I always talk about how my Student Athletes come from around the planet, literally. Some of them barely speak English — which is my only language — when they arrive, alone and afraid, because at a young age their worlds got turned upside down. I love it because it's not in a bad way to me. It's good.
The past year was long. Four sports and five teams later, the thing that stands out to me the most is this. My — yes, I said My, I really did — My 4x1 relay team was undefeated.
We had multiple athletes who contributed to that undefeated season. Different kids, different stories, all of them giving everything they had. One of our athletes ran the 100m, the 200m, and anchored that 4x1 — undefeated in everything he touched. That young man is a story all on his own.
But this story is about a different member of that same relay team. A kid who kept complaining that he didn't want to run. We couldn't figure it out because he seemed to have so much joy doing it, and he was super fast. On the last day of the season, just before our last race, he revealed the reason — the soles of his shoes were literally falling off. He was on the volleyball team as well at the same time, but stopped showing up. That hurt me and my co-coaches' hearts. I said, damn, how could I have missed that? How did I not see that his shoes were falling apart?
Well, guess what — he told us, and then went out there in his street clothes, soles falling off his shoes. The gun fired and once again he gave us a commanding lead, as he did in every one of our 4x1 races. That's dedication at its highest level to me.
It brings a tear to my eyes even now that I didn't know, and that I could not afford to buy him the shoes he needed. Not just me, but my co-coaches as well. I had been doing my best to get donations — no luck. I created this vehicle but had a very difficult time finding the right platform to "sell gear to give away gear."
Yes — here we are. I was blessed to be involved. I'm honored to be involved.
I ask now that you support our cause because it's worthy. Because MyKids, My Student Athletes, are worthy. So whatever deity you pray to — pray that we can do what we need to do, through people just like you, to buy shoes or whatever else they need to be successful on the field of play. To show them that people do care. That people will help and support those who step out on faith and go do it. For you cannot say you tried unless you go and do.
That youngman did not miss one track meet. He complained the whole way — and now we all know why. Help us provide shoes, elbow and knee pads, water bottles, and a banquet for our student athletes.
Oh, and by the way — they were and have been honor roll students. Well, maybe a few weren't, but they really needed to be part of something that kept them off the streets, at least for a little while.
I tip my hat to them all.
Fly Falcons Fly. ✊
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