GRANT REPORT - MAMMOTH HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
“This is what it is all about, making a difference in individual lives and the community as a whole. Thank you MMCF donors for your fantastic support to fund programs like Husky football. Your generous donations change lives and change the community.”
Mammoth High School football is not just a team sport, it is a life changer. It extends beyond just the team, it is a community event with team dinners and Friday night games inspiring the whole community to rally together and cheer on our Huskies. The MHS Football team has a special bond. They are bonded by a common purpose and they look out for one another. The bond that the football team exhibits has been contagious in Mammoth High School and spread to other athletic teams and students. These students are the community youth that MMCF is supporting. These students are our workforce, families and community leaders of the future.
MMCF has supported a grant to the Mammoth High School football team for new uniforms, safety equipment and helmet reconditioning which is annually mandated by the state. The benefits from this grant have had a domino effect, rejuvenated community spirit and involvement as our Huskies are now the 2024 CIF Central Section Division 8-Man Football Champions!
We reached out to the Mammoth High School Athletic Director, Kelley Lackey and the Head Coach of the Mammoth High School Football Team, Jesse Worden. This is what they had to say.
What did you get from the grant?
Kelley: The MMCF grant helped MHS Football purchase new home and away uniforms and pay for part of its helmet reconditioning.
Jesse: From the grant we were able to purchase new uniforms for our football team. About every 6 years we need to get new uniforms due to wear and tear. Another factor is that manufacturers only make the same style/design for so long, so this makes getting replacements difficult after a few years. We were long overdue that timeline, and also with a growing roster, we were in a desperate need for new uniforms.
How did this grant improve the lives of the students in regard to athletics and personal growth? Are there any specifics you would like to add?
Kelley: The MMCF grant allowed us to improve the lives of our athletes in several ways. The helmet reconditioning provides a critical safety piece for our athletes. Their coaches also teach “Heads Up” tackling to our athletes to lessen the chance of concussions. We instilled pride in the athletes by purchasing new uniforms using our grant. They participated in choosing the uniforms and took ownership of the great new look they received. The new uniform pants have a layer of padding that the old uniforms didn’t. This helped to protect our athletes from injury. The purchase of new uniforms coincided with the start of a new football head coach. It came at a time that was a low in our program. Having new uniforms enhanced the athlete's pride in themselves and their team. It was a great motivator in personal growth. Athletes had to earn the opportunity to wear the new uniform by upholding the standards that are in place for our student-athletes. Coach Jesse Worden brought a new level of commitment requirements to the football program. He has consistently held athletes accountable for sportsmanship, good grades, citizenship in the classroom, and a strong work ethic at practices and games. The new uniforms gave a tangible face to these changes.
Jesse: Receiving this grant allowed us to fully suit up 33 student-athletes. It enabled us to not have to turn away any kids that wanted to come play football. Prior to ordering new uniforms, I truly did not know if we would be able to equip more than ~20 players with our old uniforms at the time cause that is all we had.
While this might just be a game and it is great at teaching some physical and mental toughness, the "game" (when coached right) is phenomenal at teaching kids about life. There are so many ups and downs that happen throughout the daily process and grind and that goes into the sport of football. I myself (and any caring coach like the rest of my staff) want to share those life lessons with as many kids as possible and shape them into honorable men. Due to having new uniforms and the available equipment to fully suit up more kids than there has ever been in Mammoth Football, our program has been able to make a huge positive impact on a lot of kids that may have never gotten the opportunity if we couldn't give them the equipment they need to be a part of this family.
How did this grant improve their educational experience?
Kelley: This grant indirectly improved our athletes' education by motivating them to be on the football team. Being on the football team requires student-athletes to learn valuable time management skills to meet the grade requirements for staying eligible. As I stated before, the new uniforms served a symbolic purpose as a turning point in our football program. We gained a new coach who brought another enthusiasm level to the football team. Coach Worden has been instrumental in supporting his athletes in maintaining academic and citizenship eligibility. Having new uniforms and a new look helped students, staff, parents, and community members take notice of our kids.
