November 26, 2025 • 29 mins
Jessica Sparks lost her husband, former Cougar football player and PLU coach, Derrick Sparks to cancer, following his daughter's own battle with the disease. Derrick was inspired by his daughters battle and defeat of the disease to start a game "Cleats vs. Cancer". The game not only raises money for those struggling with the disease, but also gives high school football players one more game to play and showcase. Brett Coraline serves on the board and both describe how you can get involved and why the game means so much.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Jessman McIntyre, your host of Seattle Voice, your
community Voice, presented by iHeartRadio in Seattle, and I'm very
grateful to be joined by Jessica Sparks today, who is
the executive director and co founder of Kleet's Burst Cancer. Jessica,
thank you so much for your time today.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Good morning, good morning, and good evening, because this is
going to be aired everywhere at all times of the
day and we want everyone to know about this amazing
community event that you have started, Cleet's vers Cancer. What
was the motivation behind initiating this game?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
So this game has now we're in our eighth year.
Derek Sparks, my husband who started it in twenty eighteen.
It kind of was birthed out of his middle child's
daily finding out she had leukemia when she was eighteen,
and she lived in California at the time, and he
kind of felt helpless trying to figure out how could
(00:56):
he support her, help her, And he was sitting in
our living room and he was like clicking his cancer.
I'm going to do a game for daily and honor
of her. I love football, I loved my family. I'm
going to merge the two and it kind of like
started there. And that was in like September, and he
was like, I'm going to do the game in December.
And I'm like, okay, you're crazy, Like I don't I
(01:17):
don't know what that means, but okay. And he was
always like that, very visionary, lots of great ideas, and
he made it happen. He pulled a game off, He
hosted a game I think there was over one hundred
kids that first year where he wanted to bring a
whole bunch of seniors together play a football game and
raise awareness around cancer and honor really anyone who had
(01:38):
been impacted by it. And that's kind of how it started.
And every year it evolved and evolved and got bigger,
and then in Derek passed away. It's going to be
five years ago in twenty twenty one, and he promised
me at the very end, like would you promise to
carry this game on? And so me being kind of
(02:01):
like out of the loop a little bit, this is
something he really kind of did. I just would show
up and you know, help how I could. I was like,
I'll try, I'll figure this out. So and he did
pass to be in November and we had a game
already planned for December. So I was like, okay, I
got for's out. We're gonna continue what he started, and
so rallying with his friends, his teammates. Derek did play
(02:22):
for WSU ninety to ninety five and had quite a
great connection with so many people in the KOP nation,
so they all showed up. They just said, how can
we help. We're going to make this happen and carry
on his legacy. So we have continued this game and
it is evolved to really honor anyone impacted by cancer.
(02:45):
Derek wanted to allow a platform for seniors to get
one more chance to play a game of football, because
some kids this could be their last game, but also
to get some recruiters, college recruiters to the games to
see if maybe we could get offers to some more kids.
It's still in a critical time where kids are making
decisions because the game has now most to January, but
(03:07):
December January was the timeframe. And also the third reason
was we were raising money that we were donating back
to some of our athletes that played in the game
families some of their families. So it has kind of
really turned into quite a movement. I would call it. Yes,
it's the game, but it is out of so much
(03:28):
love and community. One we're honoring Derek and Zaily, but
it's really so many people are impacted by cancer. When
the kids register the students, they get to put in
a section you know, how of you been impacted by cancer?
You know, is there someone you're playing for? In Over
eighty five percent of our kids have a story to tell. Wow,
and it has really like grown to really move us
(03:53):
to like, wow, this is like bigger than football. And
that's kind of one of derek slogan's. But we let
the kids write, you know, their story. They get to
ask if they would like like their family to be
considered for one of the grants that we give away.
We give around ten thousand dollars every game to families
in the kids that played in our game to their families.
We've hit four families, so one kid per game. And
(04:16):
we also put a lot of the stories in our program.
So it's really really neat to see these young men
talk about it could be mentors, its teachers, it's family,
it's parents. I know, my daughter's thirteen when she lost
her dad, So being involved in this, she met so
many other people that have lost parents, grandparents through cancer,
(04:39):
and so I felt like it also became a support
group for me to see her, you know, kind of
bond with a lot of people being involved in the game.
So anyways, that's there's a lot of layers. So the
most exciting thing is we've had over twenty kids, if
not more, get offers after our game Wow recruiters that
have attended, and we've created a really good relationship with
(05:04):
over twenty colleges that continue to come here after year,
Like they come to us and say can we come,
and we're like absolutely, So we're continuing to try to
get as many college recruiters there that would like to come.
They can get in for free. They just need to
reach out to Mir or anyone on our team and
we'll make sure they have, you know, a packet and a.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Way to get in.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
And then so that's kind of I mean, it's a lot,
but that's kind of why this game continues. It's really
it's to really help as many kids as we can.
And Derek was always about the middle kids, like the
d one kids and the top ten percent. Everybody's kind
of fighting for that top talent, and he was like,
there's so many good kids and athletes that have so
(05:48):
much potential that maybe aren't getting looked at, don't know
how to go about it, and so he was always
passionate about how could he help them and also really
really talking about being an athlete. So you've got to
get your grades, you got to you know, do right
in the classroom, because you don't want to get to
the end, to the finish line and have some opportunity
(06:08):
to come your way and then you weren't, you know,
performing in the classroom. So he yeah, Derek was, He was.
He was a lot of great things, and he was
a d one athlete himself. So he had so much
experience to share in, so much passion for football. So
that's kind of the story.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
That's an amazing story, and I love it again.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Jessica Sparks joining me Cleats First Cancer and in a
few minutes we'll talk a little bit more about how
people can get involved. As I've been sideline reporting for
the Washington State football team for the last this is
my fourteenth season doing it, and I started with Mike
Leach and that is what he did is you know
what you said Derek did. And by the way, I
(06:50):
have to say, I'm so deeply sorry for your loss
in Derek, because everything I've heard about him is amazing.
Our paths didn't cross because I started in twenty twelve there,
but everything that I hear about him is an amazing person.
So I wanted to get that in yes and yes, yes,
(07:11):
And so when I started there, Mike Leach was that
kind of guy where he was like, I'm not chasing
the five stars because they're just not going to come
to POLWA Washington in his head, right, So he prided
himself on getting the two three, maybe a four star
and turning them into five stars throughout their time there.
