Gary Thrapp

Gary Thrapp has been involved in youth sports for over forty years and is the owner of Beyond the Baseline—a basketball and volleyball event center located in Davenport, Iowa. He has over- seen more than 50,000 games in his facility in the last 18 years called Beyond The Baseline. Throughout this time, Gary can confidently say he has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in all facets of youth sports. 

Because of his unique experience and involvement in youth sports, Gary has observed many issues faced by young athletes, coaches, families, and the communities he has served.

Wanting to make a positive change, especially closing the opportunity gap that exists, Gary began the non-profit QuadCitiesYouthSportsFoundation with the single goal of improving the quality of youth sports for all. The foundation does this through programs focused on helping young people connect the dots between the recreational, the spiritual, and the educational parts of life; creating a balance so youth can develop a strong foundation for the rest of their lives; and encouraging kids to follow through with their day-to-day responsibilities so they can grow to be a strong employee, employer, leader, citizen, and family member.  Currently the foundation is providing free competitive youth sports for over 250 kids in the community.