Under the Friday Night Lights: Interview with Nagee Morrison
Friday Night Lights is quickly approaching its one-year anniversary at our club. It would be easy to think that this teen and adult program lasted as long as the show did, but it actually was created by Teen and Adult Program Coordinator Jakeema Burton and Intervention and Prevention Coordinator, Brianna Banks to respond to the increasing instances of violence and poor mental health outcomes.
2022 was a big year for the expansion of teen and adult-oriented programs. As with all youth Sports-Based programs, there is a major infrastructure and multiple models for engaging young children and helping to set them up for success from cradle-to-career, but there traditionally has been less for youth whose points of introduction to community-based social and academic services are older than 18. That was until Brianna and Jakeema started brainstorming, and under the leadership of Executive Program Director Barbyose Noisette they launched new programs for teens and young adults, and even raised money for scholarships. Programs included KSC Prep (an afterschool program for teenagers in high schools across Philadelphia; expanded competitive leagues for teens, and adults of all genders; Walk & Play Soccer for Adults over 45, but the one with most traction was, Friday Night Lights.
The Friday Night Lights program is inspired by the name from the beloved show (movie, and book) but that is not the only similarity. The KSC Friday Night Lights program provides a safe space for teens and young adults 18+ to play soccer with people of multiple skill levels. Drama series before and after the hit “FNL” franchise have captured some of the unique challenges teens face, yet in reality, many scramble to highlight spaces of support for youth available in the hours when most schools and businesses are closed. When FNL launched at Community Center at Visitation, and when it relaunched for the summer at Heitzman Recreation Center, interest was so overwhelming, people were excited to join any team to see who could last the longest on the court. As teams rotated, staff would vascillate from monitoring the plays to jumping in to try and get a taste of the friendly competition. As the sky got darker, athletes signed in and out, either exhausted from the intense game intervals, or simply compelled by another responsibility. But none of them left without greeting their friends, and getting resources for groceries, mental health and social services from Brianna. The Friday Night Lights program demonstrates how we use soccer as a vehicle to provide local opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy “play”, while also offering a space where members of our community of all ages can decompress from the challenges they experience in their immediate and greater surroundings. Like the show that aired on NBC, and captivated viewers with the stories of people unified through sport, Friday Night Lights creates a space for teens and adults from different backgrounds, and experience levels with soccer to be a part of a community.
The importance of safety at KSC programs was reinforced by long-term KSC player and coach Nagee Morrison. Nagee and his twin sisters have been heavily involved with KSC since the early ages. While these teen and adult programs have been formalized with Brianna and Jakeema’s fundraising and community development expertise, Nagee as a man in his twenties who has been involved with KSC for ten years demonstrates that these initiatives are authentic to the support system that KSC has been cultivating for teens since its founding in 2010. It is even more profound that teens who participated in our programs are at the healm of planning and creating safe spaces for children that may have similar backgrounds.
KSC has provided professional opportunities to Najee Morrison by advancing his leadership, mentoring, and instructional skills as a youth coach. Self-described as a caring person, if you don’t see Najee at KSC programs or at work, he is probably volunteering in his community. He has coached for many teams (U5 Recreation, U8 Boys Travel - which was co-ed at the time - to name a couple) and it is especially profound considering his earlier years playing soccer. Overall, coaching and playing were mutually beneficial for him, as he helped youth improve their relationship with soccer, while also improving his own abilities.
“When I started off I was a player. I wasn’t a coach at first. I started off helping out with equipment. I wanted to coach specifically to learn about the game. Coaching, putting in the extra training, sticking with the program, that’s what I did every step of the way to become better.”
Before KSC started with hiring these visionary young adults, KSC simply was providing a means to introduce, and/or make the sport of soccer more accessible. Prior to becoming one of the pillars of our community, Nagee was a high school student at Kensington Health Sciences Academy. He was confident in his skills on the basketball court, but had less experience playing soccer. One day during homeroom one of the teachers visited his class to invite people to play pick-up soccer afterschool. His name was Jim Hardy, and in addition to becoming a beloved mentor, he introduced him to a fun space to play soccer and make friends.
Nagee had a difficult start playing soccer, but his experiences learning in a supportive environment reinforced the positive benefits of playing the sport. Nagee reflects on his time playing with Carlos Acosta on a team that struggled against their competitors. During the next year when he was faced with similar competitors at a tournament, as some of his teammates were intimidated, Nagee had a unexplained boost of confidence. He said with a laugh, “I don’t know what y’all are talking about… I’m going to put in these goals.” He described three games prior where he scored 3 goals average each game. His inkling was correct, and they actually did win. The trophy was shaped like a soccer ball and as he spoke, he pointed to where it was displayed in the office. At that point winning the U16 tournament, he had only played for two years, but this was different because he felt empowered. Nagee recalled experiences getting picked on because he wasn’t as talented as his teammates. He was often the last one to get picked, but according to him “it just motivated me to play.” Nagee’s experience, and obvious interest in keeping his sisters involved in KSC highlights the foundation that our volunteers, staff, and athletes have created for teens and young adults before these programs were established.
Beyond the professional opportunities, and athletic development, teen and adult programs like Friday Night Lights are tied directly to KSC’s efforts to reduce violence in the community. With loved ones just around the corner from Heitzman Recreation Center, Nagee describes the significance of playing a sport like soccer that promotes peace. He emphasized the benefits of sports that foster teamwork, and overall the positivity throughout soccer activities, games and programs facilitated by KSC.
“Soccer helped me by getting me away from a lot of things. Especially at home—issues. It was my escape and sometimes it will still be when I need to get out of the house [&] play with my friends. ”
Overall, it is clear soccer has benefits through the life course. But for the teens in our programs, soccer has provided a way for them to get professional skills - as coaches in general or through our intensive WorkReady program - a consistent space to continue their skill development; spaces for friends and family to play soccer; opportunities for providing life and mental health resources, and more. But at its core, inspired by a desire to create solutions to the real challenges they deal with as young people in the community, Friday Night Lights gives them the space to dare to dream they can do anything they set their mind to - in competition and in life.
Friday Night Lights has been supported by the District Attorney’s Office Violence Prevention Grant. Our programs could always be strengthened with volunteers, space and equipment donations, and participants. Please don’t hesitate to learn more about how to support our work.
If you have any questions about Friday Night Lights, feel free to email Teen & Adult Program Director, Jakeema Burton.