12-year-olds give 20 birthday-gift soccer balls to YMCA

Parker Scottberg and Wyatt Erber, both 12, received about 20 soccer balls as birthday gifts — and gave them all away.

They and their moms loaded balls into mesh bags and dropped them off earlier this week at the Tri-City YMCA in Granite City.

“I really liked that,” said Wyatt, a sixth-grader at Liberty Middle School in Edwardsville, “that I got to meet the director of the Y.”

“The boys thought it was great,” said Noelle Erber, Wyatt’s mom. “Both have huge hearts.”

Aaron Elliott, associate executive director, agrees.

“It’s super cool that two boys blessed with the ability to play on a traveling team, and who love a game so much, would give other kids maybe a little less fortunate than them the opportunity (to play),” Aaron said. “Getting a brand new, shiny soccer ball, rather than a used one, it’s just a different feeling.”

Tri-City YMCA has before-school and after-school programs at several sites.

“Each site in each school district gets two new soccer balls, which is fantastic,” Aaron said. “The Y also has a program in East St. Louis that outreaches the kids athletically as well as academically. We will give away new balls as awards for achieving higher grades and reading books during the summer and so forth.”

The boys play for Scott Gallagher Soccer Club in Collinsville. Their birthdays are three days apart in early March.

“We decided to do a combined birthday party and invited 22 players,” said Bethany Scottberg, Parker’s mother. “They just decided to do that instead of gifts. Since all the boys coming loved soccer, we thought we would try to pass on their love of the game to kids who don’t get as many advantages. We asked the boys, in lieu of gifts, to all bring in balls.”

“It was fine with me,” said Wyatt. “I got presents from my family. I wanted to give back.”

“It’s a good experience, giving things away so other kids could play a sport.” said Parker, a sixth-grader at Trimpe Middle School in Bethalto. “That’s fun.”

The boys celebrated their birthdays in the gym at Cornerstone Church in Bethalto where Parker’s dad, Erik, is pastor.

“At the party, they played two and a half hours of dodgeball and soccer,” said Bethany, of Moro. “We had pizza and cake. We could not get them to stop playing. We didn’t even sing ‘Happy Birthday.’ Other boys brought them cards and candy.”

From their families, Parker received a Fitbit fitness monitor, and Wyatt got a new soccer sweatshirt and a basketball hoop for his room.

It’s not the first time Parker and Wyatt have done something charitable.

“I did a charity thing by juggling a soccer ball,” said Parker. “I got one cent for every juggle. If I beat my record of 300 juggles in a row, my sponsors would pay $5 extra. I raised $1,200 for wells in Kenya.”

Four years ago, one of Wyatt’s good deeds went viral after it was reported in newspapers and on TV. He was just 8 when he decided to help 2-year-old neighbor Cara Kielty’s family pay for chemotherapy to treat her leukemia. To raise money, he entered a scavenger hunt sponsored by an Edwardsville bank and won. He donated his $1,000 cash prize.

“My mom (Noelle) sort of taught me about cancer and how it was bad,” said Wyatt. “I didn’t like the fact that kids were getting it and wanted to help them.

How is Cara doing?

“She’s doing OK.”

Wyatt has also shaved his head for St. Baldrick’s, a charity committed to funding research to find cures for childhood cancers. He raised more than $8,000.

“When he was younger, he started a local group here, Cookies for Kids with Cancer,” said Noelle.

How do you instill a giving spirit in a child?

“My kids worked bake sales,” she said. “They learned about giving back through that. They kept it going in special ways. He’s a good boy.”

Parker and Wyatt, both born in Chicago, met through soccer. Parker plays defense. Wyatt plays defense and midfield.

“It first started out as a natural thing,” said Parker, of how he got interested in the game. “When I was young, I was really good. I practiced outside and improved my skill.”

Wyatt, who also runs track and cross-country, likes the team aspect of soccer.

“He basically tried every sport under the sun,” said his mom. “Soccer was the one he never gave up on. That and running. He’s had two passions since he was 4 years old.”

Their competitive team practices four days a week and plays year-round, usually outdoors. Team members come from as far as Effingham and Springfield. This weekend, they’re in a tournament at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo.

“It’s just been renovated,” said Noelle. “It looks gorgeous.”

The boys have other things in common. Both choose math as their favorite subject.

“It’s fun because I am good at it,” said Parker.

“There’s only one answer not multiple answers,” said Wyatt.

Each has a younger sibling. Wyatt’s sister, Anna, 11, also plays soccer. Parker’s 9-year-old brother Kent is a basketball player.

“We both like goofing around,” said Parker. “We are both Cubs fans.”

What’s it like being a Cubs fan in Cardinal territory?

“It’s brutal,” said Noelle, “but I will tell you what. It’s easier for the boys to have one friend on the team, one buddy who won’t make fun when the other wears a Cubs hat.”

Parker usually goes to one or two Cubs games a year, one in Chicago and one in St. Louis.

“I think they are going to win the World Series,” he said.

Any trouble being a Cubs fan at a Cards game?

“No. It’s fun because usually they win.”

This story was originally published March 26, 2016 at 4:00 AM with the headline "12-year-olds give 20 birthday-gift soccer balls to YMCA."