RICHMOND, IN — An elementary school football coach in Richmond, Indiana recently wrote about his dream of making “an impact on as many souls as possible” in an Oct. 20 Facebook post. A video captured this month in Richmond proves Coach Richard Nelloms is already having a tremendous, positive impact on his young athletes, according to a heartwarming letter 6-year-old Jayden wrote him. In the video, Jayden is overcome with emotion while reading his letter aloud to Nelloms.
Jayden’s mother, Courtney Wigginton, captured the priceless exchange (watch below).
“Dear Coach Richard, you have been the greatest coach of my life,” Jayden reads aloud, and soon begins to break down. “I love you, Richard. You help me love football again. Thank you for being my favorite coach. Love, Jayden.”
In his Facebook post, Nelloms said he “held it together” when Jayden was reading the letter to him.
“But after I watched it, I couldn’t hold back my tears,” Nelloms wrote. “This was something that I felt so lucky to have an opportunity to do. I was so nervous at first, some of the parents had to tell me to raise my voice so they could hear me. … I felt blessed with the chance to be myself & teach my players how to have fun no matter what.”
Wigginton is still feeling the love and support she, her husband, Rich, and Jayden have received since the video was posted. “We never in a million years thought something like this would spread the way it has,” Wigginton wrote on Facebook. But Wigginton said with “every positive, comes the negative.”
“It hurts seeing some of the disrespectful comments, especially regarding my child, but I know God will have our back thru this journey and at the end of the day, LOVE WILL WIN!”
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While Jayden is thankful for Nelloms helping him “love football again,” Nelloms is also thanking Jayden.
“Thank you Jayden for allowing me to fulfill a dream of mine!!!”