Indigenous Youth Football Team Needs Safe Equipment

My name is Jeffrey Gallardo, and I am the Head Coach of the Fort Hall Youth Program, an All-Native American youth football club proudly serving Fort Hall, ID. Our team is more than just a group of young athletes—it’s a celebration of our heritage, a source of pride for our community, and a chance for our kids to build resilience, teamwork, and hope through the game we love. Today, I’m reaching out to ask for your support to keep that dream alive.

We urgently need $25,000 to purchase new helmets, shoulder pads, and jerseys for our players. Right now, our equipment is outdated and failing us—especially our helmets, which are over a decade old. Last season, we had a heartbreaking moment that still weighs on us: during a game, one of our star players took a routine hit. His helmet, cracked and worn from years of use, split open. Thankfully, he wasn’t seriously hurt, but the fear in his eyes—and the tears from his parents on the sideline—reminded us how close we came to disaster. Our league has warned us that if we don’t replace these helmets soon, we won’t be allowed to play next season. For our kids, losing football would mean losing a vital piece of their identity and a rare opportunity to shine.

This isn’t just about safety—it’s about dignity. Our current jerseys are faded and mismatched, handed down through years of wear, and our shoulder pads barely hold together. These young athletes, who carry the spirit of our Native American traditions onto the field, deserve to step out with pride, not patchworked gear. With your help, we can equip our 30-50 players with proper helmets ($180 each), shoulder pads ($100 each), and jerseys ($80 each), totaling $23,000-$25,000 to secure our season and their future. Your support would mean the world to us. It’s a chance to invest in our kids, preserve our culture, and ensure that Fort Hall Youth Football can keep playing the game that unites us, as it has since 1969.