BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Dixie County man returns from Navy and coaches in youth sports program

This story is apart of TV20′s ongoing coverage of Black History Month featuring ‘Mentors like Me’.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - After traveling the world and seeing many different places, there’s still no place like home for one Dixie County man.

And to those who know him as a friend and a mentor, Donnell Teague is someone anybody can rely on.

In just a few weeks, Pop Warner of Dixie County will hold their fourth year of spring training for the upcoming football season.

And Donnell is an instrumental part of that.

Donnell and his friend Justin Cotman started a Pop Warner Youth Sports Program for children in Dixie County in 2018.

Donnell was born and raised in Cross City and at nineteen, left to serve 11 years in the U.S. Navy. When his time in service was over, Donnell says he told his wife “I want our kids to be raised in Cross City. That’s where we’re from. It’s a people’s town, everybody knows everybody.”

Since the program began, Donnell says their teams have gone on to win a conference championship and got to a couple more.

Coen Hines, an assistant coach and parent, says his son “really looks up to him. He’s taught him a lot about the game of football and basketball, but he always makes sure the kids know that family and school comes before sports.”

And Coach Teague emphasizes that “we teach them that you don’t judge a person by the color of their skin, but instead you judge the person by their character. That in itself goes a long way.”

Coach Teague wants to continue to grow the youth sports program not just to kids in Dixie County, but in surrounding areas of North Central Florida as well.

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