FREMONT, CA — At 16, Harshil Shah has played tennis for more than 7 years, and for most of them he's wondered why the sport feels so different depending on who you are and where you play.
Tennis, like many sports, has a price tag, and Harshil, a student at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, is tired of watching it keep players off the court.
When Harshil discovered SkillSprout in 2025, a student-run nonprofit started by Sohum Wadhwani to bridge the gap for underprivileged youth who want to pursue their favorite sports, the mission resonated with the 16-year-old.
"I didn't realize how much sports equipment I had until I joined," Harshil told Patch. "And I thought, 'How can I put this to better use?'"
Harshil went all in on SkillSprout, and today, he serves as the organization's president.
Day to day, Harshil and his team of volunteers coordinate equipment donations and pickups around the Bay Area.
When someone donated an expensive stringing machine for tennis rackets to SkillSprout, its volunteers quickly sought programs in the area that could make good use of it, Harshil said.
East Palo Alto Tennis & Tutoring seemed like the perfect fit, Harshil said. Now, the program is teaching young tennis players how to re-string their own racket, something Harshil says is typically unheard of in a program.
Re-stringing a racket, Harshil says, can cost up to $30 at a store.
The nonprofit has also connected with the Oakland Unified School District and Moreau Catholic High School to bring resources to Bay Area athletes.
A capstone project by the latter took students into their neighborhoods to collect sports equipment, Harshil said.
They then connected with SkillSprouts, which now coordinates the equipment's use with neighboring programs.
But as the organization grows, it needs more support than ever to continue, Harshil said.
For the last few months, Harshil has led his group of student volunteers on door-knocks around the Bay Area, asking for help keeping the program alive.
More equipment, however, means the organization needs to rent out more storage space to keep everything safe. And that can get expensive, Harshil said.
Still, Harshil is aiming high to leave SkillSprout in a great place by the time he graduates high school.
"I really think being a leader of an organization is something that's meaningful in that as a leader, I'm able to set the stone or set the foundation for progression," Harshil said. "I have a responsibility to give back and help SkillSprout reach its full potential."
Harshil, who has experience in organizing, is aiming high at SkillSprout.
The organization is based in Fremont and has been getting a lot of traction, he said.
Harshil is currently working with advisors to launch new chapters across the country. Harshil hopes to start a new chapter in Columbus, Ohio by 2027.
"That's probably one of the biggest focuses of the organization," Harshil said. "We think there's a lot of potential to go out there."
For now, Harshil is looking towards how he can incorporate more of his family values into the work, including giving back to his community.
"It's kind of part of my family and what we do," Harshil said. "In order for society to succeed and flourish, we all have to give back to each other."
Harshil said that anyone who wants to support the nonprofit's mission can visit its website to make monetary donations that will go directly toward keeping the program running. The website also has instructions on how to make equipment donations.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Fremont Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.