And I think it's amazing that this game can provide
(07:32):
that opportunity for those kids who might not be heavily recruited,
but you know them as good kids on top of
being good athletes, and they have all this potential.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
So I really love that. Thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Let's talk a little bit more about this game. You
said that you're about ten thousand dollars for families.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yes, yeah, so the game is really funded by ticket sales.
We are like so everybody that tiers on my on
my staff is volunteers. We all have full time jobs.
I mean, I'm a single mom. Like, we're all busy,
and so this game is like what we do at
night on the weekends. But what we do is we
run on a really low budget because it's also hard
(08:15):
to get money and to get sponsorship. It just takes
time and honestly, it's hard to know where to go.
So we have kind of learned how to run the
game on a pretty low budget, which just we want
to make sure we can make the game happen if
we weren't to get any donations or anything. So we
run a lot on ticket sales. So we'd love for
you to come to the game. It's going to be
January nineteenth, twenty twenty six, in Sumner, Washington at Sumner
(08:38):
High School, and it is going to be at eleven
o'clock and there'll be a game at three o'clock. We
have over three hundred and fifty kids nominated, so we've
gone into doing two games so that we can have
as many kids play as possible. So we can't select
all three hundred and fifty, but we're able to select over
two hundred kids, and we obviously fifty each team. So
(08:58):
one hundred at eleven o'clock game, and there will be
one hundred kids at the three o'clock game, and we
have a great time. We have halftime show, we have
really two great competitive games. We've selected our four head coaches,
we have general managers to help support them who have
been involved in the game for a while, and basically
we come out there and we have two really healthy games.
(09:21):
It's all about, you know, having good sportsmanships. Like I said,
so many people come to donate their time that it's
really we want to make sure it's a very fun,
healthy environment. So yeah, that's the game. It's going to
be in January. So we'd love to have you at
Martin Luther King weekend.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
So it's a Monday, Okay, that is really good news.
So you know, take the kiddos there, they'll probably have
off of school, go watch some good football and contribute
to an amazing cause. And for anyone who maybe not
be able to make the game. Yeah, I know you
said that you run ticket sales, but how can people
contribute if they want to.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
You can visit clee versus cancer dot com. So that
is our website. It talks to you about our history
the game, who our coaches are this year, and you
can go there. There's a donation link, you can always
buy tickets. Even if you can attend, you can do
all that through our website. So that's probably the best
way to kind of contact us. And there's also you know,
(10:20):
if you wanted to get in contact with someone, there
is like a contact us at the very bottom of
our website, so that's probably the best place to go.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Perfect. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. And again,
can you tell me how are you doing? Because this
is a lot. You have a family, you have a
lot going on right now. How do you navigate handling
all of this. I know that you have a board
that helps you out, and you can talk about that
if you'd like to, but how are you?
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Honestly, Derek, he knew what he was doing when we met,
So we met at ws DO and I feel like
you picked somebody that we were both still driven even
as like a young couple, and then when we had
our daughter, like we both like hustled, worked super hard.
So he like motivates me. I think knowing how much
he cared about this game, and I think because it's
(11:11):
the best way I can kind of keep him in
everybody's spirits. He was always about please, you know, kind
of don't forget me, which is something that it's sad
to hear somebody say that, but he really does. He
did make an impact. He talked so much in his
life about the dash, like what are you going to
do between the time you're born and the time you
leave this earth? And his came way too shore, honestly,
(11:32):
but he was his whole life. He always said to me, like,
if it wasn't for football, I don't know if I
would be where I'm at, Like it's kind of saved
his life, getting him out of you know, Texas and
to California and all these opportunities that came his way.
And so he was so like indebted, I guess to
the game of football, but he he kind of like
taught me like I don't know, being tenagious, and I
(11:54):
think having a daughter that missus her dad, I think
this is just a way for me to kind of
keep it going. And I love it. I've met so
many great people and so many people have showed up
that not only played with Derek and New Derek, but
just people he met along the way and it's actually
very fun. It is a lot of work, and everyone
(12:16):
that works on it will tell you have Tracy Skinner,
Angie alf Brett, Carolyn Jay Zoomas, Tory Hunter is Y McGuire,
like all these guys just we all come together and
make it happen. We get on calls, we're you know,
googling things on our off time to try to figure
out how can we make it even better. We're trying
to do a social this year for the athletes on Sunday,
(12:36):
to get all two hundred together because we usually practice separately.
The South will practice somewhere. North practice is somewhere, but
we thought, why not get them all together because all
these guys are going off into their next phase of
life and probably would love to meet each other because
some of them have played against each other, but meet
in a different environment, not on the football field necessarily,
(12:57):
so and we're gonna have some guys there to motivate
and I'll speak to them about life and football and
being a young man. So we have lots of things planned.
But that's kind of I guess how I keep going,
you know.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
What, I love it, and I'll be quite open with you.
I lost my sister in May, my little sister, yep.
And when you talk about taking too early, that hits
home for me. And keeping it going is something that
I actually love doing with this show.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
If you're not moving, you're not doing anything.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
I could cocoon myself forever, right, And when you keep
that person alive in your life that you love so much,
I think it's absolutely beautiful. And so what you were
you are doing right now is keeping him alive and
especially through your daughter, and I just express I want
(13:50):
to express my absolute admiration for you doing that.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Thank you, thank you, But I'm so sorry for your
lost It is. It is tough. It's not easy, but
you know, you just figure out how to keep moving.
And I think, like you said, you know, you just
have to kind of keep figuring out ways to keep
that love out there. And I think you know, this
game has provided that. But it's also just so many
(14:14):
people are impacted by cancer and it's you know, it's
so sad. So we just want to like make this
a celebration. Some people are fighting through cancer when they're playing,
some are have passed, but it really has connected a
lot of people, and I think it's like this really
big support group that has kind of been created through
(14:34):
it all.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
I appreciate your time.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
I am talking to your cohort Brett in a few
so thank you again.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Okay, thanks, have a great day.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
That was an awesome conversation I just had with Jessica Sparks,
who is a co founder and CEO of Cleats Versus Cancer,
and now I'm going to bring in one of her cohorts,
Brett Carolyn, who is a volunteer board member, and Brett,
thank you for your time today.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Jamine, thank you KGr for spotlighting Cleats for Cancer. It's
near and dear to so many people's hearts. I'm one
of them. I've been on the board for four years
and helping jess and Angie and a small group of
people that really this means a lot to a lot
of them. Happened to be Koog's. I played with Derek
at Washington State. He was a year younger than me,
(15:22):
and obviously, you know, near and dear to my heart.
And obviously the mission of the whole game is to
raise awareness and support for families that are battling cancer.
And that's that's the mission, you know, from from their
daughter to obviously what took Derek. It's it's very near
and dear to our hearts. Along with obviously with what's
going on in college sports today, allowing these football seniors
(15:46):
that have been selected by their coaches throughout the state
to participate in this all star football game. At times,
you bring all these these young men together, all these
coaches volunteering, and we have four teams participating in games
on Martin Luther Kine Day this year down at Summer
High School, we have four practices and we bring these
(16:07):
men together and sometimes it's their last game. Other times
it's giving them more film to potentially get looked at,
which is even harder based on what's going on with
the portal and everything in college football today. So it's
a true blessing. And again working with so many wonderful
people from Jay Doomas to Tory Hunter to coach Izzy
Downe in Federal l A coach Ross has been very
(16:28):
involved on at Sumner. Just these these gatekeepers of our
program that allowed us to shine and we're excited to
continue it going forward.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
And again this is Brett Carolyn joining me here with
Cleats Versus Cancer and you got to spend time in
college with Derek Sparks. I'm wondering if you can tell
me a little bit about him and who he was.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah, Derek was. It's interesting because Derek was an unbelievable talent.
You know, obviously he started out in Texas and then
he went to a few different high schools and you see,
he was so exceptional, you know, he you know, was
you know, being asked to come play at all these
high schools and ended up done in southern California, just
such an exceptional talent. Washington State was really blessed to
(17:13):
actually have him come up to Pullman and and share
that time with us, which was just magical. But you know,
after his years, you know, he had a couple of injuries,
and he got really involved obviously in the community, was
coaching high school and then obviously down at PLU, and
he's had such an impact on so many people that
it's easy to try to continue his legacy and what
(17:36):
he what he was for, and so for us to
kind of put time and again, there's a lot of
Koog's on this staff. There's a lot of Execues that
come back and coach. It's become just a it's a
brotherhood that It's wonderful to get all these other coaches
and everybody's truly in it for the best intent, with
no no hidden agendas, which is great.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
I absolutely love that This is Jessman McIntyre Seattle Boys
presented by Heart Radio here in Seattle, and I am
being joined by Brett Carolyn and I personally have experienced
the community that Washington State has as I was so
welcomed as someone who had only lived in Seattle by
(18:16):
the way, on the western side of the state when
I got the job. I had only lived here for
about three years when I got hired as their sideline reporter.
Can you just tell me a little bit more about
that community, because I was welcome with open arms after
I basically thought I would have to fight tooth and
nail to earn the trust of that community.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
So great to hear, I think, you know, I grew
up in California and kind of like you, justmon came
up to Wash the state and was you know, had
those open arms as well, and then it just you know,
was there for a number of years, graduated there and
met my wife there. So like you, it's just such
a strong knit community. It's a lot of hard working people.
It takes the right coach, It takes the right of administrators,
(19:01):
It takes the right you know, from the president to
the chancellor, to the ads to the coaches, all the
way through. You have to have great determination, you have
to have a game plan. They really open themselves up
to you. You know, I'm on a tech string with
probably I don't know, eighteen or twenty guys each week,
and we're basically going back and forth during the game.
(19:22):
It's like and you know, we're every single play, We're
up and down and all around, and it's like we're
still there. I'm part of a John Husbies, a next
or a coup always a koug. He runs this. He
brings us back and we've done it for eight or
nine years, and it's a bunch of ex football players
and coaches. We go back. It's the community. We go
(19:42):
back to Pullman and we basically toured the facilities and
Coach Rogers brought us in and Coach and John got
up there and spoke and there's eighty or ninety th us,
you know, ranging from twenty four to you know, early
you know, late late seventies that are there. There's coaches
there and it's just we all have this like this,
this cougar fabric that you know, really blends us together,
and it's something that runs so deep and it's awesome.
(20:05):
I mean, it's it's see and it feeds right into
this Cleets for Cancer game. But I mean, at any
given year, the last number of years, there's been anywhere
from six to ten to twelve different guys that we
played with or worked with at Washington State that are
part of this Cleets game. And it's because we understand
when you get over there, you understand now you're part
of that community special.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Sure football is family to me, and I want to
know if that means the same.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
It sounds like it means the same to you.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Oh yeah, gosh. I mean, I'm, you know, in my
mid fifties now, but you know, for twenty gosh, it
was I don't even know how much. It's probably something
like seventeen years of my life. I started playing in
fifth grade and played all through Prop Corner in all
through high school, and I was blessed enough to go
on and play in college and then went on play
three years after. And by the time I actually stepped away,
(20:57):
I'm like, gosh, I've played this game more than half
my life. It's the richness of the relationships. Obviously, I
have a lot of wonderful memories and you know, some
memories that have actually molded me today and a lot
of other my buddies going through double days and there's
tough times. It creates resilience, it creates you know, passions,
hard work. But it's the depth of these relationships. And
(21:18):
I'll give an example, like, you know, one of my
best friends with a quarterback at watching State my putts
and he is an attorney in Moscow, and we ended
up becoming really close. We were there five years together. Well,
my daughter plays soccer versus Montana and she played at
University Idaho. A couple about a month ago and I said,
I sent them a test and said, meet me over
on the west side of the kiv Doome at twelve
(21:39):
forty five. We're going to them watching my daughter play.
In twelve forty five, he was there. We walked in
with his wife and watched the game together. And it's
it's just to be able to do those things are
just special.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
I love it. I love it so much.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
And one of the things that Jessica and I were
talking about and you alluded to was just one more
game for these guys in the pleas first cancer game, right,
you know, whether it be to get recruited or not,
it's just one more game. And I think that's also
why in college football you focus so much on mole
eligibility because a lot the majority of these guys, it
(22:13):
is their last game. So what would you say if
you know, you knew it was your last game getting
one more?
Speaker 4 (22:20):
What would that mean to you?
Speaker 3 (22:23):
You know, by you saying that, I have goose bumps
on my arms because it is so special. I mean,
and that's really you know, all the effort that goes
is put in for these young men. We try to
get all the paperwork and all that stuff. So when
they get there to Friday night's practice, we're going and
we're evaluating. We're trying to put these these guys together
to compete with each other. Then there's practice Saturday, it's
(22:44):
a very important practice. Sunday is important practice, and then
we go and we play. We play on Monday, and
it truly is it's like it's having these one off conversations.
I was having a conversation with a running back from
Burlington Edison this last year and a lot of these
kids think, you know, I'm asking about football. I'm more
like kind of again, hey, so what are you doing
(23:04):
next year? Some of them go, I'm thinking about going
playing here. This one young guy is like, hey, I'm
going into the Electricians apprenticeship program. I'm like, that is awesome.
I'm like that, you know that. I mean, just to
see the young men they're on there for the last
game or you know, they're coming together to grow this brotherhood,
to have relationships that they can grow from this game
that they might carry the rest of their life. They don't.
(23:25):
We don't know, right, and so we really harp on that.
Get to know the person left to you, we have
create a relationship, get the contact information right. And so
it is. It is very special. And again you see
these coaches just out there just they love it. Like
these coaches are so you would think they've been coaching
these kids all year. The effort that they're giving and
it's just it's awesome. I mean, it's just a great event.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I'm hoping I can get down there for it. I
already purchased tickets so I will be there. I'm trying
to get everyone from our KJR community out there and
our iHeart community.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Yeah, and the support is so welcomed, right, I mean
to me it is we do raise money, and we
raise money and that we basically give out scholarships to
families that have have a cancer survivor or going through cancer.
I mean, it's it's all to me. It's so well intended.
Like I said, no hint agenda aside from kind of
raising awareness because so many of us have been touched
by that. You know, you don't have to stretch too
(24:23):
far along with giving this wonderful opportunity and like you mentioned,
it could be the last game. And so we love
the support. So thank you, thank you, thank you very
much for having having us on and kind to promote us.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
I absolutely love it. And like I said, this is
Seattle Voice. It is a community show and it is
presented by iHeartRadio in Seattle. Again Brett Carolyn joining me
Cleats Versus Cancer. What can we expect to see? Because
Jessica was telling me earlier that there are several hundred
applicants or nominees, I should say, and that there's one
(24:58):
hundred in the morning and a hundred in the afternoon
who will be playing correct.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
I mean yeah, I mean in years past we've had
four or five hundred people nominated and then we basically
do a draft to try to draft equal teams. We
have good representation from coaches kind of over Washington. We're
always trying to grow kind of the East Side and
get more people representatives, not only coaches, but players. You
can expect obviously, you end up having between I don't
(25:25):
know forty five and fifty young men that come out
and compete in the morning game, which is eleven, and
then the afternoon game, which I believe it's three, and
I think it is. It's competitive, right, and we have
these wonderful staff of refs that come out and they
volunteer their time, but it is really competitive, and you
see some just tremendous you know athletes out there, you know,
(25:48):
you know, wining out on the line again sometimes that
when that final whistle blows, that's their last one. Others
I'm seeing, you know, last year, I'm not going to
I don't know the exact account, but there was probably
ten to twenty different schools there. Again, some lower division schools,
but a lot of these kids that are on it,
they have their applications in they've already had their test
scores in, they've basically applied to these schools. I was
(26:09):
listening to conversations where these kids were getting offward spots
on these teams after the game, right there on the field,
and I'm like, wow, I mean, this is unbelievable. This
young man has the opportunity to further their education while
continue to play the game they love. That's amazing, you
do it?
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Yes, Yeah, that's absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Since I have such a high listenership, I am sure
that I can get the word out here for lower too.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
It ends you know what. You know what I'm going
to do. It's a starfish story, That's what it is.
And I love it.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Okay, I'm going to ask you. This is a story
that my mom read to me when I was young,
and it has inspired me for my entire life. Where
a little girl is walking on the beach and there's
a bunch of starfish watched up like it was after
a storm, like thousands of them or maybe hundreds, and
she's just chucking them back into the sea one at
(27:03):
a time, and an older guy walks by and says,
you're never going to save them all?
Speaker 4 (27:09):
You know? It doesn't matter what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
And she goes flings one in front of a space
into the sea and says, it matters to that one.
I'm wondering if you have a starfish story.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
I think it's to me. I love that. I think
it's such a good analogy. And at the end of
the day, but by the grace of God, we don't
know what's going on in different people's lives or you know,
whatever it is. But if we have this opportunity for
four days to lift people up, to build some relationships.
We talk about this in between the practices. Like I
said earlier, get to know the person to the left,
(27:44):
to the right, get to know these coaches. Everybody's here
because they want to help you one way or another.
It's not just a football thing. It could be in life.
I mean, you just never know what's going on in
people's lives, and so to this take the time to
do it, to come out and show the love and
show the you know, the intention of of why we're
doing this. We're doing we're all there again the third
(28:05):
time I said it, there's no hit in the agenda.
We're there to basically, you know, raise awareness. That is
an agenda provide an opportunity for these people to play
a game. But that's it. There's no other like, hey,
you know, I mean and I think some of these
young people, I mean, you just never know all they
they might need that extra clip that that coach sees,
like you were saying about the scouts on the sideline, going, man,
I didn't see this from this kid, right, And my
(28:28):
dad opens the door and then once I always say,
used to say a foot in the door. Now all
they wanted a toe because you're going to bring the
other nine. And it's like, that's your opportunity to get
an education, to get to go prove yourself at the
next level on the football field, which is not easy
in sports. But I really think all these all these
foundational principles set one up for success and it's not
(28:50):
easy to work through it all. But I think this
is just a whole you know, from their high school
then they go into this all star game. You just
you never know where, whether it's meeting somebody, whether it's
an opportunity that might open a door to you know,
for schooling or college. I just think that's what's so
fun about it. I mean, I try to go around
and talk to a lot of kids and get to
know them a little bit, like you know, and stay
in touch with some of them, which is which is great.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
I absolutely love it.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Brett Carolyn with Cleats First Cancer, thank you so much
for your time today. I can't wait to see how
this game evolves. I do think it is going to
grow as well, and you are just the toe in
the door for what it could become.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Well, Jessin and KGr thank you, thank you, thank you.
