Courtesy of SVAA.
The Spring Valley Athletic Association looked very different before Gayle Jackson came along 30 years ago. Under her leadership, all five SVAA sports — basketball, volleyball, softball, baseball/t-ball and football — are thriving, with more than 15,000 players now participating on almost 1,300 teams.
Jackson announced last week that she’ll retire as executive director in December. She’ll use the next few months to support Audrey Clary as Clary prepares to take the helm.
SVAA was founded in 1968 as a nonprofit with an army of volunteers (they now have a small paid staff) organizing recreational youth sports in the Richardson ISD and North Dallas area. Children don’t try out at SVAA, and recruiting is not permitted. Teams are formed by the SVAA based on the school they attend.
“When I arrived in 1994, all our registration forms were on paper, and the parents mailed them in or brought them into our office,” Jackson recalls. “We sat on the floor and built teams using the paper forms, then entered each name into a computer by hand. We were still entering the names six weeks into the season. Now everyone registers online, of course.”
“We didn’t have as many sports then. Now we have volleyball, flag football and 7-on-7, and this year we added 5-Pitch Plucky for our 7th and 8th graders. We’re always developing new things.”
5-Pitch Plucky is a modified game of baseball using a pitching machine. It results in four times more at-bats than a typical youth baseball game and more balls in play, so children stay more engaged in the game.
Participating in SVAA sports teaches kids valuable life lessons. Learning to be a team player is important for children — and coaches, too, she says.
“I’ve had coaches come to me over the years to say they need a player removed from their team because he can’t get along. I remind them that they are mentors, that they can mold that kid into being the person he needs to be. Many times, the coach will come back at the end of the season and say the kid has learned to communicate and cooperate after playing on the team.”
Umpires begin at age 14 calling T-ball games with SVAA. Their biggest takeaways aren’t about the technical aspects of the game, but about advocating for themselves in a crowd of adults.
“They learn to speak up and handle themselves, and that is a life lesson that helps them later on in life. Sometimes sports can bring out the worst in people, but the coaches mentor them, and that helps.”
Jackson is proud of the way SVAA contributes to the community. They give financial assistance to Forerunner Mentoring and waive fees to keep kids in the game, when necessary. They find coaches for teams when no dad can step up.
“The coaches are so important to these kids,” Jackson says. “My husband coached for many years, and we’re still getting calls of appreciation. They’ve all turned out to be fine young men. We’re one of the only leagues that offers jerseys and equipment for no cost. We think it’s important for every player and every team to be alike — to not have to spend that money. A lot of people can’t afford that. We’ve also installed 24-30 adjustable goals at the schools, RISD schools and Lutheran High School, where we play our games.”
Jackson and husband Tom now live in Allen, but they began, like most folks affiliated with the SVAA, as cheerleaders for their children and their teammates. Their sons played football, basketball and baseball on SVAA teams before graduating from Lake Highlands High School, and Tom was their coach. He has served on the SVAA board and as president of the football and baseball leagues.
“Gayle is so very special as she lives and breathes our key tenet of giving every child the opportunity to play our sports,” says Gina Manning, SVAA Board President. “She works hard to find teams for individuals to join as she understands how hard it is to sign your child up without a predetermined team. The other amazing attribute of Gayle, and one I don’t envy, is she is on call 24/7. Being a small, volunteer-led, nonprofit organization, Gayle is in charge, with the help of the sports commissioner, of communicating rain delays or cancellations. This is a full-time job during baseball and football season. In reality, Gayle never leaves the SVAA office behind. She responds to texts and emails at all hours of the night and weekends. We will miss her. The community will miss her.”
If you’re interested in signing your child up for an SVAA team, you may learn more here.
Gayle Jackson celebrates her birthday with colleagues at the SVAA offices.
Courtesy of SVAA.
