Boys and Girls Club of Kingsville donates cleats to local school districts
By Frank Cardneas, South Texas Community News
A fresh pair of cleats goes a long way for athletes in youth sports, and thanks to the Boys and Girls Club of Kingsville, four area school districts now have the resources to provide a new pair for some students next school year.
On Wednesday afternoon, BGCK officials invited the athletic directors and football coaches from Kingsville ISD, Santa Gertrudis ISD, Bishop CISD, and Riviera ISD to the club for a special presentation and to deliver the shoes to the districts.
BGCK Chief Executive Officer John Perez said a grant through the Boys and Girls Club of America helped provide athletic shoes to a number of different clubs in the region.
“When the opportunity came to the Boys and Girls Club of Kingsville (to get cleats) we said ‘we don't know what we're gonna do with 600 pairs of cleats’ and then when we saw size 13, and we deal with younger kids, we weren’t totally sure,” Perez said. “So with so many that we got we thought, ‘what are we going to do?’ The first thing we thought was getting back to the community.”
Each school was provided with a minimum of 100 pairs of cleats ranging from sizes 6-13. Perez said the shoes provided to the school districts is estimated to be worth about $50,000 all together.
KISD Athletic Director Michael Davila said he was amazed the BGCK was willing to donate so much for all the athletes.
“Some of (the kids) are in need of shoes and sometimes they're hesitant about playing sports because they're lacking gear,” Davila said. “But this year, with the help of the Boys and Girls Club, they're going to be fully stocked and ready to go for football, baseball and anything involving cleats. We’re appreciative of this opportunity given to us today and our kids are going to be rewarded for it.”
Bishop Athletic Director George Luna said receiving the cleats is a “blessing” for the district and its athletic programs.
“We don't supply shoes for our kids, our kids bring their own; So, this right here is just awesome,” Luna said. “Our kids are gonna be so excited that they’re finally going to have their own shoes provided for them. They’ve always had to buy their own, of course, but we're gonna have shoes supplied by the Boys and Girls Club. It's amazing. We're so excited for it and hats off to the Boys and Girls Club for being there for the community.”
SGISD Athletic Director Arturo Lozano said he and head football coach Jerry Carpentier once worked for the BGCK when they were in college, and they discussed how much had changed to the place over the years.
However, despite the change in scenery, they agreed some things about the club have not changed.
“They have been doing this type of stuff for the community for a long time,” Lozano said. “Mr. Perez and the organization here giving back to the community like this, it's just what this organization is about, and we just couldn't be happier to have something like this happening. The kids need positives like this and when they see this kind of stuff, it's going to really pump them up.
“This is really a big plus for the kids and they’re going to love it,” he added.
Riviera ISD Athletic Director Nathan Borden said he was shocked with the donations considering how much had to be done in order to supply so many cleats.
“In particular, the amount of money that's involved,” Borden said. “And those shoes are so expensive when you go to Dick's Sporting Goods or even Academy, or Walmart or wherever, to find a good pair. We can't always go in and and purchase a whole lot each year. And the kids are always looking for something to practice in and sometimes, we as coaches go and buy some of these students cleats so they can have a pair. Especially now during a pandemic when funding is being placed other places where it’s obviously needed, this just came at the right time for a lot of school districts.”
Borden said what the BGCK did was something he won’t ever forget, and he can’t wait to see the kids faces when it’s time to show them their fresh pair of cleats.