - 2pm. All families are encouraged to attend and the event will be held at the Stadium at 2601 Port Covington Dr in Baltimore Peninsula.
Join Unmatched Athlete and Under Armour Unified for the inaugural Unmatched Pride event for LGBTQ+ and allied youths on July 20th, 2024 from 11am - 2pm. All families are encouraged to attend and the event will be held at the Stadium at the Port Covington campus.
Teens 13 -17 will have the ability to compete in an obstacle course activity and skills challenges. Youths 8-12 will also have an opportunity to participate in the skills challenges in a noncompetitive format. For those who are interested, there will be an opportunity for youths to compete with and/or against their parents as well.
There will be a brief open and closing ceremony; and free lunch will provide for everyone. Registration will close on July 8th, 2024. So sign-up now and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Please Note: All participants are required to complete Under Armour's stadium participation waiver and; Unmatched Athlete's Intake form.
Press Release: Unmatched Athlete, in partnership with Movement Hampden and supporting businesses at Union Collective, invites the public to celebrate the 3rd Annual Union Collective Pride event on Saturday, June 1, 2024, from 1:30pm to 9pm. This all-day fundraiser aims to support Unmatched Athlete's mission of promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports and assisting the organization's staff and coaches. View full release here.
Grab Print-Friendly PDF. Join us to celebrate our third annual Union Collective Pride on Saturday, June 1, 2024 from 1:30pm-9pm. In partnership with Movement Hampden and supporting businesses at Union Collective, we will be holding a day of fun activities and performances for LGBTQ+ and ally youths, adults, and all families to celebrate Pride month. Activities for the day…(read more)
We've got THREE events coming up this December! Join us for FREE pickup basketball at the Greater Annapolis Y in Arnold (Anne Arundel Co) on Dec 9; plus two climbing days ($5 a head) at Movement Crystal City on Dec 16 and then Movement Rockville on Dec 30.
Plus, it’s Giving Tuesday! It'll be the most helpful today if you would please consider giving just-for-now or perhaps a little every month.In order to keep the lights on, we always need financial support. Please note that we would appreciate donations from the public or any organization(s) that align and support our mission.
Join us for the holidays with THREE climbing days coming up; plus a NEW pickup basketball game at the Annapolis Y!
As a minority-owned non-profit, we are honored to partner with Movement Hampden for the Baltimore Boulders event this Friday. It is an event all about celebrating Black community by sharing our love of climbing!”We recognize that our community here in Baltimore is diverse, both in the gym and the city proper.
Unmatched Athlete had a great time getting a bus together to go to Ravens Training Camp at the Owings Mills Campus, this past Monday, August 8th. It was a great opportunity for LGBTQ+ youth and allies to cheer on the Ravens and to hang out!
Thank you again to the Baltimore Ravens and the Ravens Community Foundation for this opportunity!
We're so excited for Pride Month! We invite you to join us and fly your rainbow flag! Each event and game is listed below, and if you scroll down, you'll see a flier with more information on each activity.
SCROLL DOWN FOR OUR MAY EVENTS!
Friends, we need your help pushing word of our May and June events! Can you help us with sign ups, volunteers, or just spreading the word online or at a local bulletin board?
Join us for a BIPOC climb night at Movement Hampden from 6pm-8pm. We'll also be grabbing pizza and connecting at Well crafted Kitchen after climbing!
All guests will receive a discounted day pass for $19. First ten sign-ups are free! Shoe rentals will be provided at no cost by Pigtown climbs!
BALTIMORE, MD - GLSEN Maryland and Unmatched Athlete with the support of Under Armour, are thrilled to announce "Get Active", the 2022 Annual GLSEN Maryland Youth Summit. The free event for high school youth will be held on Saturday, May 28th from 10am to 4pm, at UA House at Fayette (1100 E Fayette St, Baltimore, MD 21202). LGBTQ+ youth and allies of high school age are invited to sign up at https://bit.ly/glsenmd22
This year's theme is "Get Active." This event is an opportunity for LGBTQ youth and allies to connect with young leaders across the state of Maryland, with each other, and with local community leaders to network, build relationships, share knowledge, and develop plans for creating change in local communities. This event features keynote speakers and educational workshops.
The Youth Summit is student-focused, leadership and education for LGBTQ2A youth and allies with networking opportunities, sports and fitness. GLSEN Maryland is thrilled to work with Unmatched Athlete and Under Armour's Unified Leadership Team.
