Youth football brings rural communities together

Parks & Recreation, July, 2003 by John Massey

Sport and leisure are important for our well-being, social interaction and enjoyment. These are benefits that can be realized by all in our communities, both rural and urban. But when small county communities don't have a local recreation department, how do their young people get involved in traditional youth sports?

Charleston County (S.C.) Community Education is a program that's the result of a partnership between the Charleston County School District and the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission. Community school staff in McClellanville, Johns Island and Baptist Hill are charged with providing athletics for young people in these areas. In rural Charleston County, it's no surprise that a favorite seasonal sport is football. The NFL Youth Football Fund helps make this possible.

For Charleston County Community Education, the NFL Youth Football Fund makes funding for local football programs available through NRPA, one of several NFL National Youth Football partners. These funds provide the most basic of football needs--helmets, pads, jerseys and even the footballs are funded through this initiative.

"Our rural areas have many residents who love football," says John Massey, the commission's assistant director for community education, "yet they are frequently too poor to afford basic equipment costs. Young people are given an opportunity to participate in a sport that was not available to them in previous years."

As a result, more than 550 children participated in this rural youth football program. Because of the popularity of this program among local parents, finding volunteers to serve as coaches and referees is seldom a problem. On Johns Island, youth football is now managed in conjunction with a cheerleading program that accompanies each game. Rural families now have the same full range of options as do their more affluent suburban counterparts.

For all young people, local athletics are an opportunity to promote the ideals of teamwork, fair play and fellowship. But for rural communities, athletics serve another purpose. Youth football gives local leaders the opportunity to interact with their fellow citizens. It provides a venue to engage the rural public and gives the community education program a platform to educate the community members about other opportunities for personal and professional growth.

According to Brian Todd, rural recreation specialist for Baptist Hill, "At the end of each game, throughout the season, parents and volunteers would stick around to discuss community concerns. It was a great time to pass along information to our local citizens." Programs such as the NFL Youth Football Fund do more than just allow rural children to play football. They help bring rural communities closer together.