Our son, Broderick Johnson, plays for the fourth grade Saints and coach Dave Perez. We moved to Katy, Texas, the summer before he went into first grade. I wasn’t sure whether we would let him play tackle football, but my husband played in college and he knew from the time Broderick was born his son would have the same love for football that he did. (He picked his name based on the fact that he thought it would sound nice on draft day: Broderick Mathius Johnson.)

Being new to the area was scary. Houston is a big place with lots of people. We didn’t know where to start. We were still deeply grieving the loss of our two older boys, Keyshawn, who was 8, and Isiah, who was 7. Both had been killed in a car accident. I begged God to guide our family to a place where we could grow and heal and begin to move forward. Broderick was the only son we had left, and eventually he became the oldest of four with three younger sisters. His heart ached for a brother again. Signing him up for football seemed like a way to fill space and get involved. We had no idea.

Our first season with the Saints was wild. Getting to know people in the community and having a group of boys Broderick got close to were great benefits. Watching him begin to learn the game and actually be pretty good at it was exciting. During the course of that first season, and sometime throughout the last four seasons, our team took on a life of its own. The Saints have become our family. Each season, we lose a few and gain a few, but from that original season I knew we had embarked on something special and bigger than anyone would ever know.

My family fully believes that God brought us to this area so that we could be a part of this Saints. I can’t really explain the impact this has had on our lives. Eventually, my husband became an assistant coach for the past two seasons (he was an unofficial assistant before that). Broderick gained the relationships he had been longing for. He believes that God answered his cries for his brothers back. He considers his team, his Saints, brothers, and the relationships we have built with the families will remain forever.

As the seasons passed, the heart of our team became stronger and stronger. Our Saints family has withstood the pressures that often breaks other teams apart. We have a staff of coaches who work hard, dedicate their time and are strong leaders through their actions. We know that this team is set apart.

Learning more about the ins and outs of Katy Youth Football has been a blessing. As parents, we have gotten involved with the board, learning to appreciate the stability of a deeply rooted, fundamentally strong league. We are grateful to KYF for creating this environment that brought our Saints family together.

KYF football has truly changed our lives.

***

Share your football story with USA Football. Email Joe Frollo to become part of the Our Football Story series.