Join us this April for our next two pick up games for LGBTQ+ youth and allies. We'll be playing outdoor volleyball, soccer, and/or ultimate frisbee. Kids ages 5-12 and 13-18 are welcome to attend. Sign up for FREE one or both games. Please note that day-of, we may have games for one or both age groups to participate in. Thank you and hope to see you soon!
We are so excited for this Saturday, March 5. it's the first of many LGBTQ+ Youth Climbing Days! The event runs from 12pm to 5pm at the Movement Columbia Gym at 7125 Columbia Gateway Dr #110, Columbia, MD 21046.
Reminder! In one month, all kids and teens are invited to come join us for two weekends of free climbing at Movement Columbia Gym. Sign up at https://www.unmatchedathlete.org/2022/01/columbia/
All kids and teens are invited to come join us for two weekends of free climbing at Movement Columbia Gym. We look forward to seeing you: Sign up here!
For adults attending (family members or volunteers), say "Unmatched" and you'll get a discounted day pass.
Join us on LGBTQ Pride Night at Camden Yards! Email us and we'll share the deets! 💪⚾ GO Orioles! Buy Tickets
We're running The #PrideStride 5K on Oct 11th! Support team @UNMATCHEDathl by supporting the @pridecenterofmd's work on #NationalComingOutDay!
Support Team Unmatched
Event News
Volunteer News
Families and volunteers,
The Baltimore Pride Parade is this Saturday and we’d love to have you walk with Unmatched Athlete in the parade! As in years past, this is a great opportunity for grown-ups and families to get to know the team, to hang out with new friends, and to have a great time!
Read more…
Good Afternoon Friends,
We're gearing up for this year's Union Collective Pride fundraiser events this weekend (Friday and Saturday), and we are looking for a few amazing volunteers to help us make it all happen!
We know this is on short notice, and we truly appreciate your flexibility and willingness to step up and support our community. To ensure everything runs smoothly, we will host a brief volunteer syncing meeting on Thursday, June 4th at 6pm to go over expectations, talk through responsibilities, and answer any questions you might have. We'll continue volunteers who signup for shifts and the waiting list with the Google meets link.
Read more…
This April, Unmatched Athlete is thrilled to announce two new events on 4/18 and on 4/25, for which we'll need volunteers! We're looking for folks to help us cheer on youth, help us set up, and help us run the events! Please email us at volunteer@unmatchedathlete.org to let us know if you're free to volunteer, and bring your Unmatched t shirt (request here).
Saturday 6/7/25 Union Collective Pride 1-9pm - Come for any of the three events this Saturday: for as much or as little time as you're able. For the 1-4pm climbing day portion at Movement Hampden, we need help to check folks in, give out wristbands, chatting with parents and rooting kids on! Then, if you're available in the evening, we can't wait for the 5-6:30pm Ice Cream Social Hour at the Charmery and the 7-9pm drag show for grown-ups at Union!
Can you give your time? Here's our sign up sheet. Questions? Email volunteer@unmatchedathlete.org or call 410-989-1586
We are hiring a part-time Operations Manager to help us stay organized and responsive as we grow. The Operations Manager will support scheduling, communications, and coordination tasks to ensure our programs and partnerships run smoothly. This role reports to and is supported by our Founder, Olanrelé, who currently carries out Executive Director duties.
Pay: $300/month | ~5 hours/week | 1-Year Term
This is a modest stipend for a support-focused role intended for someone passionate about community organizing, LGBTQ+ youth, or sports access. Ideal for students, freelancers, or community advocates looking for a flexible, meaningful side role.
Unmatched Athlete is looking for adult volunteers for our spring and summer seasons!
Please sign up first on our members portal under ‘Volunteering’ then browse our events/programs list to let us know which you can come to! We’ll reach out to follow-up!
Current Dates: 04/12, 04/19, 05/10, 05/17, 05/25, 06/07
Volunteering Page
Sign-up to volunteer this Spring! We have 8 events coming up. Stay tuned too for the summer season calendar (email us for early dates)
Do you share our dedication to LGBTQ+ inclusivity in sports; enjoy working with youth & parents; and are a team player? We're looking for four volunteers to join our team:
*Events Coordinators*
will help in running events + working with volunteers
1 opening for Baltimore area+ Howard County
2 openings for Prince George’s + Montgomery County
*Communications Manager*
Prepare and manage all communication materials
Manage digital, video, audio and print content
Please email your résumé and complete the survey below.
https://bit.ly/3weJlRX
info@unmatchedathlete.org
We are looking for volunteers to help us run events this Pride Month! Head to our VolunteerSignUp pages to select a slot, and let us know we can count on you!