We really appreciate your support, and thank you for having us.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
On a wonderful conversation with two wonderful people, Jessica Sparks
and Brett Carolyn, both with Cleats Versus Cancer.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
That game again in January. Go to Cleates Versus.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Cancer dot com to check out more, and if you
want your voice heard here, please email Seattle Voice at
iHeartMedia dot com.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
We'll talk to you next week. Again. This has been
Seattle Voice, Jasmin McIntyre, your host,
This is Jessman McIntyre, your host of Seattle Voice, your
community Voice, presented by iHeartRadio in Seattle, and I'm very
grateful to be joined by Jessica Sparks today, who is
the executive director and co founder of Kleet's Burst Cancer. Jessica,
thank you so much for your time today.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Good morning, good morning, and good evening, because this is
going to be aired everywhere at all times of the
day and we want everyone to know about this amazing
community event that you have started, Cleet's vers Cancer. What
was the motivation behind initiating this game?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
So this game has now we're in our eighth year.
Derek Sparks, my husband who started it in twenty eighteen.
It kind of was birthed out of his middle child's
daily finding out she had leukemia when she was eighteen,
and she lived in California at the time, and he
kind of felt helpless trying to figure out how could
(00:56):
he support her, help her, And he was sitting in
our living room and he was like clicking his cancer.
I'm going to do a game for daily and honor
of her. I love football, I loved my family. I'm
going to merge the two and it kind of like
started there. And that was in like September, and he
was like, I'm going to do the game in December.
And I'm like, okay, you're crazy, Like I don't I
(01:17):
don't know what that means, but okay. And he was
always like that, very visionary, lots of great ideas, and
he made it happen. He pulled a game off, He
hosted a game I think there was over one hundred
kids that first year where he wanted to bring a
whole bunch of seniors together play a football game and
raise awareness around cancer and honor really anyone who had
(01:38):
been impacted by it. And that's kind of how it started.
And every year it evolved and evolved and got bigger,
and then in Derek passed away. It's going to be
five years ago in twenty twenty one, and he promised
me at the very end, like would you promise to
carry this game on? And so me being kind of
(02:01):
like out of the loop a little bit, this is
something he really kind of did. I just would show
up and you know, help how I could. I was like,
I'll try, I'll figure this out. So and he did
pass to be in November and we had a game
already planned for December. So I was like, okay, I
got for's out. We're gonna continue what he started, and
so rallying with his friends, his teammates. Derek did play
(02:22):
for WSU ninety to ninety five and had quite a
great connection with so many people in the KOP nation,
so they all showed up. They just said, how can
we help. We're going to make this happen and carry
on his legacy. So we have continued this game and
it is evolved to really honor anyone impacted by cancer.
(02:45):
Derek wanted to allow a platform for seniors to get
one more chance to play a game of football, because
some kids this could be their last game, but also
to get some recruiters, college recruiters to the games to
see if maybe we could get offers to some more kids.
It's still in a critical time where kids are making
decisions because the game has now most to January, but
(03:07):
December January was the timeframe. And also the third reason
was we were raising money that we were donating back
to some of our athletes that played in the game
families some of their families. So it has kind of
really turned into quite a movement. I would call it. Yes,
it's the game, but it is out of so much
(03:28):
love and community. One we're honoring Derek and Zaily, but
it's really so many people are impacted by cancer. When
the kids register the students, they get to put in
a section you know, how of you been impacted by cancer?
You know, is there someone you're playing for? In Over
eighty five percent of our kids have a story to tell. Wow,
and it has really like grown to really move us
(03:53):
to like, wow, this is like bigger than football. And
that's kind of one of derek slogan's. But we let
the kids write, you know, their story. They get to
ask if they would like like their family to be
considered for one of the grants that we give away.
We give around ten thousand dollars every game to families
in the kids that played in our game to their families.
We've hit four families, so one kid per game. And
(04:16):
we also put a lot of the stories in our program.
So it's really really neat to see these young men
talk about it could be mentors, its teachers, it's family,
it's parents. I know, my daughter's thirteen when she lost
her dad, So being involved in this, she met so
many other people that have lost parents, grandparents through cancer,
(04:39):
and so I felt like it also became a support
group for me to see her, you know, kind of
bond with a lot of people being involved in the game.
So anyways, that's there's a lot of layers. So the
most exciting thing is we've had over twenty kids, if
not more, get offers after our game Wow recruiters that
have attended, and we've created a really good relationship with
(05:04):
over twenty colleges that continue to come here after year,
Like they come to us and say can we come,
and we're like absolutely, So we're continuing to try to
get as many college recruiters there that would like to come.
They can get in for free. They just need to
reach out to Mir or anyone on our team and
we'll make sure they have, you know, a packet and a.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Way to get in.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
And then so that's kind of I mean, it's a lot,
but that's kind of why this game continues. It's really
it's to really help as many kids as we can.
And Derek was always about the middle kids, like the
d one kids and the top ten percent. Everybody's kind
of fighting for that top talent, and he was like,
there's so many good kids and athletes that have so
(05:48):
much potential that maybe aren't getting looked at, don't know
how to go about it, and so he was always
passionate about how could he help them and also really
really talking about being an athlete. So you've got to
get your grades, you got to you know, do right
in the classroom, because you don't want to get to
the end, to the finish line and have some opportunity
(06:08):
to come your way and then you weren't, you know,
performing in the classroom. So he yeah, Derek was, He was.
He was a lot of great things, and he was
a d one athlete himself. So he had so much
experience to share in, so much passion for football. So
that's kind of the story.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
That's an amazing story, and I love it again.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Jessica Sparks joining me Cleats First Cancer and in a
few minutes we'll talk a little bit more about how
people can get involved. As I've been sideline reporting for
the Washington State football team for the last this is
my fourteenth season doing it, and I started with Mike
Leach and that is what he did is you know
what you said Derek did. And by the way, I
(06:50):
have to say, I'm so deeply sorry for your loss
in Derek, because everything I've heard about him is amazing.
Our paths didn't cross because I started in twenty twelve there,
but everything that I hear about him is an amazing person.
So I wanted to get that in yes and yes, yes,
(07:11):
And so when I started there, Mike Leach was that
kind of guy where he was like, I'm not chasing
the five stars because they're just not going to come
to POLWA Washington in his head, right, So he prided
himself on getting the two three, maybe a four star
and turning them into five stars throughout their time there.
And I think it's amazing that this game can provide
(07:32):
that opportunity for those kids who might not be heavily recruited,
but you know them as good kids on top of
being good athletes, and they have all this potential.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
So I really love that. Thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Let's talk a little bit more about this game. You
said that you're about ten thousand dollars for families.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yes, yeah, so the game is really funded by ticket sales.
