(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors met with Rolly Parrott and Bryant Rasmussen on Thursday, June 30th, 2022, to learn about the Trojan Sports Locker. The Trojan Sports Locker is located in a storage building next to the Parks & Recreation office. Rolly Parrott, the visionary behind the Locker, shared he started the Locker to help students in the Atlantic School District have the proper equipment to participate in sports, without having to worry about the cost.

Parrott noticed the number of kids who didn’t have the proper shoes or didn’t have a bat or glove when he began coaching Little League. He started collecting donations and storing them at City Hall. He quickly outgrew the space and started using an area at the Armory, where he quickly outgrew that location as well. He partnered with Bryant Rasmussen and Parks & Recreation and began utilizing one of their storage buildings to store donations. 

Any child, parent or coach in the Atlantic School District can use the Locker, free of charge, for anything they may need. Parrott has also partnered with Brown’s Shoe Fit, who provide shoes and equipment at cost when Parrott doesn’t have that particular item on hand.

Parrott and Rasmussen shared they have now outgrown the storage building and are exploring new avenues to make the Locker more attractive and better utilized. The building is old, very run down and has a leaky roof, which, after a light rain, runs water into the building. It’s no longer meeting the needs of the community. Rasmussen shared they have begun conversations with the School District to try and find a location on school grounds that would be better utilized. Rasmussen is currently pricing what the cost would be to build a new storage building. Parrott & Rasmussen hope the conversation continues so they can continue providing this free service and ensuring the students utilizing the program have the best experience they can.

The Trojan Sports Locker is always accepting physical donations as well as monetary. For more information, contact Rolly Parrott on the Trojan Sports Locker Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/377786362378005. The Trojan Sports Locker is located behind the Parks & Recreation Office, located at 1200 Sunnyside Lane.