Across the desert and riverside county, coaches and community leaders are fighting to give high school football players a sense of normalcy, and hope for the future. That is why the Winner’s Circle created the club tackle football Champions League, and why Roman Pellum, stepped up to create a team for our kids in the desert community. Introducing: the Desert Dripp 11 v 11 tackle club football team.

“We have to do something because I know a lot of these kids are, are going downhill, just based on not thinking they have the vision anymore. That’s why we created the Desert Dripp, just to give kids the opportunity to do what they love.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DESERT DRIPP (@desert_dripp)

Jordan Campbell is the owner of Winners Circle Athletics, he is also a former NFL player and USC alumni who grew up in Riverside County. Campbell decided to create the Champions League because he understands how crucial it is for high school football players to have some sort of a season in order to be recruited by colleges.

“Free education is always the goal. For me, I just know how important this time is for everybody. It’s sad to see what’s going on with these kids.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIj0qb3DiQe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Daniel Carter is a junior QB at Palm Desert high school, and when he heard about the Desert Dripp, he was all in.

“It really has affected me mentally, but at this point, I feel like we kind of need to get back to work get back to football.”

If you play high school football, your junior and senior years are the most important for college recruiting, and due to this pandemic, a lot of kids are left struggling. Thanks to the Desert Dripp and Champions League, kids like Oshea Wallace, a junior QB at Cathedral City high school, get another opportunity to make it to the next level.

“All the colleges that have been texting me on Twitter, they all have been saying that they just need a little bit more film. So this is just my little opportunity just in case we don’t have a season and give them a little bit of film and then I might land a D1 offer.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_iXfzUgxiv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Demario Wilson is a junior WR from La Quinta high school, and he was very excited about this opportunity.

“That’s why I joined it because it’s a huge opportunity that I wanted to take because I know there’s gonna be college coaches looking at me, and we might not have a season. This might be the only opportunity I have.”

Daniel explains that getting back on the football field isn’t just going to help kids go to college. For some of these athletes, playing football in a team setting can provide some much-needed guidance for their overall well being.

“I think it’s super important for a lot of kids to kind of have that leader kind of had that. That set establishment, you know, that staple in their life that they go to every day and look forward to. You could look at it like you’re just throwing a ball around, and yeah, you are doing that. But it really is about the brotherhood, the communication.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Daniel Carter (@danieldoesntlift)

Jordan Campbell and the Winner’s Circle aren’t just really good at training athletes. Winner’s Circle Athletics also helps young athletes battle with the everyday stresses of life, and how to succeed despite those obstacles, even during a global pandemic.

“There’s more than this process than just two plus two in the classroom and some lifting some weights in the weight room. We’re really mentoring these kids and really trying to get them to tap in and lock back in with us and lock back in on their dreams and start working at pursuing the process again as if there wasn’t a pandemic.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DESERT DRIPP (@desert_dripp)

Times are tough right now, which is why Pellum created the Desert Dripp for one reason, and one reason only: to help out the kids in his community.

“I have good motives. When you have bad motives, you get bad results. I fall with intention of helping my desert community boys. If their season starts tomorrow, at least we know they’ve been running around, they’ve been ready, and we were able to get them ready for whatever team. We want to be able to support those boys even when they leave us.”

These kids can’t wait to get back on the field, and playing tackle football with his community is everything to Demario.

“It is really cool seeing all people from the valley, like every area from the valley come together and just build one team and meeting new friends and new players. They’re all family now, and that’s just super fun.”

Winner’s Circle Champions League: The Desert Dripp