BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
It’s not unusual to see athletes create organizations to help others and/or give back to their communities, but that usually doesn’t happen when they’re still in high school.
Chason Clark, a rising senior at Bradford High School, saw no reason to wait.
“I feel like I can make an impact early on,” he said.
Clark, a football player who’s verbally committed to Marshall University, plans to make his impact through an organization called “TEN,” which stands for “Today, it’s Everything or Nothing.”
“That’s just a little thing I try to live by every day — I’ve got to give my all today,” Clark said.
The name is also a nod to his jersey number, while the “T” in the logo is created so that it looks like a cross, representing his faith.
Clark said he’s always mindful of trying to be a positive influence on others. TEN was the result of thinking about how he could take that influence to another level.
“The big thing was I was trying to figure out a way — in the next chapter of my life — to be able to influence everybody and how to do it in the correct way,” Clark said.
BHS Head Coach Jamie Rodgers said, “It’s cool for him to have that foresight, to have that vision to want to help others. That’s not the norm. That’s very rare. I’m just super proud of him and the young man that he is and the leader that he is for us.”
TEN has two focal points — youth sports and substance abuse among adults.
His desire to help adults with substance abuse is fueled by his love for man who struggled mostly in silence — his grandfather Jimmie “Bo” Clark, who passed away at the age of 62 on Jan. 15, 2022. Clark said few outside the family knew what his grandfather was going through.
“He had a huge struggle with alcohol,” Clark said, adding, “I saw the guy I thought could beat any struggle ever — the guy I looked up to — crumble under that one thing. That was a surreal experience to know that something (like alcohol) can do that to you.”
It’s hard enough to watch a loved family member go through such a struggle, but even harder when that person still carries on with life and exhibits so many of the traits that you, yourself, want to possess. Clark said his grandfather had an “insane” work ethic, going to the job day after day, even when he didn’t feel like it and on days when he was probably too sick to be doing some of the labor he was doing.
“He never gave up,” Clark said.
His grandfather also demonstrated an indefinite love for people, Clark said, explaining that his grandfather could “get on to you” if he needed to, “but the next second, he loved you more than anybody could.”
“The best man I ever met in my entire life,” Clark said. “The most loving man I ever met.”
Clark hopes that one day, through TEN, he can provide the resources and finances that weren’t available to his grandfather to others.
As for the youth-sports aspect of TEN, Clark has already created an event. He’ll host a free football camp for ages 6-12 at David Hurse Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 5, from 6:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The time of the camp was important to Clark. He wanted it to be at night so the children could be “under the lights.”
“I think they’re going to have a ball,” Clark said.
Clark will be joined by some of his teammates, who’ll coach the youth and have them participate in drills. Some of the BHS coaches will be there, too. Clark wanted the coaches there so the kids could see how he and his teammates listen to and respect them.
Rodgers said it’s a great opportunity for youth in a small town. He remembers how as a child growing up in Baker County, he dreamed of one day being able to play for the Wildcats.
“All the kids here, they want to be Tornadoes,” Rodgers said, adding, “For them to be able to (to get onto the BHS field) at a young age is awesome.”
For Clark, the football camp is just the start of what he hopes becomes something big. He admitted he gets excited to thinking about ways TEN can grow in the future and about all “the lives I can impact.” He’d love to see it become like the Hayden Hurst Family Foundation, which provides support to schools and veterans in the area of mental health. The foundation was created by Carolina Panthers tight end Hayden Hurst, whose parents, Jerry and Cathy, live on Sampson Lake.
“He’s really just influencing people out of the kindness of his heart,” Clark said.
Clark’s heart seems to be full of just as much kindness. He talks of wanting to set an example for others, whether it’s for the younger kids who dream of being Tornadoes or for the students he goes to school with at BHS. As Clark puts it, “I think it’s the right thing to do.”
As someone who wants to create a positive culture as well as a solid football program, Rodgers said Clark is the kind of person coaches want on their team.
Rodgers will tell you that at BHS, he is blessed to have several players like Clark who do the right things. Those players also have a desire to make the program be as good as it can be, which they demonstrate by how they work with the younger players on the team.
It’s just another way of giving back.
“The thing that I’ve noticed the most in the year and a half that I’ve been here — and this had to be here before I was here — is the willingness of the older guys to look after the younger guys and make sure they’re doing it right,” Rodgers said. “We have a standard here. That’s what we want to push.”
If your child is interested in attending the Aug. 5 football camp, you may register by visiting thetencorp.com.
