When Mike Gottfried looks into the eyes of a fatherless boy, he sees a slightly dimmed light that carves a path deep into the soul. He understands the hidden pain, the self-doubt and the lack of confidence that never goes away.

 

Gottfried knows exactly how the fatherless boy feels because when he looks into his eyes, it's like he's peering through a portal into his own past.

 

Gottfried was just 11 years old when his father died. He latched on to several father figures throughout his life including an uncle and various coaches. That guidance helped him stay out of trouble and eventually led to a successful career as a college football coach. His professional stops included the University of Cincinnati and Pittsburgh University. In 1990, he moved to the broadcast booth as a college football color analyst for ESPN.

 

Born and raised in Ohio, Gottfried and his wife, Mickey, now reside in Mobile, Ala. During the off-season, Mickey noticed that there were several boys in the community who didn't have active fathers in their lives. She began to encourage her husband to spend time with some of these kids. Gottfried admits that at first he was resistant to the idea. But deep inside, he knew it was something he needed to do.

 

“You need men speaking into these boys' lives,” Gottfried says. “They want to be told what to do. They want to be affirmed. They need that attention and affection. If they don't get it from a male figure, they're going to get it through drugs, through sex or through gangs.”

 

In 1999, Gottfried helped organize the inaugural GMAC Bowl in Mobile. The sponsor found itself $20,000 in the black at the end of the day. Gottfried approached GMAC about using that money to help him start Team Focus, a nonprofit organization designed to impact the lives of fatherless boys. They agreed, and in the summer of 2000, the first Team Focus Leadership Camp was held in Mobile.

 

Since then, the camp has expanded to eight locations across the country and has increased its impact from 60 to 600 boys. Gottfried and his staff provide the campers with practical advice on teamwork, manners, job-interview skills, schoolwork, house chores, even tying a necktie. Ultimately, their mission is to see the boys “walking in the destiny God has planned for them.”

 

Gottfried has trouble narrowing the success stories down to a manageable handful, but an 11-year-old boy from north Little Rock, Ark., does come to mind. Bre'lon Jackson's father has been out of his life as long as he can remember. He struggled with his grades and his self-confidence. But that all changed in 2004 when Jackson attended his first Team Focus Leadership Camp.

 

“I used to think I was alone,” Jackson says. “But now because I came to this camp, I know I'm not alone; there are people who have the same problems as me.” Gottfried is also going to churches to encourage Christian men to combat the negative effects of an increasingly fatherless society. He says, “In football, you win games one play at a time. I know that we're going to win this battle one boy at a time.”

 

For more information, visit teamfocusonline.org, call 1-877-635-0010 or write to 1300 Schillinger Road, Suite W-2, Mobile, AL, 36695.