After you read the article, there will be information regarding how you can register your 5-14 year old child(ren) for the Frankford Chargers.
When you first meet her, you are struck by her energy and her enthusiasm. You know, immediately, that she cares for the kids and for the games they play. She is Coach Kisha Thompson.
Kisha is the Vice-President of the Frankford Chargers Sports and Mentoring Association. She is also a coach for the sports teams – football, basketball and baseball. The Frankford Chargers also have cheer and dance teams as well. The coaching part is a big part of her life. But so is the fund-raising and the organizing of the teams. Finding sponsors is one of her most important jobs and, if you and your organization are interested, we’ll give you contact information at the end of this article. If you live in the Frankford area, these teams are very successful and when the football teams or cheer teams win the regionals, they will travel to Florida (even the youngest at 5 years old) to participate in the national championship and cheerleader competition. She finds and raises the money and somehow finds time to do it all. But she doesn’t do it alone. She and many other dedicated individuals and supportive parents come together to give our local youth the opportunity to play on a team and to learn what it means to be part of a team. In addition to all she does for the Chargers organization, she has a Bachelor of Science degree and works full time as a tax accountant.
Kisha now lives near the Frankford neighborhood where she grew up. She attended Smedley Elementary School, Harding Jr. High School and then graduated from Frankford High School. Believe it or not, she joined the Frankford Chargers at the age of 3 in cheer and quickly became their Mascot. She did not have an official name, she was just known as “Little Kisha” wearing her cheerleader outfit cheering her teams on to victory. Mentored by Big Rasheed Muhammad, he encouraged her to stop cheerleading and start coaching at the age of 12. Sadly, he passed away last year. Kisha continued along the path and always remembers he was the one to inspire her. She just wants to pass that on to the kids she meets and gets to know so well.
Kisha realizes how important that inspiration is to our young people. Besides the rules of the game, Kisha and the other coaches try to convey, to their players through sports, real life skills like teamwork and looking out for each other. This is a brotherhood and when you become successful, you come back to give back. Kisha mentions two players who made it to the NFL – Will Fuller, a wide receiver for the Houston Texans, and Zaire Anderson, linebacker for the Denver Broncos, who were both a part of the Frankford Chargers. Not every player will be able to do that she says, but they can be anything they set their minds on to be. Most importantly, she wants to see them grow up to be productive citizens. She points out one of the coaches who came right from work, still in his suit because these boys matter to him. It’s important that they see people from all kinds of occupations modeling for them what it means to be a man or, in Kisha’s case, a woman who have taken their talents and used them for good – for themselves and for others. Kisha was elected into the Frankford Chargers’ Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Little Guys Football Conference Hall of Fame in 2012. Way to go, Coach!
This is her 30th Anniversary year of coaching and last year was the 50th Anniversary of the Frankford Chargers Sports and Mentoring Organization. Looking ahead, Kisha remembers when the Gambrel Recreation Center (4800 Ditman St.) fields were “dust bowls” until they got help with new turf so maintaining the fields, the equipment, etc., is an investment. Parents are supportive and help with fund-raisers but corporate sponsors can make an even bigger difference and get the opportunity to help develop their future workforce.
What keeps Coach Kisha returning is, of course, the kids. She recounts stories of when she’s out and about, a young man will come up to her and say “Coach Kisha, do you remember me?” That’s the greatest feeling for her. Coach Kisha knows that life is a game won off the field or outside of a job. She coaches her players for both arenas.
This year the Frankford Chargers have 300+ children as members of the organization. Your child must be 5 – 14 years old. They are still accepting applications through September 6. They practice 3-4 nights weekly. They are organized into teams by age. Here’s a list of equipment the players need – http://www.frankfordchargers.org/forms.html. There is also a link to the individual registration forms that you need for each sport. As for physicals, a nurse practitioner is onsite at the Gambrel Recreation Center, 3 days a week, to complete the necessary forms. You can stop by the Rec office, contact the Frankford Chargers by phone at 215-685-1243 or email them at frankfordchargers@verizon.net
If you’re inspired by Coach Kisha and the work of the Frankford Chargers, please contact them and find out how you can get involved, too! Corporate sponsors, you won’t find a better investment anywhere!
Thank you, Coach Kisha Thompson, for all that you and the Frankford Chargers Sports and Mentoring Association do for our youth in Frankford! Go, Chargers! You are making a real difference in these children’s lives!
