Volo Kids Foundation Emphasizes the Power of Play

When Jen Rifkin stayed in Baltimore after graduating from the Maryland Institute College of Art, she was set on becoming an art teacher.

“I ended up teaching for 10 years in Baltimore and Randallstown,” says Rifkin.

While working with kids was her passion, she was constantly feeling like she was up against frustrating restrictions.

“There were limitations to what I really could do for kids, the difference I could make, and the control that I had over that.”

Like many teachers, Rifkin also was working a second job, in her case as a part-time staff member at Volo, a group that provides adult sports leagues in the city. And by extension, she was volunteering with their nonprofit, the Volo Kids Foundation.

Founded by Giovanni Marcantoni in 2015 following civil unrest sparked by racial disparities felt across the city, the group provides kids the opportunity to access play, something they were frequently left out of due to barriers like cost and transportation. Rifkin, who was named executive director in February 2022, was hooked.

“I was attracted to the idea of working in the nonprofit sector and being able to really control and grow my impact and make a difference for kids here in Baltimore.”

The now-national organization has grown from a small free flag football league in Herring Run to over 45,000 kids playing multiple sports under the guidance of almost 10,000 volunteers.

“The idea was to provide a space for positive socialization, a way for kids to get active, but truthfully, and most importantly, just a space to play and have fun,” says Rifkin. “It’s so hard to be a kid these days—they have social pressures, physical pressures, emotional pressures, and virtual pressures that did not exist when I was a kid. And the cool thing about play is it teaches the life skills that kids need to be resilient to those pressures, but kids can’t tell they’re learning. They’re just having fun.”

Rifkin has learned the power that comes from the joy of play.

“It’s so valuable—in that moment, they’re also learning confidence and resiliency, trust, and safety. Play is that secret weapon that teaches these things all rolled into one. And every single child has the right to that power.”