Postcards in Meskwaki Nation | June 21
As told to Gabby Hajduk
For a second consecutive year, the Bears traveled to Iowa's Meskwaki Nation — the closest nationally-recognized Native American tribe to Chicago — to host youth football clinics. ChicagoBears.com spoke to volunteer football coach Matt Bear, who shares a postcard from Meskwaki Nation detailing his perspective on the impact the Bears have made in his community.
What's up Bears fans,
My name is Matt Bear (ironic I know) and I'm part of Meskwaki Nation out in Iowa. This weekend we got to welcome the Chicago Bears to our settlement and help them host some youth football clinics.
A little bit about me — I grew up in Des Moines and played high school football. Once I moved to Meskwaki later in life, I was fortunate enough to be a high school football coach when we first launched our program in 2010. It's been an honor to be a part of bringing football to the Meskwaki youth and to see the growth and development over the last 15 years. The community has really responded to our programming and takes great pride in our high school team.
On Saturday, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Bears clinic for our young kids, including my 10-year-old son, Matthew. I took charge of the quarterback drills and I think we've got a handful of future star QBs out here.
Watching the kids enjoy their time at learning about football from the Bears staff and their alum, Kaseem Sinceno, was really rewarding. Not too long ago, kids had to go to different schools and different areas to play football. It's been humbling to see what we've been able to establish here.
Now with support from the Bears, we hope to keep expanding our program. I volunteered for the clinic last year when the Bears came for the first time and I remember seeing so much excitement from the kids then, and it was the same this weekend. Even after last year's camp, opportunities expanded. We had pep buses for road trips. There was a homecoming parade. A marching band played at our games. Football is providing opportunities for kids that don't even play the game.
Our community is incredibly thankful to the Bears organization for helping us further the game in Meskwaki. We've had some high school players graduate and go onto collegiate teams, but we want to expand that representation even further and hopefully into the NFL one day. The sport has become a catalyst for success for our children.
Having the Bears out here has helped me connect with my own son. That togetherness we experienced out on the field is incomparable. We've always been an active family whether it's track or basketball or football. Playing sports together is our family time. We have fun and learn life lessons. We have to come out here and work. We have to work for things in life and we can teach that through sport.
Matthew's been playing since first grade, so it's been a couple years now and he's moving through the ranks. He did the Bears clinic last year as well.
I was honestly surprised when I first heard the Bears were coming to Meskwaki. I just feel so much gratitude for what the Bears are out here doing. I never thought anyone over in Chicago would know that there's a tribe here in Iowa. This program has turned me into a Bears fan now.
Go Bears!
Matt
