Elijah Sims is a sophomore at Coyle High School who is already looking to the future. He is learning entrepreneurial skills as a member of the Coyle FFA in addition to being an up-and-coming player on the football team.
Elijah’s mother had him take ag class hoping he would learn more about animals and agriculture. He joined the FFA as an eighth grader and is now learning valuable shop skills and is involved with the Young Entrepreneur Project at Langston University.
He is currently concentrating on welding and looks forward to building larger projects as he gains more fabrication experience. “I would tell students who are interested in FFA to join for the fact that you can do a lot more than just learn about animals and plants. You can use agricultural techniques and technology like welding and cutting,” says Elijah.
Elijah makes time for both FFA and football. “I play varsity fullback and defensive back. The way I see football is that it’s just a full contact sport that requires both strength and athleticism. I like the contact and would possibly make a career out of it,” he said.
Landon Dobbs and Jo Amaro are teammates who impress Elijah. “Jo has a good attitude when it comes to playing football or any sport he plays, and he is intellectually advanced in his classes. I have a good relationship with Dobbs, and he does pretty good on the field, so I just try to push myself to be similar to both Jo and Dobbs,” said Elijah.
From encouraging him to join FFA, to supporting him in sports, Elijah’s mother inspires him. “She keeps me going and motivated to do my best in all that I do. Shoutout to my mom for keeping me in sports since I was in elementary and taking care of me since the day I was born. I wish nothing but the best for her always. She is my biggest supporter,” says Elijah.
The best advice, he says, comes from coach Ryan Weathers. “Don’t give up because you made minor mistakes. That’s why we practice, so your little mistakes don’t happen.”
