12/19/2024
This is going to be a long one, but a good one, I PROMISE!
Those of you who know Devon Morante , may or may not know his story or background. So, story time (sort of).. Devon did not grow up in the greatest of conditions. He grew up in an environment over run with drugs, alcohol and addiction. He witnessed people on days long bingers, parties, you name it..starting at a VERY young age. There were times when he was used as a pawn for shoplifting or he was caught stealing medicine for his little brother who was sick because of drunken adults not being around. His story goes far deeper than this and far more upsetting, but that is for him to tell and not something he often speaks about.
But thankfully, things changed when a judge finally granted custody to his father when he was around the age of 12.
Around this time, he started getting into extracurricular activities and sports.
As most of you know, Devon's passion is football (although he did other sports such as lacrosse and wrestling), football was always his go to and honestly what he dreamed of playing at a high level at one point in his life. For him, sports were an outlet for frustration, something to strive for, something to set goals for, discipline, comradery, life lessons, life long friendships, coaching, etc. It kept him on the straight and narrow and kept him from being the kid everyone expected him to become due to his background. He often says he is who is because of lessons learned on the field. He feels that the game of football helped him keep a level head and gave him a reason to stay away from the things in life that were meant to bring him down.
SO!! Now that you know who Devon is..... ........DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!..........
Without further ado, I bring to you..
No Kid Sits Out, Youth Sports Foundation. a Non-profit set up to help kids with sports expenses (registration fees, equipment, uniforms) that would otherwise prevent them from participating in a sport they want to play. In the Morante family, we strongly feel that NO kid should have to sit out. We strongly feel that, that single opportunity could be the difference in a child's life and if we can help bridge that gap in some small way, then I will be damned if we don't try!!
We are just in the beginning fazes and getting everything set up, but we are officially filed and set up and able to begin our journey! So, stay tuned for more!!!
