The Greater Seattle Youth Football League was the beneficiary of the recent success of the Seattle Seahawks, as they received $50,000 from Fox Sports to help with the costs of uniforms and playing fields for the inner-city football league which currently features seven franchises serving youth ages 5 – 14.
According to Kyle Wilson, commissioner of the league, the money was an unexpected surprise and right in time to help kickoff the league’s fundraising efforts.
“We were looking to raise funds to help all of our franchises,” said Wilson. “We were looking into online fundraising options and then this happened to spring up.”
According to Wilson, operating costs can be up to $12,000 per franchise – which includes up to $4,000 to upgrade or refurbish helmets.
Terrell Baisy, president of the CD Panthers, said that raising money to purchase new uniforms is difficult and that his franchise has not been able to buy a complete set of new uniforms in over 15 years.
“We have been able to get some jerseys, but we have not been able to get new jerseys and pants,” said Baisy. “We started in ’96 and have only had three jerseys since then, that’s a long time.”
According to Baisy, he was initially contacted by Fox Sports about doing a story on inner-city football.
“When they first called me it was hard to believe, I was like is this a joke or something,” Baisy explains. “After I saw it was the real deal, I was like let’s do it… we need the publicity right now.”
Baisy says that producers and staff from Fox Sports came out and did interviews and shot a couple of scenes on the football field but never let on that they were going to make a donation to the CD Panthers or any other team in the area.
“They came to see our equipment, Judkins Park (The Panthers home and practice field), and everything,” said Baisy. “They were really trying to see what was happening on the football side and how they could help.”
After a few days of taping, Wilson, Baisy and members of other little league football franchises were invited to watch the NFC Championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Seattle.
However, once they arrived Fox Sports dropped a bombshell on them. They were told that they were representing the 12th man and that by watching the game while being taped by Fox Sports they could receive $5,000 for their league. But then came the twist, they would only receive the money if they could watch the game in complete silence from beginning to end.
“My initial thoughts were $5,000 to watch the game, I would have watched the game for free,” said Baisy. “But the silence was hard.”
With the ground rules in place, the group of die-hard Seahawk fans put on their game faces and set out to remain silent while watching one of the most important games in the franchise history of the Seahawks.
As fate would have it, they were tested on the first play of the game as Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson fumbled the ball giving possession to the 49ers deep in Seahawk territory.
“That first play was hard,” said Baisy. “He [Russell Wilson] usually doesn’t make mistakes like that. We were all over each other like what the heck just happened.”
Throughout the course of the game, the group would be tested time and time again as both teams came up with big play after big play in a see-saw battle. In addition, they were only allowed to go to the restroom — one person at a time — during commercial breaks.
“They didn’t want you talking at all,” say Baisy. “The silence was definitely hard.”
Finally, with the game on the line, Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman deflected a pass intended for 49er receiver Michael Crabtree in the end zone that was intercepted by Seahawks’ linebacker Malcolm Smith in the end zone. Baisy and his colleagues jumped out of their seats, cheering, high-fiving and hugging one another. But the game was not over.
“It’s hard to keep the 12th Man down,” exclaimed Baisy. “By that time, nobody was even thinking about the $5,000, it was more like we’re going to the Super Bowl.”
After settling down, the men in the room realized that they failed to stay silent until the end of the game. However, they then were informed by the host that because of their efforts they would receive $50,000 instead of the initial $5,000.
“I just thought we were watching the game and going to be on TV,” said Baisy. “Then it went from watching TV to $5,000 to $50,000.”
“The only thing that could be better than that would be like winning the Super Bowl,” added Baisy, who said he partially had already won the Super Bowl by marrying his wife last summer.
While the league is still looking to raise money, the money that they received from Fox Sports will go a long way towards helping provide opportunities for youth to play football here in Seattle.
Wilson says that the money will be divided up between the franchises in the league, and that he expects most of them to use the money for new uniforms and helmets.
“You have to refurbish or replace most helmets every three years,” says Wilson. “Now they have better helmets that do a better job as it relates to concussions, and we want to make sure that we do our part to keep our young players as safe as possible.”
If Baisy gets his wish, the CD Panthers will have a complete set of new uniforms.
“I’m going to look into new uniforms and blocking pads,” said Baisy.
In recent years, Seattle has become known as a basketball town, but the success of the Seahawks has certainly placed an emphasis on how much of a football town Seattle really is.
“I definitely want to say thank you to the Seahawks because it was their hard work that brought attention to them as well as to the Seattle area,” said Wilson. “Their hard work drew all this attention up here for Fox Sports to come seek out 12th man fans in youth football and provide us with this opportunity.”
Wilson says that the league may add three to six teams next season, and says that his phone has been ringing off the hook with teams that want to join. However, Wilson is quick to point out that while the money received from Fox Sports is significant, it is also a reminder that he and his colleagues still have a lot more work to do.
“We are still accepting donations,” said Wilson. “This was a nice jolt, but you will still see us out there washing cars, selling things, doing whatever we can to meet our financial goals going into next season.”
Donations to the league can be made through their website at www.gsyfc.org.
Here is the video produced by Fox Sports at the event:
