Twelve-year-old Mason first discovered football not through his own ambition, but through admiration for his big brother Maurice. “I used to watch him from the sidelines,” Mason recalls. “He made it look so cool, and he had lots of friends. I wanted that too!”
What truly drew Mason to football wasn’t just the excitement of the game, but its structure and clarity. “I really like football because it makes sense,” he explains. “Everyone has a job and when you do your part, the play works. I don’t have to guess what to do because the coach tells us.”
For Mason, football has become more than just a sport: it’s a unique form of communication and connection. “Being on the team is fun even though talking to people can be tricky for me,” he shares. “Football is our way of hanging out without saying a lot.”
Since joining the Eastvale Tigers, Mason has experienced tremendous personal growth. The team has become his “second family,” sharing adventures, pizza dinners, and travel experiences for away games. These relationships have encouraged him to step outside his comfort zone, practicing conversation and even working on eye contact – using a helpful trick his sister taught him about looking at foreheads instead.
Mason particularly loves the team chants, which he describes as making his “brain buzz in the best way.”
Since joining the Eastvale Tigers, Mason has experienced tremendous personal growth. The team has become his “second family,” sharing adventures, pizza dinners, and travel experiences for away games. These relationships have encouraged him to step outside his comfort zone, practicing conversation and even working on eye contact – using a helpful trick his sister taught him about looking at foreheads instead.
Mason particularly loves the team chants, which he describes as making his “brain buzz in the best way.” The combination of ritual, rhythm, and collective energy perfectly suits his appreciation for structure and patterns.
The most powerful aspect of Mason’s story is his discovery of belonging. “The best part of all is when I am on the field. I feel like I belong,” he reflects. “I used to only feel that at home… Now I feel it with my team too. And that is awesome.”
The Eastvale Tigers exemplify that community sports should be inclusive, supportive, and focused on bringing out each player’s unique strengths. Under their guidance, Mason hasn’t just become a better football player, but he’s gained confidence, formed lasting friendships, and found a place where he’s valued and celebrated.
As the Tigers prepare for their third championship run, they carry with them the knowledge that their greatest victory isn’t measured in trophies, but in the growth, confidence, and sense of belonging they’ve fostered in players like Mason.
For more information, visit Eastvale Tigers. And congratulations to Mason and the entire Eastvale Tigers organization for showing us what it means to build a truly inclusive team where every player can thrive.
Sidney is a Leasing Consultant at Sunscape Apartments. A Southern California native, she loves PC gaming, digital art, horror movies, anime, and reading sci-fi/romantasy. She’s often lost in her favorite stories or Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise. A nod to the series, she likes that her role at Lewis gives her the opportunity to “build better worlds.”