Jesse: I believe athletics are critical to the success of our students' education. We tell them they are Student-Athletes. Student comes first and athletics are a privilege that you chose to participate in and you also continue to earn that privilege. Athletics are a great incentive for students to keep their grades up in order to be eligible. We know that not everyone is going to be a straight-A student, but we do know that we can teach kids to work hard and apply themselves.
We have developed a program that teaches kids to truly care about what you do and how you do it, on and off the field in all areas of life.
What is your student population, and what has this grant done to help them?
Kelley: The student population at MHS is currently 330 students. The demographics of the football team vary from year to year. This season, we had 18 freshmen, five sophomores, four juniors, and eight seniors. Approximately 48% of the football athletes are English Learners. Many of our students come from low-income families. This grant has provided them with the equipment and nice uniforms they need. This grant has attracted new players to the football team and allowed them to learn the valuable skills required to be a successful team player. This year, we had 18 freshmen on our team.
Jesse: Over the past 6 years, Mammoth Football has grown from a dwindling 8 man program struggling to get even 6 kids to practice, and now (or up until we got new uniforms) having 30+ kids on the team and potentially needing more equipment next season. Sure it makes fitting for gear and giving out uniforms and little more work, but it is definitely a good problem to have knowing that we have grown something special that kids want to be a part of. It’s truly amazing to see middle school and elementary school kids playing football at halftime of our home games. The growing interest at a younger age is very encouraging for the continuing success of our program.
You mentioned how the grant for the football team, in particular, has generated involvement and made a positive impact in your community. Can you tell us about that and the additional impact it will have on the youth you are serving?
Kelley: Having new uniforms provided by our MMCF grant inspired our team with a new level of pride in themselves and the team. This enthusiasm and pride spread into the community of Mammoth Lakes. We had record numbers of spectators in attendance at our home games this season. As more athletes joined the football team, more and more community volunteers became involved in all aspects of the football program, from working the entry gates to running the chains on the field, operating the scoreboard, announcing the games, singing the National Anthem, clearing snow from the field, and providing dinners before each week’s game. Friday Night Lights united our community during tense political times. Our football spectators were able to set aside their differences to cheer for our team and rally behind a united cause: MHS football’s journey to a CIF Championship.
Jesse: Like I mentioned above, our program has grown a lot over the past 6 years. Part of the growing interest is due to the success that we've had over the years but a bigger part of it is the camaraderie and bond within this brotherhood. Two big slogans that we use everyday at practice are:
“One Team, One Family” and
All We Got, All We Need”
The later being made by one of our seniors, Eric Martinez.
And repeating what I said about the growing interest from Elementary/Middle school kids:
They highly look forward to getting into high school so they can finally start playing football. There hasn’t been youth football in years so they don’t get to truly experience everything until high school.
Seeing Middle School kids at recess play football or seeing kids throwing a ball at halftime is so awesome to watch (I did the same thing when I was growing up) and it’s also encouraging for the continued growth and involvement in our program.
Is there anything you would like to convey to our donors?
Kelley: Mammoth Unified School District is a tiny district in a remote location. Our district does not pay for sports travel, equipment, or uniforms. We rely on the generosity of our community partners to provide athletics for our students. MMCF continually gives huge amounts of money and support to MHS and our programs. We are incredibly grateful for the support MMCF gives to us. We couldn’t do what we do for our students without you. Thank you.
Jesse: We may not know each other's faces, but I truly want to say thank you to all donors and we cannot do what we do without you. As much hard work that the kids and us coaches put in on the field, there is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes on, and all of our donors are a massive part of that. Football is an expensive sport with all the protective gear we need, but when us coaches get to teach kids, not just the game itself but also all the life changing lessons it has to offer, we appreciate every single person that makes it happen.
This is what it is all about, making a difference in individual lives and the community as a whole. Thank you MMCF donors for your fantastic support to fund programs like Husky football. Your generous donations change lives and change the community.
