LANSING, MI — In the heart of Lansing, where youth football once transformed Saturday mornings into community-wide celebrations, one moment of compassion sparked the creation of what would become one of the city’s most impactful youth sports organizations: Lansing Cowboys Inc.
The story begins in 2009 with Matthew Brown, a born-and-raised Lansing resident, local entrepreneur, and community advocate. A graduate of Lansing Eastern High School in the Lansing School District, Brown is deeply rooted in the city he calls home. Like many parents, his journey into youth sports started with his children. Brown enrolled his sons in the Lansing Warriors, a long-standing organization in the Mid Michigan Youth Football League (MMYFL)—a league that has served Lansing-area families since the 1970s.
At the time, Gardner Middle School stood as the historic home of inner-city Lansing youth football. On fall Saturdays, the campus came alive. Three full football fields ran simultaneously, hosting up to six games at once. More than a dozen organizations, four age divisions, football players and cheerleaders alike—creating an unmatched atmosphere of pride, energy, and community. Over the course of the day, as many as 24 games were played, drawing thousands of spectators and showcasing thousands of Lansing youth competing in a safe, positive environment. For many families, these Saturdays were more than games—they were tradition.
It was during one of those Saturdays that Brown witnessed a moment that would change everything. The Lansing Warriors were facing the Lansing Dolphins, and the outcome on the scoreboard was decisive. But what caught Brown’s attention wasn’t the score—it was the struggle on the Dolphins’ sideline.
After the game, Brown spoke with Terry Hall, founder and head coach of the Lansing Dolphins, and learned the full story. Hall was coaching nearly 20 children alone, without assistant coaches, stable funding, or sufficient resources. The Dolphins were enduring a difficult season, but Hall’s commitment to the kids never wavered.
Moved by the situation, Brown volunteered to help immediately, offering his time as a defensive coach for the remainder of the season. On his way to that first practice, Brown crossed paths with his nephew, Deon Hollis, who decided to tag along. With just three games left in the season, Brown took over defensive coordination while Hollis provided hands-on support wherever needed.
While a full turnaround wasn’t possible in such a short span, something far more important happened. The children showed growth, confidence, and resilience. The team celebrated its first scoring touchdown of the season, and the experience left a lasting impression on both Brown and Hollis.
At the end-of-season banquet, Brown made a pivotal announcement: he would return the following year with his nephew, additional staff support, and financial backing from his businesses to ensure the kids had what they deserved.
Following the 2009 football season, Terry Hall transitioned to focus on his basketball organization, Lansing Area Kings (LA Kings), which Hollis joined. Together, Hall and Hollis launched the first boys’ and girls’ K–8 basketball program at Holly Park Academy (formerly Lansing Charter School), managed by National Heritage Academies and authorized by Bay Mills Community College. The program was a resounding success, and its model continues to be used by the school and partner institutions to this day.
After basketball season concluded, Hollis reconnected with Brown and key staff members from Brown’s health insurance brokerage, Healthcare Solutions Agency. What followed was a defining meeting—one that would give birth to a new vision: a 100% tuition-free youth sports organization for Lansing families.
Hall supported the idea and suggested a rebrand of the Lansing Dolphins. The group brainstormed names such as Lansing All Stars, Lansing Elite Stars, and Lansing Cowboys. The “star” concept paid homage to Lansing Community College’s LCC Stars, but one name stood out.
The Cowboys brand carried national recognition, cultural symbolism, and strength—representing independence, toughness, and perseverance. Most importantly, it honored Matthew Brown himself, the organization’s founder, primary sponsor, first president, and a lifelong fan of the Dallas Cowboys.
With that, Lansing Cowboys Inc. was born. The organization formally filed as a Michigan nonprofit and partnered with the Michigan Scholarship Trust Fund and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to obtain federal 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
Brown’s businesses committed an extraordinary $60,000 in startup funding, covering equipment, uniforms, insurance, league fees, and game operations—allowing the program to launch as a completely free youth football and cheer program in its inaugural season.
That first year, the Lansing Cowboys served more than 140 football players and 80 cheerleaders, filling a critical gap in the MMYFL. The organization absorbed and revitalized one of the league’s smallest programs—the former Lansing Dolphins—and transformed it into a competitive, respected, and fully funded program in just one season.
The Cowboys also became a vital replacement for historic South Lansing programs like the Southside Panthers, Mount Zion Eagles, and Lansing Terriers, which had folded as longtime leaders aged out with no successors to carry the torch.
What started as a local businessman helping a struggling coach has grown into a lasting institution built on generosity, structure, and belief in youth.
Today, the Lansing Cowboys continue to honor Matthew Brown’s original vision—serving Lansing’s children with dignity, opportunity, and access, regardless of financial circumstance. The organization’s guiding motto, once Brown’s personal words and now its enduring creed, still defines everything it stands for:
“Forged by Passion.”
And in Lansing, that passion continues to shape futures—one child, one team, and one season at a time.