Kids Up to Age 14 Have New Ferndale Football and Cheer Option
(Terry Lakins, March 16, 2025)
Ferndale, MI – Throughout Oakland County and Metro Detroit there are youth football programs. These programs are designed to get kids into football at different age groups. Ferndale, while having a high school football team, lacked such a youth program. Until now. The Southeast Ferndale Eagles is a youth football program that will cater to kids looking to try the sport out and possibly even transition into high school football. The age group will go from 6-and-under (flag football) and all the way up to age 14.
This program is being spearheaded by Donovan Jackson, the head coach for the Southeast Ferndale Eagles. Jackson has lived and breathed football his entire life. He played little league football as a youth, played high school football in Ferndale and even played at the college level. From his experience he grew to love teaching and while Jackson would take on many coaching jobs, he never forgot his time in Ferndale. Understanding the importance of youth football programs, and knowing that Ferndale lacked one, he wanted to change this.
“With this youth football team, we’re looking to change as many lives as possible and motivate sports and academics.” Jackson said. “Until recently the youth in Ferndale wouldn’t have the opportunity to see if they like football, unless they left their community. Now we’re bringing it to this city.”
If Jackson had the vision for this program, Ronald Gaines brought the structure. Gaines is a local business owner and the president of Southeast Ferndale Eagles. A chance meeting between Jackson and Gaines turned into a meeting of minds. Jackson at that point had been working for a few years to make his vision come true, with all the dead ends, setbacks, and struggles that come with. When he met Gaines the two had one thing in common: a passion for mentoring and empowering the youth. Gaines believed in Jackson’s vision so much he not only got involved but also became an investor in the project. As Jackson puts it, where no government or city would back this, Gaines was the right gentlemen he needed to meet.
This isn’t just simply about teaching Ferndale youth about football. His goal is to build a broader community around it, getting parents, businesses, and local people involved. Jackson considers the community support a bigger and more important job than his actual job as head coach.
On this, Jackson shared an anecdote on why he wants he put community support at the forefront of Southwest Ferndale Eagles.
He recalled back when he was a coach at Cass Tech and that the team traveled over to Rockford on the west side of the state to play against them. What Jackson saw was a packed stadium, with many of the local children there playing on the youth team. These kids were joined by their parents and other members of the community, most of them wearing matching jerseys with Rockford on them. Jackson said the atmosphere felt something closer to a college football game, and seeing the community aspect so interwoven with the sport is something that has stuck with him. Those kids, as Jackson said, get a chance to play football throughout their entire school career.
“It’s completely different over there, it’s a football town and it’s next level.” Jackson said. “That is how a successful community wins state championships. On this side of the state, we need to speed it up and step up.”
Jackson admitted that finally making the announcement gave him a sense of relief, but only for a short while. There is much work ahead.
“Now that all the glitter and gold has faded, it’s now time to get to work. We want to create that comradery, that brotherhood, those bonds that money cannot buy. Let them play all the way up to high school and then go beyond football. I’m ready to see Ferndale win a State Champion, ready to see them get scholarships. I’m ready to see it all. There is about to be something very enduring and very special in Ferndale. I’m excited about it and I can’t wait.”
Their season starts in August, but kids need to be registered by April 15. For more details visit seferndaleeagles.org or email seferndaleeagles@gmail.com.
