It was a hot Sunday afternoon in mid-May when I finally got a chance to meet the Park Forest (IL) Hurricane football team and cheerleaders. For a moment, I thought that I was watching Chicago Bears mini camp. The kids were out there in shorts and cleats, and were running drills with near flu-entity. It was only May! However, these kids never took time from the program. Sharing a common purpose, founders Tremaine Weaver and Alvin Lacy created a program that went beyond football and cheerleading.
“I teach our kids that they are one injury away from never playing a sport again,” said Lacy. “The best thing that you have is your brain power, and academics come first. That’s why it’s called student-athlete.”
Lacy and Weaver created a program that combined athletics, academics, and community service. Programs like this are usually heard of at the high school and collegiate level. The coaches monitor the players by sustaining relationships with the local schools. They keep up with grades and even sit in on classes. In addition to classroom visits, they have conducted peace summits where they talk to children about making positive choices. Also, the coaches developed a mentoring program. The Park Forest Hurricanes partnered with Aunt Martha’s, which a local organization that provides health care and social services to it residents. The mentoring and tutoring program ran until June and was free to the players.
Coach Lacy went on to say, “I would rather my kids get academic scholarships and play sports, than to get an athletic scholarship because if they get hurt, it can be taken away from them.”
What is also important to the coaches is character building. With the help of the village of Park Forest, the players and cheerleaders are also able to serve the community.
When I last spoke to the guys, they told me that they had planted a garden with the Park Forest fire department.
“We don’t measure our success on wins and loses. It’s about building character and leadership in each one of our kids, whether its football or cheerleading”, said Weaver. “When I get kids who are excited about passing the Constitution or getting a good report card, I view that as successful.”
By the way, if you think you can hang out late at night, you are sadly mistaken.
“We work on keeping kids off the street, and we have a good working relationship with the parents. We make house calls on kids when they are being mischievous. We’ve had situations where we had to drive around at 12 o’clock at night and find kids; and these are nine and ten year olds. We don’t mind doing those things. We’re just a bigger reinforcement to the kids.”
Coach Lacy added, “we want our kids to be held accountable and be good teammates and people.”
“It’s great to know that you have guys like this is your community,” says lifelong Park Forest resident Ronnie Bridges whose two boys, Mason and Ethan, are apart of the Hurricanes. “The best thing is that I don’t have to send my boys to another community for all of these activities. They are all available right here.”
Off in the distance, you see young girls stretching and shouting. The Hurricane cheerleaders are working just as hard as the boys. The girls are conditioning their bodies and voices. Coach Lacy asks the the girls “how do you feel?”
With a low, lack-luster reply, they say “good”. Then Coach Lacy asks them again, “When I say how do you feel, you say REAL GOOD! HOW YALL FEEL?”
Then the young ladies give an emphatic roar, “REAL GOOD!”
Once again, the “Hurricane Way” is put into action. As I spoke to the cheerleaders’ mothers, they were very pleased with the program.
Mamie Rodgers, whose grand-daughter is Taylor Brown, is pleased with how the program allows her child to be fit and healthy, and be “community-minded”. She also loves how the coaches make themselves available to help off of the playing field. Another parent, Lakishia Reed, loves how her children can take advantage of the tutoring and have fun in school because of their excelling academics. Shay Adams was just happy to know that the coaches are willing to visit the schools and check up on the student-athletes.
Before I wrapped up my day, I stopped by the group of dads. Although they were short on words, they all had the same perspectives on the program. They were thrilled with the discipline that their sons presented. Through athletics, discipline is a much needed attribute when you are competing, but as one dad said, “These guys are helping my son prepare for the rest of his life through academics and sports.”
In a society where the good is outweighed by the negative, all of the coaches, male and female, have made the world a better place by developing positive and productive young men and women. Beyond football and cheerleading, Mr. and Mrs. Lacy, as well as Mr. Weaver has started something that will hopefully catch on in other cities in America. That is one that teaches the importance of being community servants and positive individuals throughout their entire lives. However, the Park Forest Hurricanes know, but only one way…THE HURRICANE WAY!
To follow this team and all of their accolades, please visitwww.parkforesthurricanes.webs.com
