San Antonio – Signing a child up for a youth football or cheer program can cost $150 or more. For families in some neighborhoods, that price puts organized sports out of reach.
Kenneth “Coach Ken” Dickson is trying to change that. A West Side native who grew up in the Lincoln Courts, Dickson started the Westend Redwolves, a youth football and cheer league offered at no cost to families in San Antonio’s 78207 ZIP code.
“I was around gangs, drugs, all kinds of things that’s in high‑risk communities,” Dickson said. “At the age of 20, I ended up catching the charge. I ended up going to federal prison.” When he returned home, he said, he was “dropped right back into the same community I left from,” and had to make a choice about his future.
Dickson, who later took a job with violence‑prevention group Stand Up S.A., said his own experience drives his work with young people. “Because I was once one of these kids. I was one of those kids literally running around here with nothing to eat,” he said. “Even though I had family on every corner on this block, it was still a struggle.”
The Westend Redwolves welcome children from Lincoln Courts, Cassiano Homes and surrounding neighborhoods. About 150 kids currently participate in the football and cheer programs, Dickson said, and coaches hope the teams provide alternatives to gang activity and gun violence.
Organizers say one of the program’s biggest challenges is overcoming stigma about the neighborhood. “People see where we’re from and they think that the stigma applies to all,” Dickson said. “It doesn’t. I want them to understand that there are some good people in dark places.”
Businesses and community members with West Side roots are being asked to help expand the program. He hopes to catch the attention of UTSA’s football program.
To get in touch with Dickson, reach out to him by email at westendredwolves2021@gmail.com
A fall kickoff is happening on Aug. 30. Dickson is grateful for the organizations and law firms that have already stepped up to support and believe in their cause.