IF YOU are involved in the Franklin County Soccer Association, you have to know Casey Jackson — after all, he has been refereeing in the league since he was 12. As president of the board of directors and the player agent for Franklin County Recreational Sports (FCRS), Jackson continues to support youth sports daily.
“Everything he does revolves around the youth,” said FCRS Vice President Adam Lindsey. “He truly cares about the kids of this community, which is why we brought him on board — because we are all like-minded people. We want to provide a place for these kids to develop, have fun, and get better.”
Lindsey said when Jackson joined the recreational sports board, he brought a lot of knowledge of digital media. It is because of him that the program has a website and online sign-ups. As board members work almost every Saturday, his work freed up a lot of time.
“Before he came on board, all our sign-ups were done in person and paid by either cash or check. We had to have set times for people to show up, and it was hard,” Lindsey said. “[He] has made a world of difference.”
As president of FCSA, he does much more. Jackson said there is a lot that happens between registration and the beginning of the season just to make sure everything is ready to go.
“We’ve got to get teams separated, get uniforms ordered, make sure the fields are lined, and make sure the referees are going to be there,” Jackson said. “There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle to get a season started.”
Volunteering on the board is a job that doesn’t get much recognition, said FCSA Director of Operations Derek Alonso. But it’s worth it when it uplifts the students.
“Out of the 300-400 people, hardly anybody says thank you,” Alonso said. “It’s a rewarding job when you see a kid smile.”
Jackson said accomplishing that was the most essential part of his job and possibly the hardest, alongside finding coaches for the hundreds of kids involved in the organization.
“I want all the kids to enjoy it, have fun, and learn,” Jackson said. “There’s no way one person can do it.”
According to Alonso, that isn’t a new feeling — Jackson has been working toward that goal almost his whole life.
“He’s always liked helping the kids out, even when he was probably too young to be coaching high school kids in soccer,” Alonso said. “He [was] just barely out of high school himself.”
Jackson joined the FCRS board around two years ago, but he became president of the soccer association in 2002. Alonso said Jackson has gotten to know many families in the community with kids of a similar age as those in the league.
“He refs some games, and he takes care of all the referees [from] the time they’re old enough to start doing it until they graduate high school,” Alonso said. “And, of course, he’s in constant communication with all the parents via email and talking to them.”
Jackson said his job is not one he could do alone, and it is not one that is especially difficult. Everyone involved in either league is a volunteer as much as he is.
“There’s been plenty of people before me that have done what I’m doing now,” Jackson said. “I just do what I need to do to get the league moving.”
Still, Jackson’s volunteer work doesn’t stop there. He is a TSSAA-certified referee and continues to referee high school sports regularly. And his family often takes care of the concession stand. In addition, he is a rescue diver for the Franklin County Rescue Squad and a handler with K-9 search and rescue.
“Casey’s one of those you can count on 100% of the time and will always put others before himself,” Lindsey said. “If you need him, call him, and he’s gonna be there.” GN
