JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Life Achievers (FLA) Vikings youth football team in the Brentwood area of town had over $7,000 dollars worth of equipment stolen leaving dozens of kids without helmets and shoulder pads.
After our story aired, the community responded.
Local attorney, Gene Nichols, who you see weighing in on legal stories on News4Jax, saw the story and wanted to help.
“It was sort of a no-brainer, I called my law partner immediately,” Nichols said. “And Ted and I are both from here, played football in high school here, I coached some football here in town. And it was truly a no-brainer, we just didn’t even blink, we knew that these folks needed to help we knew that these kids needed to get back out on the field. And there was just something that told us that coach needed somebody to step forward.”
The donation allowed coach Rickie Simon to purchase replacements for 29 of the 46 stolen helmets and 30 of the 44 shoulder pads. The kids’ day was made—and a new friendship was formed as well.
“Before Gene left, I offered him a coaching position,” Simon said. “And he knew I meant every bit of that offer. Because it takes a village in what we’re doing, and yes, it means so much to our young people. Because you gotta think, we’re just a part of the stepping stone. We will love to implement the discipline, we will love to implement the importance of being responsible, the importance of speaking the truth, to not just some, but to all. So I really take what we do at Florida Life Achievers, I take it to heart.”
The donation wasn’t the only one. Other smaller donations have come in as well. The challenge now is that prices are going up and it’s become tough to find more gear. Some may have to wait until September. But they’re in a much better place now. And the young players aren’t the only ones counting their blessings.
“I’m the blessed one,” Nichols said. “I’m the blessed one for having the opportunity to help coach Simon in this situation. What I did was easy. I came out, I made a donation to these young men who needed some equipment. But to see what Coach Simon is doing for these young men on a daily basis and has been doing for years, I’m truly the blessed one.”
The team is still working to replace the remaining helmets and shoulder pads, but the help that has come from the community is making it possible.