NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
The McGavock High School football program, like most public high school athletic programs, does not receive very much money from the school system.
"Our programs are funded through our gate receipts. Our coaching salaries are paid by the city, everything else is paid by us," Coach Jay Gore explained.
The district does pay for security and EMT services during games but everything else is funded from ticket sales on game nights.
"Even gas for our lawn mower to cut our field, fertilizer for our field, all those things, we pay for out of the football budget" Coach Gore said.
Gore requires his players to work hard on the field and off the field.
In order to help fund the football program each player is required to raise $200 by selling community coupon discount cards for $10 each.
Gore knows selling can be difficult with no training so he has recruited men from the community to help his players this weekend.
"All of my kids who haven't sold all of their 20 cards are going to meet up with some of these men at the Walmart, at the Lowe's, at a couple of strip malls around town and hopefully mentor the kids and show them, ‘Hey, here is how you approach people, here is how you shake hands, say hello, those kind of things'," Gore explained.
The goal is to help the players sell their cards but also to teach the young men valuable life skills.
"I'd love for [the mentors] to teach them the skills of some things they may not get otherwise. How you deal with people. When recruiters come in here, I want my kids to be comfortable to say, 'Hey, my name is…,' shake their hand and say, 'Hello, welcome to McGavock,' and those kinds of things" Gore continued.
He hopes the relationships fostered this weekend will continue throughout the football season and help make a positive difference in the lives of his players.
Gore said, "I'd just love for our kids to look up in the stands and know people care about them."
The players will be selling the discount cards in the McGavock community from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The cards will also be available at ticket booths during home game nights.
The McGavock Raiders face Franklin High School in their first home game on September 7.
