State Farm Agent Eric Davidson Donates $10,000 to Sandite Youth Football
/This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there to support the Sand Springs football community.
State Farm agent Eric Davidson presented a $10,000 check to the Sand Springs Youth Football Association Friday morning at Memorial Stadium as part of the company’s community grant program.
Davidson was one of 100 agents across the country who was recognized for his community involvement and selected to submit a grant for a community program of his choosing.
“We really take a look at what’s taking place in the community, the agent’s involvement with the community, and the program that the grant is focused on,” said State Farm representative John Burnett.
“SSYFA is overwhelmed by this gracious donation towards our youth football program,” said Director Dustin Little. “We want to thank Eric Davidson for his constant support of youth sports in our community, at all levels, both as a coach and through his philanthropy.”
“Eric has coached for us since 2014, both with basketball and football, and we’ve enjoyed watching his two sons grow and develop through the years.”
To Davidson, the program is less about the sport and more about the life lessons it teaches.
“There’s so many kids out there that need guidance,” said Davidson. “They need direction, and coaching is one of the best ways to be involved in that.”
“To me there’s not a whole lot better than being able to coach some kids and hopefully leave them better off than when you started.”
The funds will be used to provide 87 sets of shoulder pads and 19 new helmets for the organization, which has 226 players from grades 1-7. The SSYFA also has a cheer program, bringing its total enrollment to over 400.
“We agreed to use this donation for a specific purpose and that’s to ensure the safety of our Sand Springs kids in playing the sport they love,” said Little.
“We try to replenish our equipment every year. We’re one of only a few clubs left that still provide the equipment for the kids.”
“With our demographics, it would be very challenging to tell parents they have to go out and buy this equipment.”
The organization only charges parents $200-250 per season, depending on when they register. It’s not uncommon to spend more than that on shoulder pads and helmets alone.
Having a feeder program like the SSYFA has been crucial to the success of Sandite football, says varsity head coach Bobby Klinck.
“It’s the lifeblood of any high school program. It’s really the front door to what I consider one of the best sports, if not the best sport, to play. So it’s vital.”
“It’s been great ever since I got here,” said Klinck, who is entering his third season at the helm.
“That was a goal of mine, to make sure that there’s a relationship and there’s an open door policy between the high school varsity staff and the SSYFA. It’s been a really great relationship so far.”
He also praised organizations like State Farm for supporting both the youth and prep programs.
“Football can be a major cog in raising young men and teaching them life lessons,” said Klinck. “So it’s a huge deal, and this community has been nothing but giving. Anything I’ve ever asked for, they’ve found a way to get it done. In my opinion, this is one of the best communities I’ve ever been a part of.”
Davidson’s oldest son, Brighton, will be a freshman on Klinck’s team this year, and his youngest, Kingston, will be in 7th grade.
“From a life lessons standpoint, it’s kind of hard to put into words,” said Davidson.
“Watching them grow into young men, not only learning things on the field but even more importantly off the field from a character standpoint, from ethics, morals, and how to work hard. There’s consequences and rewards in life and your decisions that you make determine how those are handled.”
“So being able to interject that into the kids as they grow and learn, it’s been a truly rewarding experience. That’s why I chose to partner with Dustin and do this.”
