Let me explain.
On a picture-perfect day for football in Central Florida (possibly our last before an approaching hurricane’s arrival), one of the most anticipated football games of our football season was canceled. Frankly, in the vast majority of scenarios, a description like “highly anticipated” is highly subjective. So, let’s check the list:
- Was this week’s UCF game canceled? No, that game was on Saturday and the Knights went on to smash Georgia Tech (and get former Knight-turned-Yellow Jacket Head Coach fired) without incident.
- Was a marquee local high school game canceled? To my knowledge, Friday night lights across Central Florida went on without a problem. Unless you consider a rattlesnake attending the St. Cloud game “a problem”, but even that disturbance didn’t end the Bulldogs’ night.
- Was an NFL game canceled? No, Miami beat Buffalo (which no one saw coming), but that’s not what had Black Orlando buzzing this week.
So, what game are you talking about?
In Orlando, one of the most highly anticipated football games of the year was a youth football matchup. Two regional powerhouse programs, the West Orlando Jags and Orlando Outlaws, were scheduled to clash in a Sunday morning tournament at Dr. Philips High School’s Bill Spoone Stadium, adeptly branded as ‘the Soul Bowl’ of Central Florida.
Youth football in Central Florida has changed drastically, in the last few years. First, it was simply a way for parents to get their children out of the house on the weekends. Then, it morphed into a more niche, passion-centered enterprise with full-on rivalries and bragging rights to compete for. And now, it’s grown into a full-on developmental league for some of the area’s standout young talent.
Growing up in Pine Hills, I always wanted to play football like my older cousins. However, my cousins came from American households where youth football culture was better understood. My mom grew up in Jamaica, before moving to this country to attend Florida State University. Her understanding of how youth football works was limited, and continues to be. What she knows is how deeply it bothers her to see young children begging for money in busy traffic intersections, collecting spare change in their tiny football helmets, while an overweight “coach” looks on from the sidewalk. She swore that I’d never end up in that situation, and I share her distain for that gross image of youth athletics.
Fortunately, that problematic scene has become far less common, in this era of flashy youth football organizations. Model organizations like the Pine Hills Trojans are managed by business-savvy entrepreneurs, and win champions with support from sponsors, instead of exploiting young athletes.
Football in Florida is more about business, than fun.
No matter how young the players are, football in Florida is big business. And, to be fair, that makes perfect sense. We saw the very same transition take place in the high school and college versions of the sport. Now players have legal representation, NIL deals and business managers before they have diplomas, graduation caps or gowns. This is America: A great product is meant to be marketed, and sold.
There’s nothing more fun than watching your team win a great game, but it’s deeper than that. A well-run program like KJ Ishmael’s Jags, the Pine Hills Trojans, or Richie Clermont’s Outlaws, empower the entire community they represent. Players are blessed with opportunity to gain quality experience, and hone their natural skills in a structured environment before their first high school game (trust me, it matters). An area like West Orlando, which is often unserved and starved of substantial economic opportunities for residents, benefits more than just quality entertainment, and family-friendly events. Small business owners like Chad Mascoe Sr., owner-operator of Smoke Sumthin’ BBQ, that would otherwise be ignored or overlooked, are presented as vendor in front of no less than a thousand hungry spectators, at events like the Soul Bowl.
Group economics is when a collective group pools their money together to benefit a common interest. Since the murder of Black Wall Street, this concept has proven elusive for us to reclaim, as a people. But when I go to these events, that’s the vision that I see.
Why was the game canceled?
Bad weather? Nope.
Rattlesnakes on the field? No.
Immature, emotional, grown ass people decided to start fighting at a youth football game on a Sunday afternoon. And then, they got one of the most important events of this youth football season, canned before it could even really start. Before joining Sports Club Florida, I was working at my old high school when I met Mr. Charles Carr. A mentor and hope-dealer from Eatonville, who inspired me with his father-like relationship with the 50+ youths in his program at the Central Florida Boys & Girls Club. Even when I don’t agree with everything he says, I respect that he genuinely cares enough to speak.
Mr. Carr was one of many who made the trip to Dr. Phillips for the Soul Bowl festivities on Sunday (in his case, nearly an hour drive there, and back), decked out in his West Orlando Jags gear. According to his eye-witness account, the morning had gone perfectly fine, with everyone have a great time. That is, until some coaches got into it. Reportedly, this altercation sparked another, which lead to an escalation, and finally reports of a loud bang, that sent frightened attendees fleeing for safety brought the event to an unceremonious end.
Neither the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, nor the Orlando Police department have confirmed whether or not that loud noise was indeed shots being fired, at this time.
However, the damage has been done, and now uncertainty and speculation abounds. Sunday’s unfortunate incident also comes after a series of incidents at youth football events across the county, ranging from shameful viral moments to high profile tragedies like the murder of Texas youth Coach Michael Hickmon, a grandfather and father of three, during a game.
Now what?
In a heated Facebook Live address following the untimely cancellation, Mr. Carr mentioned that “95%” of the attendees of the game were there to support a effort that is worth supporting, and “5%” ruined it for everyone. I think that’s a fair assessment of the situation we find ourselves in. Our youth, and communities deserve to benefit from this new, incredible spaces for youth football, created by business-minded, and community-minded men like KJ Ishmael and Richie Clermont. Both program leaders have addressed the situation, taken accountability and have pledge to move forward from this disappointment.
Admirable as they may be, they can’t move forward alone. These model programs deserve our support, and financial backing. And that opportunity was stolen from us on Sunday afternoon, by childish adults and cowards acting tough. Future viability of this sport is in jeopardy because, as Dr. Phillips Head Coach Rodney Wells, put it:
“Adults are messing up events that are meant for the kids.”
It needs to stop.
WRITER’S NOTE: This story is developing, standby for updates.