We are like so everybody that tiers on my on
my staff is volunteers. We all have full time jobs.
I mean, I'm a single mom. Like, we're all busy,
and so this game is like what we do at
night on the weekends. But what we do is we
run on a really low budget because it's also hard
(08:15):
to get money and to get sponsorship. It just takes
time and honestly, it's hard to know where to go.
So we have kind of learned how to run the
game on a pretty low budget, which just we want
to make sure we can make the game happen if
we weren't to get any donations or anything. So we
run a lot on ticket sales. So we'd love for
you to come to the game. It's going to be
January nineteenth, twenty twenty six, in Sumner, Washington at Sumner
(08:38):
High School, and it is going to be at eleven
o'clock and there'll be a game at three o'clock. We
have over three hundred and fifty kids nominated, so we've
gone into doing two games so that we can have
as many kids play as possible. So we can't select
all three hundred and fifty, but we're able to select over
two hundred kids, and we obviously fifty each team. So
(08:58):
one hundred at eleven o'clock game, and there will be
one hundred kids at the three o'clock game, and we
have a great time. We have halftime show, we have
really two great competitive games. We've selected our four head coaches,
we have general managers to help support them who have
been involved in the game for a while, and basically
we come out there and we have two really healthy games.
(09:21):
It's all about, you know, having good sportsmanships. Like I said,
so many people come to donate their time that it's
really we want to make sure it's a very fun,
healthy environment. So yeah, that's the game. It's going to
be in January. So we'd love to have you at
Martin Luther King weekend.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
So it's a Monday, Okay, that is really good news.
So you know, take the kiddos there, they'll probably have
off of school, go watch some good football and contribute
to an amazing cause. And for anyone who maybe not
be able to make the game. Yeah, I know you
said that you run ticket sales, but how can people
contribute if they want to.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
You can visit clee versus cancer dot com. So that
is our website. It talks to you about our history
the game, who our coaches are this year, and you
can go there. There's a donation link, you can always
buy tickets. Even if you can attend, you can do
all that through our website. So that's probably the best
way to kind of contact us. And there's also you know,
(10:20):
if you wanted to get in contact with someone, there
is like a contact us at the very bottom of
our website, so that's probably the best place to go.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Perfect. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. And again,
can you tell me how are you doing? Because this
is a lot. You have a family, you have a
lot going on right now. How do you navigate handling
all of this. I know that you have a board
that helps you out, and you can talk about that
if you'd like to, but how are you?
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Honestly, Derek, he knew what he was doing when we met,
So we met at ws DO and I feel like
you picked somebody that we were both still driven even
as like a young couple, and then when we had
our daughter, like we both like hustled, worked super hard.
So he like motivates me. I think knowing how much
he cared about this game, and I think because it's
(11:11):
the best way I can kind of keep him in
everybody's spirits. He was always about please, you know, kind
of don't forget me, which is something that it's sad
to hear somebody say that, but he really does. He
did make an impact. He talked so much in his
life about the dash, like what are you going to
do between the time you're born and the time you
leave this earth? And his came way too shore, honestly,
(11:32):
but he was his whole life. He always said to me, like,
if it wasn't for football, I don't know if I
would be where I'm at, Like it's kind of saved
his life, getting him out of you know, Texas and
to California and all these opportunities that came his way.
And so he was so like indebted, I guess to
the game of football, but he he kind of like
taught me like I don't know, being tenagious, and I
(11:54):
think having a daughter that missus her dad, I think
this is just a way for me to kind of
keep it going. And I love it. I've met so
many great people and so many people have showed up
that not only played with Derek and New Derek, but
just people he met along the way and it's actually
very fun. It is a lot of work, and everyone
(12:16):
that works on it will tell you have Tracy Skinner,
Angie alf Brett, Carolyn Jay Zoomas, Tory Hunter is Y McGuire,
like all these guys just we all come together and
make it happen. We get on calls, we're you know,
googling things on our off time to try to figure
out how can we make it even better. We're trying
to do a social this year for the athletes on Sunday,
(12:36):
to get all two hundred together because we usually practice separately.
The South will practice somewhere. North practice is somewhere, but
we thought, why not get them all together because all
these guys are going off into their next phase of
life and probably would love to meet each other because
some of them have played against each other, but meet
in a different environment, not on the football field necessarily,
(12:57):
so and we're gonna have some guys there to motivate
and I'll speak to them about life and football and
being a young man. So we have lots of things planned.
But that's kind of I guess how I keep going,
you know.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
What, I love it, and I'll be quite open with you.
I lost my sister in May, my little sister, yep.
And when you talk about taking too early, that hits
home for me. And keeping it going is something that
I actually love doing with this show.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
If you're not moving, you're not doing anything.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
I could cocoon myself forever, right, And when you keep
that person alive in your life that you love so much,
I think it's absolutely beautiful. And so what you were
you are doing right now is keeping him alive and
especially through your daughter, and I just express I want
(13:50):
to express my absolute admiration for you doing that.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Thank you, thank you, But I'm so sorry for your
lost It is. It is tough. It's not easy, but
you know, you just figure out how to keep moving.
And I think, like you said, you know, you just
have to kind of keep figuring out ways to keep
that love out there. And I think you know, this
game has provided that. But it's also just so many
(14:14):
people are impacted by cancer and it's you know, it's
so sad. So we just want to like make this
a celebration. Some people are fighting through cancer when they're playing,
some are have passed, but it really has connected a
lot of people, and I think it's like this really
big support group that has kind of been created through
(14:34):
it all.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
I appreciate your time.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
I am talking to your cohort Brett in a few
so thank you again.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Okay, thanks, have a great day.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
That was an awesome conversation I just had with Jessica Sparks,
who is a co founder and CEO of Cleats Versus Cancer,
and now I'm going to bring in one of her cohorts,
Brett Carolyn, who is a volunteer board member, and Brett,
thank you for your time today.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Jamine, thank you KGr for spotlighting Cleats for Cancer. It's
near and dear to so many people's hearts. I'm one
of them. I've been on the board for four years
and helping jess and Angie and a small group of
people that really this means a lot to a lot
of them. Happened to be Koog's. I played with Derek
at Washington State. He was a year younger than me,
(15:22):
and obviously, you know, near and dear to my heart.