We are looking for volunteers to help us run events this Pride Month! Head to our VolunteerSignUp pages to select a slot, and let us know we can count on you!
We are looking for volunteers to help us run events this Spring! Head to our VolunteerSignUp pages to select a slot, and let us know we can count on you!
Volunteer with us this Spring! In just four steps. Sign up to the Volunteers Mailing List; then RSVP to the Volunteer Sign Up Page; third, get a Background Check, and fourth; join our Whatsapp Group.
B. Adult Volunteer Sign Up Sheets:
It's been a minute! Want to virtually meet up for coffee/tea/beer ☕this or next week? Join Justin and the team for a chill hang-out sesh.
We are seeking volunteers for our upcoming climbing day event
If you are 19 or older interested in tabling or working with our youth as a facilitator, you are also welcome to signup! Please note that tabling duties may include handing out wristbands and assisting people to fill out forms.
For January 28 especially, we are also encouraging people with moderate to advance experience bouldering or rope climbing to signup as a facilitator volunteer. Please note, anyone interested in volunteering as a facilitator need to monitor the safety of the youth while they are climbing at all times. Movement staff may also ask for your assistance to work with the youth. Lastly, ALL volunteers are required to have a background check. The background check is administered through Sterling and cost $18 that is good for a calendar year.
Thank you all for your support and look forward to seeing you all soon!
Unmatched Athlete is looking for an Events Director and a Marketing Director to join our Leadership Team in 2023! We are looking for those who can give a minimum time commitment of at least 20 hours a month. The positions may include a stipend. Each position is described as follows. To apply, by e-mail, please share with us your résumé; what piqued your interest in applying for this position; and your personal story engaging with sports.
Unmatched Athlete is looking for an Events Coordinator and a Marketing Coordinator to join our Leadership Team in 2023! We are looking for those who can give a minimum time commitment of at least 20 hours a month. The positions are volunteer—and will not include a stipend. Each position is described as follows. To apply, by e-mail, please share with us your résumé; what piqued your interest in applying for this position; and your personal story engaging with sports.
We are seeking youth and adult volunteers for our climbing day event on Oct 22.
*Youth Volunteers*
We are looking for youth between ages 13-18 years old to volunteer as mentors for the kids in the 5-12 age group.
*Adult Volunteers*
If you are 18 or older interested in tabling, you are also welcome to signup. Please note that tabling duties may include handing out wristbands and assisting people to fill out forms. We are also encouraging adults 19 or older with moderate to advance experience bouldering or rope climbing to signup as a facilitator volunteer. Please note, adults interested in volunteering as a facilitator are need to monitor the safety of the youth while they are climbing at all times.
Thank you all and look forward to seeing you all soon!
Help volunteer at our LGBTQ+ Youth Climbing Days at Movement Timonium
Help hand out wristbands and assist people to fill out forms
We're also seeking adults 19 or older (with moderate to advance experience climbing) to signup as a facilitator volunteer
And youth volunteers (ages 13-18) to return on Sept 17 to mentor ages 5-12
Unmatched Athlete needs adult volunteers to help celebrate Pride Month with us!
Come lend a hand at LGBTQ+ Youth Climbing Days (adults, facilitate climbing and help table! Teens, mentor kids and show off your climbing skills)
Come help out with Pickup Games where you can guest coach and help table
Come join board members to table at Pride festivals; and much more! We'd love to have you!
Friends, we are so pumped for our April, May and June pick up games and events! All pick up games run 1-3pm unless noted otherwise. Adults looking to volunteer, please sign up here
Unmatched Athlete is looking for volunteers to help us run events when we launch. Help us organize pick-up games and possible fitness activities! Areas for which we will appreciate volunteers include but are not limited to the following.
This February, Unmatched Athlete will conduct virtual focus groups for parents and youths in the Baltimore-DC corridor who are interested in LGBTQ+ Youth Sports. Please join us to:
Share your experiences playing, competing or watching sports;
Describe your school’s attitude towards LGBTQ+ people and students; and
Give your thoughts on Unmatched Athlete’s proposed events.
+ Local Business GIVEAWAY!