Discussion Thread: Sport Outreach Mission and Vision

Football in New York: Mission and Vision 2

Football in New York: Mission and Vision

Jordan Hall

School of Sport Management, Liberty University

Football in New York: Mission and Vision

The overall mission of the Football In New York program is to create an experience that young boys can participate in and feel safe while learning life skills. As Garner summarizes, the mission is in place to make the name of God be known through organization (2017, p. 100). Some of the skills that will be taught are how to dress for important occasions like job interviews, special dinners, recruiting dinners, and even draft day by the grace of God they make it there. The mission is to create an environment where these young boys can feel comfortable learning life skills and can also improve in their sport that they love. My plan for the on-field experience is to have current and or former collegiate and professional football players have drills and film sessions for their respected position groups. During their film sessions, the athletes will be able to develop a positive and encouraging relationship with the players. Overall, the mission of creating a positive and safe experience for the participants is implemented each moment that the clinic is occurring.

Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This scripture is mission verse because it is a reminder that each day participants will be invited into a safe, positive, and uplifting environment. For every week, we will have a word of the week that the kids should try to pursue every day. At the end of each day, we will challenge them to do something outside of our clinic to perform that word of the week, where it be on or off the field. Another way that Football in New York will fulfill the mission verse is to lead by example through our life skills and our football activities. For example, when we are doing drills, the professional athletes will be doing the same exact drill with the participant. This shows the participants that the coaches care about their performance and getting better. The professional athletes will also lead by example through the life skills section. Mogale states, “ a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they never sit in” (Mogale, 2019). This quote is a reminder that God calls us to invest in the younger generation and sharpen the next generation.

The overall vision for Football In New York is to expand the program to other areas in New York. There are young boys that deserve to have these experiences no matter where they are from. It’s no doubt that everyone wants to make it to the NFL, but the reality is the chances are slim. Therefore, by teaching off the field skills lessons, the young men will gain the confidence to be a follower of Christ and also a contributor in the society. Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx are the other boroughs that Football in New York would like to expand to in the future. The vision is to create a program with a purpose to eventually expand to different locations within New York City.

Fulfilling a vision will take a few years to complete as it will be the long-term goal. The goal to expand to different boroughs will need to be made possible by connecting with other professional athletes and community leaders that will be open to having Football in New York events. According to “Creating and Managing Community in a community football club” Torchia states, “community is a shelter where we do not fear of being deceived by others, because there will always be a member giving us a helping hand” (2019). By having Football in New York be throughout the entire city, it will create a shelter for young boys who have the will and desire to be successful in life both in the sport of football but also through the life skills learned in the clinic.

References

Garner, J. (2017). Recreation and Sports Ministry: Impacting the Postmodern Culture. LU Press.

Mogale, R. (2019). Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17). South Africa Pharmaceutical Journal, 86(6), 31. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/iron-sharpens-one-man-another-proverbs-27-17/docview/2544490774/se-2

Torchia, D. (2019). Creating and managing community in a community football club. Managing Sport and Leisure, 25(1–2), 79–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2019.1684837