And obviously the mission of the whole game is to
raise awareness and support for families that are battling cancer.
And that's that's the mission, you know, from from their
daughter to obviously what took Derek. It's it's very near
and dear to our hearts. Along with obviously with what's
going on in college sports today, allowing these football seniors
(15:46):
that have been selected by their coaches throughout the state
to participate in this all star football game. At times,
you bring all these these young men together, all these
coaches volunteering, and we have four teams participating in games
on Martin Luther Kine Day this year down at Summer
High School, we have four practices and we bring these
(16:07):
men together and sometimes it's their last game. Other times
it's giving them more film to potentially get looked at,
which is even harder based on what's going on with
the portal and everything in college football today. So it's
a true blessing. And again working with so many wonderful
people from Jay Doomas to Tory Hunter to coach Izzy
Downe in Federal l A coach Ross has been very
(16:28):
involved on at Sumner. Just these these gatekeepers of our
program that allowed us to shine and we're excited to
continue it going forward.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
And again this is Brett Carolyn joining me here with
Cleats Versus Cancer and you got to spend time in
college with Derek Sparks. I'm wondering if you can tell
me a little bit about him and who he was.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah, Derek was. It's interesting because Derek was an unbelievable talent.
You know, obviously he started out in Texas and then
he went to a few different high schools and you see,
he was so exceptional, you know, he you know, was
you know, being asked to come play at all these
high schools and ended up done in southern California, just
such an exceptional talent. Washington State was really blessed to
(17:13):
actually have him come up to Pullman and and share
that time with us, which was just magical. But you know,
after his years, you know, he had a couple of injuries,
and he got really involved obviously in the community, was
coaching high school and then obviously down at PLU, and
he's had such an impact on so many people that
it's easy to try to continue his legacy and what
(17:36):
he what he was for, and so for us to
kind of put time and again, there's a lot of
Koog's on this staff. There's a lot of Execues that
come back and coach. It's become just a it's a
brotherhood that It's wonderful to get all these other coaches
and everybody's truly in it for the best intent, with
no no hidden agendas, which is great.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
I absolutely love that This is Jessman McIntyre Seattle Boys
presented by Heart Radio here in Seattle, and I am
being joined by Brett Carolyn and I personally have experienced
the community that Washington State has as I was so
welcomed as someone who had only lived in Seattle by
(18:16):
the way, on the western side of the state when
I got the job. I had only lived here for
about three years when I got hired as their sideline reporter.
Can you just tell me a little bit more about
that community, because I was welcome with open arms after
I basically thought I would have to fight tooth and
nail to earn the trust of that community.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
So great to hear, I think, you know, I grew
up in California and kind of like you, justmon came
up to Wash the state and was you know, had
those open arms as well, and then it just you know,
was there for a number of years, graduated there and
met my wife there. So like you, it's just such
a strong knit community. It's a lot of hard working people.
It takes the right coach, It takes the right of administrators,
(19:01):
It takes the right you know, from the president to
the chancellor, to the ads to the coaches, all the
way through. You have to have great determination, you have
to have a game plan. They really open themselves up
to you. You know, I'm on a tech string with
probably I don't know, eighteen or twenty guys each week,
and we're basically going back and forth during the game.
(19:22):
It's like and you know, we're every single play, We're
up and down and all around, and it's like we're
still there. I'm part of a John Husbies, a next
or a coup always a koug. He runs this. He
brings us back and we've done it for eight or
nine years, and it's a bunch of ex football players
and coaches. We go back. It's the community. We go
(19:42):
back to Pullman and we basically toured the facilities and
Coach Rogers brought us in and Coach and John got
up there and spoke and there's eighty or ninety th us,
you know, ranging from twenty four to you know, early
you know, late late seventies that are there. There's coaches
there and it's just we all have this like this,
this cougar fabric that you know, really blends us together,
and it's something that runs so deep and it's awesome.
(20:05):
I mean, it's it's see and it feeds right into
this Cleets for Cancer game. But I mean, at any
given year, the last number of years, there's been anywhere
from six to ten to twelve different guys that we
played with or worked with at Washington State that are
part of this Cleets game. And it's because we understand
when you get over there, you understand now you're part
of that community special.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Sure football is family to me, and I want to
know if that means the same.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
It sounds like it means the same to you.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Oh yeah, gosh. I mean, I'm, you know, in my
mid fifties now, but you know, for twenty gosh, it
was I don't even know how much. It's probably something
like seventeen years of my life. I started playing in
fifth grade and played all through Prop Corner in all
through high school, and I was blessed enough to go
on and play in college and then went on play
three years after. And by the time I actually stepped away,
(20:57):
I'm like, gosh, I've played this game more than half
my life. It's the richness of the relationships. Obviously, I
have a lot of wonderful memories and you know, some
memories that have actually molded me today and a lot
of other my buddies going through double days and there's
tough times. It creates resilience, it creates you know, passions,
hard work. But it's the depth of these relationships. And
(21:18):
I'll give an example, like, you know, one of my
best friends with a quarterback at watching State my putts
and he is an attorney in Moscow, and we ended
up becoming really close. We were there five years together. Well,
my daughter plays soccer versus Montana and she played at
University Idaho. A couple about a month ago and I said,
I sent them a test and said, meet me over
on the west side of the kiv Doome at twelve
(21:39):
forty five. We're going to them watching my daughter play.
In twelve forty five, he was there. We walked in
with his wife and watched the game together. And it's
it's just to be able to do those things are
just special.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
I love it. I love it so much.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
And one of the things that Jessica and I were
talking about and you alluded to was just one more
game for these guys in the pleas first cancer game, right,
you know, whether it be to get recruited or not,
it's just one more game. And I think that's also
why in college football you focus so much on mole
eligibility because a lot the majority of these guys, it
(22:13):
is their last game. So what would you say if
you know, you knew it was your last game getting
one more?
Speaker 4 (22:20):
What would that mean to you?
Speaker 3 (22:23):
You know, by you saying that, I have goose bumps
on my arms because it is so special. I mean,
and that's really you know, all the effort that goes
is put in for these young men. We try to
get all the paperwork and all that stuff. So when
they get there to Friday night's practice, we're going and
we're evaluating. We're trying to put these these guys together
to compete with each other. Then there's practice Saturday, it's
(22:44):
a very important practice. Sunday is important practice, and then
we go and we play. We play on Monday, and
it truly is it's like it's having these one off conversations.
