FCC Helps Youth Football and Cheer Program Shape Lives

According to Ty Anderson, co-president of St. Stephen Football and Cheer, their youth sports program is about much more than football and cheerleading alone. It is about helping young inner-city boys and girls learn about healthy life choices, hard work, and achieving goals in life.

Run by volunteers, the program does everything it can to keep the experience affordable; however, football equipment, league fees, and other costs add up. Without additional support, the program would be out of reach for many and some still struggle to afford the cost, but the program has never turned anyone away because they could not pay.

This year was particularly challenging as participation numbers unexpectedly and dramatically increased. Thankfully, a connection was made with First Christian Church and through our Wholeness Grant Ministry, our church was able to fund the cost for 37 boys and girls to participate in the league.

In the video above, you can hear from Coach Ty, see the boys and girls in action, and get the full story of how the grant funds were used and the difference they made - it really is incredible!

While this story is already a good one, knowing the back story of this team makes it even better.

The St. Stephen Football and Cheer program's home practice field is at Victory Park - a location in Louisville that has not always had the best of reputations. The team's presence, along with some great partnerships, has helped to turn the park around in an amazing way and has brought a renewed sense of hope and progress to the nearby neighborhood.

Click here to go see the full story that was filmed by WHAS11 News. You will be glad you did!

The wholeness grant used to fund this ministry was made possible through your faithful financial support of our church and its ministries and help fund a variety of efforts to make our world a better place. You can find more examples of those efforts or apply for a grant to make the world a better place by clicking here.