sports equal…hard work on and off the field

Angelo and Gauge Orozco

Early this year we held a writing contest and asked some kids to submit an essay about why they love sports. Angelo Orozco’s submission was one of our team favorites because he mentioned in his essay how sports helps him deal with negative emotions and we were impressed that he was able to acknowledge that benefit at a young age. We decided to reach out to Angelo and his family to learn more about his participation in sports and how they found out about Every Kid Sports.

“I work really hard on my grades because I see how much my mom struggles with two jobs, and I want to be able to go to college and help her someday.”

Angelo and his mom, Caitlin, as well as his younger brother, Gauge, live in Mesa, Arizona. Caitlin is a single mom, managing two jobs while she raises Angelo and his brother. The boys live for football, and she does her best to make sure they are able to have every opportunity to play. When Caitlin needed some extra help this year, she did some research on-line for assistance and found Every Kid Sports. “I looked at several organizations, but Every Kid Sports was the only one that really offered what I needed..help covering the cost of registration fees. Tackle football is not cheap, and it was amazing to find you guys. The application was easy and I got a quick response. It’s so important…their passion for sports is unbelievable and the exercise and being outside and helping to keep their mind off some things that have happened recently..it’s worth everything it takes to keep them playing.”

Angelo, who is a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys, dreams of playing in the NFL one day. He was lucky to have a former NFL player, Dedrick Harrington, as his coach for five seasons, who inspired Angelo to work hard towards his dream. Dedrick still comes to Angelo’s games to cheer him on, and Angelo is motivated to push himself because of that support, as well as the support from his coaches and teammates. “They make me feel like I can really accomplish things and so that keeps me motivated.”  When it comes to academics, Angelo is a straight-A student and says it’s his mom that pushes him to work hard at school. “I work really hard on my grades because I see how much my mom struggles with two jobs, and I want to be able to go to college and help her someday.” 

Gauge, Angelo’s younger brother, also enjoys the game, although he isn’t a fan of the Cowboys.  Odell Beckham Jr. with the Cleveland Browns is his favorite player, which leads to some lively arguments with this brother!

We are so proud of Angelo for his accomplishments on and off the field, and hope to see his dream of signing with an NFL team come true one day!

– The Every Kid Sports team