Home›For Parents›Help with fees
Help with the cost of playing
No child should miss a season over a registration fee. The Lindy Infante Foundation awards youth sports scholarships to Central Ohio families, and St. Matthew athletes are eligible.
Cost should never be the reason a child sits out a season. If registration fees are a stretch for your family, there is help, and asking for it is straightforward.
The Lindy Infante Foundation is a Central Ohio charity that pays youth sports fees for families who need a hand. It was founded in memory of Lindy Infante, the former Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts head coach, and it works on a simple premise: money is the single biggest reason kids stop playing sports, so remove the money problem. The Foundation puts every dollar raised toward getting children onto teams.
St. Matthew families are eligible. The scholarship is available to CYO athletes in grades K through 8, and it is applied for through the Diocese of Columbus rather than through the Athletic Association.
You must notify your parish Athletic Director if you are applying
This is a requirement of the Diocese, not a formality — it is how your award gets matched to your child’s registration. At St. Matthew that is Tim Timmons.
Goes straight to them through our contact form.
How to apply
Five steps, and the Foundation does the rest. Start early — a decision takes about two months.
-
1
Check that you qualify
The test is household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. The Foundation publishes the current thresholds and the full grant guidelines, which it updates from time to time.
Eligibility & requirements · Frequently asked questions
You cannot be related to a member of the Foundation’s selection committee.
-
2
Tell your parish Athletic Director
This one is required, not a courtesy. The Diocese asks that you notify your parish Athletic Director if you are applying, so the award can be matched to your child’s registration when it arrives.
Your message goes straight to them and stays private — no email addresses are published on this site.
-
3
Complete the application
Use the Individual application if you are applying for your own child. There is an online form, and a printable PDF if you would rather fill it in by hand. You will get a confirmation email once it is submitted, and the Foundation may come back for more information.
-
4
Send it in through the Diocese
A completed paper application can go in through the parish, or directly to the Office of Catholic Schools.
Attn: Michael Berndt
Office of Catholic Schools
197 E Gay St
Columbus, OH 43215
[email protected] -
5
Apply early — decisions take about 60 days
The Foundation reviews applications monthly, and the average time from submission to award is around 60 days. Start as soon as you know which sport your child wants to play rather than waiting for registration to open.
If a registration deadline is going to pass before you hear back, tell the Athletic Director. Do not let it stop you from registering.
What applying does and does not mean
It is confidential
Your application goes to the Foundation and the Diocese. Coaches and other families are not told who has applied or who has received an award.
It does not affect your child’s team
Teams at St. Matthew are formed by grade, there are no tryouts, and every registered athlete plays. How the fee was paid makes no difference.
Ask us if you are unsure
If you are not certain whether you qualify or which form to use, ask before you rule yourself out. There is no cost to applying and no penalty for a declined application.
Foundation links & forms
Lindy Infante Foundation
Who they are, what they fund, and how the money is raised.
Eligibility & Requirements
The current income thresholds and full grant guidelines.
Apply Now
Online forms for families, coaches and organizations.
Application (PDF)
Printable individual application, if you prefer paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Timelines, how awards are paid, and what happens next.
Columbus CYO page
The Diocese’s own instructions and where to send a paper form.
Awards, thresholds and forms are set by the Lindy Infante Foundation and can change — lindyinfantefoundation.org is always the current version. Questions for the Foundation directly: 614-321-5155.
Ask before you rule yourself out
If you are unsure whether you qualify, or a registration deadline is coming up faster than the Foundation’s timeline, get in touch. It stays between us.