Russell Athletic to Recognize High School Teams Triumphing Over Adversity With "Fight Like Dylan Award"

Wanted to share this moving story we found with you.

$50,000 uniform and equipment grant announced; winner to be celebrated at Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl on January 3, 2012

Published: Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011

BOWLING GREEN, Ky., Nov. 17, 2011 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Russell Athletic today announced the launch of the "Fight Like Dylan Award,” a $50,000 uniform and equipment grant, honoring the late Dyland Rebeor of Columbia, TN, who lost his battle with color cancer at the age of 16 on Dec. 3, 2010. Rebeor was a wide receiver on Columbia Central High School's football team, but died just hours before his team won their first state championship in 58 years. Reflective of Rebeor's character and consideration of others, rather than asking the Make-A-Wish Foundation for a trip to Hawaii, or the opportunity to meet his favorite athlete, Dylan's final, selfless desire was for his beloved team to receive brand new uniforms and equipment for the 2011 season.

"People of Dylan's exceptional caliber are extremely rare," said Gary Barfield, executive vice president, Russell Brands, LLC. "When we heard his story of courage and strength, Russell Athletic wanted to honor him and the ideals he represented. We are proud to introduce the Fight Like Dylan Award in his memory."

To be eligible for the Fight Like Dylan Award, teams must post a submission on the Russell Athletic Facebook page explaining how they overcame a challenge or triumphed in the face of true adversity while embodying the spirit and courage represented by Dylan Rebeor in his battle against cancer. Anyone is eligible to submit an entry on behalf of their favorite high school team by logging onto facebook.com/russellathletic. Entries will be accepted from Nov. 17 until Dec. 15.

"In spite of everything he went through, Dylan always cared more about others than himself," said Heather Rebeor, Dylan's mother. "We're honored that Russell Athletic is going to keep Dylan's spirit alive through this award and hope it serves as an inspiration to others to never give up when facing difficult challenges."

Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy and current Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Colt McCoy will serve on the Fight Like Dyland Award selection committee, along with Dylan's mother and Columbia Central High School head coach, Vance Belew. The winners of the inaugural "Fight Like Dyland Award will be announced at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ, on Tues., January 3, 2012.

We do our homework!

When the HTM team puts together a proposal on behalf of either our state association or network partners, a great deal of research goes into each proposal in order to share with potential partners the strength of the high school sports audience. In fact, last year HTM commissioned a Turnkey Intelligence survey relating to the attitudes that sports fans have towards corporate sponsorship of high school athletic events, vs college and the pros. The results were incredibly supportive of high school sports. Here is just a sampling of the research we share with potential clients:

Statistics on parents being more likely to purchase brands that directly support their local high school

• 83% of high school sports fans consider trying sponsors' products or services.*

• 76% of high school sports fans make conscious efforts to support sponsors of their local high school's athletic department by purchasing their products.*

Statistics on children's attitudes towards brands that support their schools

Turnkey does not survey children - but below are the stats on high school sports fans and parents from the survey.

• 85% of high school sports fans have favorable opinions of sponsors compared to 78% of college sports fans and 66% of pro sports fans.*
• 74% of parents would rather see a company spend its sponsorship dollars spread among many high schools versus 15% of parents who would rather see dollars spent on single sponsorship of a professional sports team.*

Stats on children's attitudes towards brands that they feel are socially responsible

According to a study by Cone, nine out of ten GenY and Millennials would switch to a brand associated with a good cause if quality and price were comparable. (Source - www.bnet.com)

Turnkey does not survey children - but below are stats on high school sports fans and parents from the survey.

• 86% of high school sports fan perceive sponsors of high school athletic departments to be important members of the local community.*
• 85% of high school sports fans perceive sponsors of high school athletic departments to help enhance life in the community. *
• 69% of parents believe that local high school sports have a more positive influence on their community than college or pro sports.*

Stats on overall/parents'/mothers' attitudes toward corporate sponsorship

• 94% of high school sports fans and 86% of parents find it important to be aware of which companies sponsor their local high school's athletic department.*
• 86% of high school sports fans and 77% of parents encourage support in the form of sponsorships at athletic facilities at local high schools.*
• 80% of parents and 76% of mothers feel high schools sports are an important source of funding for local high schools.*
  76% of parents and 73% of mothers are supportive of local high schools accepting funding from sponsors and advertisers.*
  

*Statistics provided by Turnkey Entertainment survey gathered during July 2010.

Our Mission by Jake

Our Mission

After I read the letter to the editor below I knew immediately that this needed to go into the Real Deal because everything we do at Home Team Marketing hopefully shares the same underlying motivation and that is to assist the sustainability of school based sports and ideally allow schools based sports to be properly resourced to flourish. While Marlon is from Cleveland, there is a Marlon in every city and corner of the country and the bottom line is that school based extra-curricular , not AAU – Not club sports – Not video games – Not MTV (which is a total joke in terms of messaging to young people) was the vehicle that allowed Marlon to overcome his personal challenges. Marlon comes from a rough part of town but again not different to circumstances that literally millions of young people face every day. If we have not said it recently, let us say it again…Thank you for everything High School State Associations do– you positively effect the lives of so many young people each and every day. Please read and enjoy!

How sports affected my life: Marlon Worthington Jr.

Published: Sunday, November 06, 2011, 3:00 AM

By Plain Dealer guest columnist The Plain Dealer

Sports have affected my life in many ways. I played football at Glenville High School in Cleveland. I have experienced many adventures during my football career. I have been able to travel many places and have had opportunities to showcase my talents. I am currently on the University of Akron's football team.

Sports have played a huge part in my life because they have kept me out of trouble many times. I live in Cleveland. There are gangs and a lot of violent things happen around me every day in my city. Sports have affected me by keeping me focused on schoolwork so I could stay eligible to play football. It has been a huge challenge for me because most people who grow up around violence often start to do bad things and join gangs just to fit in or just to feel safe.

Sports have made me better a person on and off the field. I have learned how to be a man and take care of responsibility. Sports have gotten me away from all the crimes and violence that goes on in Cleveland. I could have chosen to sell drugs, rob people or kill people, but I decided to go the football route, which I feel was one of the smartest decisions I ever made in my life.

So sports have affected my life in so many ways. They have kept me off the streets. Sports have kept me very healthy. I have gotten to make more friends than I would have if I were in the streets. Sports have also made me a smarter and better person, mentally and physically.

I feel that it is safe to say that playing sports has saved my life plenty of times. If it weren't for sports, I would be doing some crazy things right now. This is how sports have affected my life.

Marlon Worthington Jr. is a freshman at the University of Akron, majoring in sports management. He plays safety and defensive back for the university football team.