Oak Cliff leaders discuss violence at youth sports events

DALLAS — Local leaders, coaches and oldsters gathered Saturday in Oak Cliff to speak in regards to the points plaguing youth sports in North Texas and how one can forestall violence from occurring on and off the sphere.

This gathering comes one week after a taking pictures at a Lancaster youth soccer recreation left coach Mike Hickmon lifeless.

According to the arrest affidavit, police mentioned it began over an argument in regards to the rating of the sport.

Saturday’s city corridor was known as “Call of Action” and had a panel made up of native leaders from many alternative fields and organizations. The panel mentioned how coaches and organizations can higher come collectively together with battle decision alternate options. There was additionally time for folks to ask the panel questions.

Panelist Karen Reese created a sports discuss present known as “Can We Talk” that’s hosted by mothers of athletes. She mentioned the primary kind of motion that needs to be taken is extra concerned parenting within the residence.

“The parents are the ones who are choosing which team, which sports, which coach is teaching our kids,” Reese mentioned. “I think, as parents, we need to take a more active role in who we’re allowing to mentor and teach our kids.”

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Panelist Kevin Bennett has been a registered soccer referee for 9 years. He mentioned there must be extra respect for each other throughout the board. Panelist Tony X, who mentioned he’s an ex-convict, echoed Bennet’s message.

“Love is a verb that shows action,” Tony X mentioned. “When we love our children and when we love our community, then we can do better for ourselves and our people and our community. Look beyond yourself and think about your brother and your sister.”

Community chief and panelist Terrence Randolph mentioned there should not be any smoking or consuming at any of those video games. He additionally mentioned there must be extra of a police presence and extra protecting steps taken.

“We need more safety,” Randolph mentioned. “Metal detectors. Of course, we need police officers patrolling the games and not just being at the games.”

Panelist Gary Cochran leads a ministry known as “Cover Dallas with Love.” He targeted extra on the necessity for various teams and organizations to ascertain higher relationships with one another earlier than tragedies occur.

“Showing up and being present,” Cochran mentioned. “That’s so we can build relationships, learn and grow together. We can do that. But also when bad things happen or tragedy happens, we don’t show up as strangers. We show up as friends. Sisters and brothers. People that already know each other. And connect together.”

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Panelist Raymond Alford is the proprietor of the Big 12 Youth Sports League, which the group says offers a college-like expertise for the groups, coaches and gamers. He mentioned he has talked with the league’s leaders, and that the foundations and legal guidelines on college grounds and at soccer fields have to be higher understood and higher enforced. 

“So, if I know that you are not allowed to have your gun on the school grounds, I don’t care if you have a license or not — you have to go,” Alford mentioned, for example. “I’m going to go find an officer. We want to give our children a safe place to be. We want to give them a safe environment to be in. When people bring street environments in what’s supposed to be a safe place for children, they don’t need to be a part of what we do.”

Many of the panelists introduced up the concept of making a coalition of native youth leaders from completely different sports and organizations. 

Panelist Tabitha Wheeler-Reagan, who runs the non-profit Village Bridge Center, mentioned as soon as dad and mom and native leaders can hash out the small print of what this is able to appear like and who could be concerned, she desires to take it to the Dallas City Council and have them formally approve the coalition.

“We can no longer wait until something tragic happens,” Wheeler-Reagan mentioned. “The tragedy is any time there is something unpure around our children. Our children lead by example. We are responsible for every child we come in contact with.”

After extra questions from dad and mom, panelist Terry Mayo X, who’s a former skilled baseball and soccer participant, mentioned he would really like this potential coalition to begin establishing events and gatherings for the town’s younger athletes to spend extra time with each other off the sphere in order that they create connections past the teammates on every participant’s respective group.

“What if we were to pull together and collaborate with different events and different organizations in the different leagues?” Terry Mayo X mentioned. “With different organizations that don’t look like you so we can do more things together. It’s because unity is more powerful than anything in this world. It’s more powerful than the atomic bomb itself. So if we came together and unified more knowing just because your logo or your name is different, we still play on the same team. We’re playing on the same team of life .”