Hi everyone! Thank you for reading our story.

I am writing this on behalf of an outstanding young man, my son Nikko. He is a high school sophomore (16 years old) who has recently been accepted to compete in the 16U Boys Division, 2026 Team Development Program for the USA Flag Football Select Bowl in California (top 48 players in the USA). This incredible opportunity recognizes not only his athletic ability but also his perseverance, character, leadership, and dedication to the game he loves.

Growing up, Nikko was not privileged, and financial stability did not always come easy for our family. With his father serving in the military, life presented its own unique challenges and sacrifices. At the age of 12, Nikko was introduced to the world of flag football by an amazing coach who would quickly become far more than just a mentor. Coach Clark became family to him — inspiring him to dream big, work hard, and truly fall in love with the sport and life.

Unfortunately, last summer brought unimaginable hardship when Coach Clark tragically passed away after battling liver cancer. This was extremely devastating for my son because at the same time, I was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. It was a very rough time for our family dealing with chemo, surgery after surgery, and countless appointments, but through faith, strength, and perseverance, this May I was cancer-free. I am still in treatment and have one more surgery to go at the end of June, but thank God cancer is gone!

Throughout these difficult moments, my son has remained grounded in his faith and continued to push forward with humility, determination, and resilience to honor the teachings of his beloved Coach Clark.

Nikko is the type of young man who leads by example and brings people together. He is respectful, hardworking, humble, and always willing to help others in any way he can. Even outside of his own season, he dedicates his time to improving his skills and giving back by helping coach youth teams at his current school. His love for the game extends beyond himself and into encouraging the next generation of athletes. He is not only a great athlete but an honorable student who was inducted into the National Honor Society. He has earned the love and respect of students, coaches, teachers, and principals in his school.

As his mother, I am so proud of his accomplishments and how hard he has worked and trained for this opportunity. And while this opportunity is truly life-changing, it comes at a time when the financial cost associated with travel, lodging, registration, and other expenses creates a great challenge for our family. We are reaching out to our community, businesses, churches, family, friends, and everyone in hopes of helping make this dream possible for him.

I decided to do this GoFundMe not for me, not for personal gain, but to make my son's dream come true. We are less than 3 weeks away from the competition and I have not been able to come up with the funds necessary. Any donation — no matter the amount — would be greatly appreciated and would directly help Nikko attend this prestigious event and continue pursuing the opportunities he has worked so hard to earn.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to say THANK YOU for taking the time to read his story and consider supporting such a deserving young man. Your generosity and encouragement would mean more than words can ever express.

On behalf of my son, thank you very much and blessings to you all.