I was having a conversation with a running back from
Burlington Edison this last year and a lot of these
kids think, you know, I'm asking about football. I'm more
like kind of again, hey, so what are you doing
(23:04):
next year? Some of them go, I'm thinking about going
playing here. This one young guy is like, hey, I'm
going into the Electricians apprenticeship program. I'm like, that is awesome.
I'm like that, you know that. I mean, just to
see the young men they're on there for the last
game or you know, they're coming together to grow this brotherhood,
to have relationships that they can grow from this game
that they might carry the rest of their life. They don't.
(23:25):
We don't know, right, and so we really harp on that.
Get to know the person left to you, we have
create a relationship, get the contact information right. And so
it is. It is very special. And again you see
these coaches just out there just they love it. Like
these coaches are so you would think they've been coaching
these kids all year. The effort that they're giving and
it's just it's awesome. I mean, it's just a great event.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I'm hoping I can get down there for it. I
already purchased tickets so I will be there. I'm trying
to get everyone from our KJR community out there and
our iHeart community.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Yeah, and the support is so welcomed, right, I mean
to me it is we do raise money, and we
raise money and that we basically give out scholarships to
families that have have a cancer survivor or going through cancer.
I mean, it's it's all to me. It's so well intended.
Like I said, no hint agenda aside from kind of
raising awareness because so many of us have been touched
by that. You know, you don't have to stretch too
(24:23):
far along with giving this wonderful opportunity and like you mentioned,
it could be the last game. And so we love
the support. So thank you, thank you, thank you very
much for having having us on and kind to promote us.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
I absolutely love it. And like I said, this is
Seattle Voice. It is a community show and it is
presented by iHeartRadio in Seattle. Again Brett Carolyn joining me
Cleats Versus Cancer. What can we expect to see? Because
Jessica was telling me earlier that there are several hundred
applicants or nominees, I should say, and that there's one
(24:58):
hundred in the morning and a hundred in the afternoon
who will be playing correct.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
I mean yeah, I mean in years past we've had
four or five hundred people nominated and then we basically
do a draft to try to draft equal teams. We
have good representation from coaches kind of over Washington. We're
always trying to grow kind of the East Side and
get more people representatives, not only coaches, but players. You
can expect obviously, you end up having between I don't
(25:25):
know forty five and fifty young men that come out
and compete in the morning game, which is eleven, and
then the afternoon game, which I believe it's three, and
I think it is. It's competitive, right, and we have
these wonderful staff of refs that come out and they
volunteer their time, but it is really competitive, and you
see some just tremendous you know athletes out there, you know,
(25:48):
you know, wining out on the line again sometimes that
when that final whistle blows, that's their last one. Others
I'm seeing, you know, last year, I'm not going to
I don't know the exact account, but there was probably
ten to twenty different schools there. Again, some lower division schools,
but a lot of these kids that are on it,
they have their applications in they've already had their test
scores in, they've basically applied to these schools. I was
(26:09):
listening to conversations where these kids were getting offward spots
on these teams after the game, right there on the field,
and I'm like, wow, I mean, this is unbelievable. This
young man has the opportunity to further their education while
continue to play the game they love. That's amazing, you
do it?
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Yes, Yeah, that's absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Since I have such a high listenership, I am sure
that I can get the word out here for lower too.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
It ends you know what. You know what I'm going
to do. It's a starfish story, That's what it is.
And I love it.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Okay, I'm going to ask you. This is a story
that my mom read to me when I was young,
and it has inspired me for my entire life. Where
a little girl is walking on the beach and there's
a bunch of starfish watched up like it was after
a storm, like thousands of them or maybe hundreds, and
she's just chucking them back into the sea one at
(27:03):
a time, and an older guy walks by and says,
you're never going to save them all?
Speaker 4 (27:09):
You know? It doesn't matter what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
And she goes flings one in front of a space
into the sea and says, it matters to that one.
I'm wondering if you have a starfish story.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
I think it's to me. I love that. I think
it's such a good analogy. And at the end of
the day, but by the grace of God, we don't
know what's going on in different people's lives or you know,
whatever it is. But if we have this opportunity for
four days to lift people up, to build some relationships.
We talk about this in between the practices. Like I
said earlier, get to know the person to the left,
(27:44):
to the right, get to know these coaches. Everybody's here
because they want to help you one way or another.
It's not just a football thing. It could be in life.
I mean, you just never know what's going on in
people's lives, and so to this take the time to
do it, to come out and show the love and
show the you know, the intention of of why we're
doing this. We're doing we're all there again the third
(28:05):
time I said it, there's no hit in the agenda.
We're there to basically, you know, raise awareness. That is
an agenda provide an opportunity for these people to play
a game. But that's it. There's no other like, hey,
you know, I mean and I think some of these
young people, I mean, you just never know all they
they might need that extra clip that that coach sees,
like you were saying about the scouts on the sideline, going, man,
I didn't see this from this kid, right, And my
(28:28):
dad opens the door and then once I always say,
used to say a foot in the door. Now all
they wanted a toe because you're going to bring the
other nine. And it's like, that's your opportunity to get
an education, to get to go prove yourself at the
next level on the football field, which is not easy
in sports. But I really think all these all these
foundational principles set one up for success and it's not
(28:50):
easy to work through it all. But I think this
is just a whole you know, from their high school
then they go into this all star game. You just
you never know where, whether it's meeting somebody, whether it's
an opportunity that might open a door to you know,
for schooling or college. I just think that's what's so
fun about it. I mean, I try to go around
and talk to a lot of kids and get to
know them a little bit, like you know, and stay
in touch with some of them, which is which is great.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
I absolutely love it.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Brett Carolyn with Cleats First Cancer, thank you so much
for your time today. I can't wait to see how
this game evolves. I do think it is going to
grow as well, and you are just the toe in
the door for what it could become.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Well, Jessin and KGr thank you, thank you, thank you.
We really appreciate your support, and thank you for having us.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
On a wonderful conversation with two wonderful people, Jessica Sparks
and Brett Carolyn, both with Cleats Versus Cancer.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
That game again in January. Go to Cleates Versus.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Cancer dot com to check out more, and if you
want your voice heard here, please email Seattle Voice at
iHeartMedia dot com.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
We'll talk to you next week. Again. This has been
Seattle Voice, Jasmin McIntyre, your host,
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