The Cleveland Browns are committed to the community. Through First and Ten, the Dawg Pound is encouraged to share what they are doing to give back. During the month of August, the Browns will be celebrating PLAY Football! Month, as we feature youth football coaches who #give10 by volunteering their time to help young athletes learn and love the game of football! Get inspired and check out what these fans are doing to help their community:*
JarrodHometown: East Liverpool, OHJarrod is the Executive Director of Youth Sports and Development at the YMCA of Greater Cleveland and gives back in a big way! The YMCA of Greater Cleveland currently provides youth flag football programming at seven locations in Northeast Ohio. The program introduces each participant (ages 3-14) to the sport of football while emphasizing the YMCA core values of honesty, caring, respect, responsibility and faith but what makes our programming so special are the scholarship opportunities available. Jarrods work at the YMCA of Greater Cleveland stresses the belief that nobody should ever be turned away for the inability to pay. Any parent that wishes to sign their child up for a program, whether it be flag football, swim lessons, or the Jr. Cavaliers Basketball program, can do so regardless of their financial situation. Jarrod wants to create a positive experience for all youth athletes in their communities and scholarship program allows them to that.
DavidHometown: Lorian, OHDavid is a work as a Peer Recovery Supporter for a Mental Health Provider. Here, David takes men who have various mental health illnesses out on social outings & activities. On the side, David has been coaching youth football for 3 years with the Lorain Steel! David volunteers his spare time not only coaching but ministering to troubled Youth at the Lorain County Detention Facility. David said he got interested in coaching because of his heart's desire to encourage youth to accomplish their goals & to let them know there is someone who cares about them. David said that if he can be a positive role model for a young man that he is honored to do so. While coaching kids from the inner city can be a challenge David said there's no better feeling than the feeling of giving back and connecting with players. David says that his experiences keeps him grounded and humble. Thanks for all that you do!
JasonHometown: Vermilion, OHJason is the volunteer athletic director at St. Joseph School in Amherst where they participate in CYO sports through the Cleveland Diocese. There they offer 7 different sports for the School and Church and have nearly 250 athletes that participate throughout the three sports seasons. Along with this commitment, Jason also helps coach both of his sons' football teams (5th Grade Tackle and 2nd Grade Flag) and both of their baseball teams. Jason believes that It is important that the community is able to provide outlets for the children to be active in sports and be a part of a team environment. Jason wants to do his part to make sure his sons and their generation have the same opportunities that he had. Well done, Jason!
RickHometown: Hudson, OHAfter overcoming an illness back in 2000, Rick decided to dedicate the rest of his professional life to his greatest passion-giving back. Having been a big brother for two young underprivileged boys and a young dad at the time, nothing gave Rick a greater pleasure in life than to see a child who is truly impacted as a result of their participation in sports. Once Rick got healthy, he started what has now grown into a very successful business, called Jump Start Sports. This business works with Parks and Recreation departments and school systems, running fun, creative, instructional sports camps and programs that focus on basic fundamentals, character building, sportsmanship, teamwork, and making friends. Jump Start Sports was originally started in Hudson, Ohio and now work with 45 communities in NE Ohio, and in ten major markets nationally.
ElliotHometown: Miami, FLThe Youngstown Youth Flag Football Association was established in the Spring of 2007 through the vision and direction of former YSU wide receiver Elliott Giles as a way to give back to the community that gave him so much. Through his desire and hard work focused on getting kids from the Tri-county involved in positive recreational activities; the Y.Y.F.F.A. has grown from 80 kids to over 13,000 kids in close to 10 years. As an educator, Mr. Giles has always put kids well-being ahead of his own and this league was just another example that. Mr. Giles isn't just the league president of the Y.Y.F.F.A., he his also the head coach of multiple regional and national teams who have competed in numerous states all over the country in the NFL Flag football circuit. Understanding and believing in the important a of education, Mr. Giles also chose to give back in the way of creating a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. It is a priority of the league that the children who participate each season also get to feel the joy of giving back to your community. Each season parents and players are asked to contribute in some way; whether it be their time ringing the bell for the Salvation Army or donating a book to our local children's hospital to do so. Mr. Giles and the league have worked with many local charities and are proud to say that to date they have been able to donated over $10,000.00 to those charities. Amazing work, Elliot!
In August, all NFL teams will recognize Play Football Month, a celebration of youth and high school football players and coaches throughout the preseason. Beginning with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, Play Football various youth and high school football activities, personnel and programming will be featured at NFL teams' preseason games at stadiums and during TV broadcasts.
The Cleveland Browns are committed to assisting the development, safety and growth of youth football throughout Northeast Ohio with year-round programming for players, coaches, officials and parents. Through camps, clinics and other initiatives, the Browns' goal is to promote healthy, social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of youth by enhancing opportunities for youth football participation and education.
Interested in signing up your volunteer group for First and Ten? Group forms available! Click herehttp://www.clevelandbrowns.com/community/firstandten.htmlto learn more about how to #give10
Follow @BrownsGiveBack on Twitter and Instagram and tell us what you are doing to help others using #give10 to unite us all as Browns fans. Give 10 hours, help your community.
The Browns are dedicated to #give10 through the team's First and Ten initiative. Launched in June 2014, the Cleveland Browns First and Ten campaign is the team's community program, established to inspire fans to volunteer in and help their communities throughout the world by volunteering for 10 hours each year. Since its inception, Browns fans have committed to volunteering more than 1 million hours to impact their communities by pledging to #give10. Through First and Ten, the Browns are the only NFL club to promote a long-term volunteering program that unifies the team and its entire fan base, with the goal of impacting every individual's city across the globe, as well as the franchise's local community. All Browns fans are encouraged to join the volunteering effort by signing the First and Ten pledge on the team's website and by sharing their stories with #give10.
