Boosters provide more than just money for area sports

By TRAVIS DOWNEY

travisd@nwfdailynews.com

Jim Evans has been involved with Niceville athletics for nearly two decades.

Fred Leopold has served as president of the South Walton football booster club since its inception.

For both, and others like them, the thrill of a fall Friday night is eclipsed only by the stories and memories that are created in the days and hours leading up to kick-off.

Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, a booster club - groups who continuously look for ways to help fund area high schools' athletic programs - and its effectiveness, is a direct byproduct of the individuals involved.

Evans, now entering his fifth year as president of the Niceville High School Booster Club, has gathered volumes of stories of parents and fans and their support of high school athletics.

From the Eagles' run to district title after district title on the gridiron, from success on the softball field and soccer fields to the sight of Brett DeVall's mastery in guiding the baseball team to the state semifinals, Evans has seen it all.

But one of his favorite stories didn't occur on a field or a diamond - or in the state of Florida for that matter.

It happened some 2,100 miles away in Pasedena, Calif., where last January members of the Niceville High marching band participated in the Rose Bowl parade.

"That is a memory those kids will never forget," Evans said.

That trip was made possible, in large part, because of the fund-raising efforts and contributions of the booster club.

"It costs between $50-60 thousand to put that band on the field," Evans said. "If we didn't have that booster club we couldn't be putting the band out there and we certainly would not have gone to the Rose Bowl."

Leopold first began looking for ways to help the South Walton football program when his son became a member of the school's first junior varsity team in 2002.

Initially, for Leopold, his participation was a way to ensure his son and his classmates got the most out of their experience.

Six years later, Leopold is still organizing and planning the Seahawks' pre- and post-game meals - for both the junior varsity and varsity.

"I probably get out of it as much as I put in - being around the coaches and players, being part of the team environment - is very rewarding to me," Leopold said.

His presence has not gone unnoticed.

"I inherited the best booster club president in the whole wide world," beamed South Walton coach David Barron.

For Leopold, who is president of Vanguard bank in Valparaiso, it is a true labor of love.

"I just enjoyed having those couple of years with my son and I got to know the coaches real well," Leopold recalled. "I've just enjoyed it. I saw the kind of positive influence it can have on young people and have enjoyed being a part of it."

Chuck Kelly, an active member of Choctawhatchee's football booster club, echoed Leopold's sentiments.

"You want to be involved," Kelly said. "But you also see the need for the program to be successful, they have to go out and raise as much money as they can. I wanted to be a part of that."

All high school athletic programs - large or small - are able to operate in large part because of those like Evans, Kelly and Leopold, individuals more than happy to sacrifice much of their own time for the betterment of the area's youth.

"I toil all day at a toiling job but when I get out of there between the hashmarks, that's a lot of fun," Leopold said. "It's about the interaction with the parents and the interaction with the coaches and players.

"I want to make it a good experience for the guys."