Stories from the Field: The Santa Claus of Soccer Balls

by Colin Schmidt
Executive Director

Nine years ago, at the age of 13, Hunt’s life ended after a rare and tragic illness.  After his son’s death, Hunt’s Dad, Jim Silcock, wanted to honor his son’s life. This week he visited San Francisco from his home in Dallas, and I got the chance to learn more about how he has become the Santa Claus of soccer balls.   

I met up with Jim at a public school in the Tenderloin district.  Yuri, America SCORES Bay Area Soccer Director, was showing him one of our partner school sites that use the soccer balls given away for free by Hunt 4 Soccer.  Jim created the organization to honor Hunt and his love for the game.  “The idea came to me in the middle of the night,” Jim said.   “I woke up and registered the domain name Hunt4Soccer.org,” and the effort began.  

When we arrived at the bustling playground, Coach Othmane was running a pick-up soccer game on the blacktop as part of our new America SCORES recess support program.  The game had 20 boys and girls darting around a corner of the yard.  The children represented cultures from all over the world including arab girls in hijab headscarfs, latinos, asians, and pacific islanders.  

The ball in the game had turned almost green from heavy use on the painted surface.  Othmane assured Jim that the ball was excellent, “durable” he said. “The kids love this ball!”  Othmane recently game to the US from Morocco and started working with America SCORES because he, too, wanted to give back. “Playing soccer,” he said, “made me a better person.”  

Later, at lunch, Othmane learned the story of Hunt, and Jim, and the thousands of soccer balls that have been given away over the years.   Othmane became animated after he heard the story about Hunt and about how, since this January alone, Jim and his non-profit organization have distributed over 7,000 balls and nearly 800 of them arriving at the feet of the children who participate in America SCORES Bay Area.

 

Othmane nodded in knowing agreement.  He knew these balls were special!  He knew they were “magic.”  He told the story about the time he showed up with another ball and how the kids refused to play.  “I said don’t worry, I’ll bring that ball back tomorrow but the kids said: ‘No!  We won’t play until we get our regular ball!”  

What we know is that the balls given away by Jim and Hunt 4 Soccer are not regular balls.  Jim says, “I am just the bus driver; I am doing what Hunt wants me to do.”   Without a doubt, the balls carry the spirit of a teenage boy with a big heart.  In his broken English, Othmane said, “For you to do this for Hunt, he must have been very special.”  Jim replied, “Hunt would want to be remembered in this way; he was a good teammate, an exceptional soccer player, and he was always looking out for the underdog.”   

“Hunt had a good sense of humor too,” explained Jim as we continued the conversation over lunch.  “He used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I used to play along and say Santa Claus.”  Several years after Hunt’s death, when Jim was carrying a big white bag stuffed with soccer balls to a field to give away, he suddenly realized: “Hunt made my wish come true — there I was, the Santa Claus of soccer balls!”  

When asked what is the purpose of the balls, Jim said: “It’s really simple: to be a good soccer player you have to be a good person, and I hope these balls help kids become good soccer players.”   What about evaluations, metrics? I asked. “Look, they get to play soccer, to practice on their own, and with programs like America SCORES.  They get to be part of team and learn lots of things.  And at the very least, they have fun and stay out of harm’s way. What else do you need to know?” he smiled.   

What Jim wanted to know was what more could he do to help children stay on track for higher education.  After I told him about our Book Zone project and how we give away books to help at-risk youth build their own home libraries, he became enchanted with the idea.  His eyes lit up in an Old Saint Nick sort of way.  

I wondered if next time we met Jim he would be carrying something else in his big white bag.  When we said our farewells the following day, Jim wanted me to know, “I woke up in the middle of the night and registered the domain name Hunt4Books.org.”

For more information about Hunt 4 Soccer, please visit Hunt4Soccer.org.