About us

PURPOSE / MISSION

Our mission is to inspire boys to know God, believe in themselves, support their teammates, and pursue their dreams with courage and discipline. We exist to build confident, Christ-centered young men who are bold, compassionate, competitive, hardworking and eager to lead with a servant’s heart.

HISTORY

YGB Football Camp was established in the summer of 2007. It was created by John Ratliff, Robert Ratliff, Alec Mullarkey and John Philip Boudreaux. At the time they were high school football players at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, TX. They had a true determination to give back to the Fort Worth youth community so in remembrance of the Ratliff brother’s dad, Bobby Ratliff, they created “You Gotta Believe (YGB) Football Camp”. Bobby was a man that gave every kid a chance to succeed and truly loved coaching. He made sure everyone was having fun while playing sports, and that is one quality that YGB ensures every child will experience. The camp was primarily held in Fort Worth, TX, but in 2015 YGB Football Camp held their first Mississippi camp in Jackson, MS at Jackson Academy. The Ratliff brothers walked-on the Ole Miss Football team and fell in love with the state. They believed it was time to give back to the youth in the state of Mississippi, so from 2015 to 2025 there were over 3,500 children that attended the camp. YGB is very thankful for the time it had in Mississippi, is thankful for the children that attended camp, and will forever be thankful for all the support from the MS people! Robert Ratliff moved back to Fort Worth and in 2023, You Gotta Believe hosted its first camp in Fort Worth since 2015 having an incredible turnout. The support that YGB receives from the Fort Worth community is incredible so it only made sense to bring it back home to where it all started, Fort Worth, TX. This led to YGB hosting it’s first ever baseball camp in Fort Worth at Westside Little League, the little league park where it all began for Robert and John with their dad. The future is bright for You Gotta Believe in Fort Worth, TX. YGB is excited for its next chapter of trying to inspire young kids right here at home in Fort Worth!

Executive Staff

JOHN RATLIFF – CO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Leadership and commitment have enabled John Ratliff to succeed in reaching his goals in his community, classroom and on the football field. John also uses his energy to expand his vision for You Gotta Believe Camps. Ratliff brings his same love and passion for the game of football to give back to the community that helped him mature into the man he is today.

When John lost his father at the age of 10, his hero left him with the words, “You Gotta Believe”. These three words have shaped his attitude to strive for greatness in all aspects of life, especially football and school. After playing wide receiver at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Ratliff was not willing for his football career to end. His recruiting process was next to nothing until he received a preferred walk-on spot at the University of Mississippi to join his older brother, Robert.

At Ole Miss, Ratliff’s playing time was limited only seeing action in 6 games over his four year career. In his tenure as an Ole Miss Rebel, he hauled in 1 catch for 5 yards and recovered 1 fumble. With nominal contributions on the field, Ratliff contributed to the football program with his community service and encouragement to teammates to achieve in the classroom. He also took pride in holding the wide receivers to a higher standard in the weight room and on the practice field.

John’s hard work paid off on the field and in the classroom. He graduated with honors a semester early from The University of Mississippi in December 2014 and was accepted to dental school. In August 2015, Ratliff began his dental school journey at Texas A&M Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, TX. In May 2019, Ratliff completed dental school. In June 2023, he completed his residency training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at LSU Health Science Center in Shreveport, LA. He moved with his amazing wife Haley and their 3 children to Charleston, SC to begin the next chapter of their lives.

Although Ratliff’s career will be in dentistry, he has expressed that he is not ready to be finished with the great game of football which is why he always wants to have You Gotta Believe Football Camp.

ROBERT RATLIFF – CO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The “always believing” mentality is the way Robert tries to live his life every day. A positive attitude along with never giving up is the reason why Robert is where he is today. You Gotta Believe is a main focus for Robert; he truly loves serving and mentoring the youth.

Robert loss his father at the age of 13, and while that experience was horrible his father did leave him with the everlasting three words which are “You Gotta Believe”. These three words have shaped the way Robert lives his life every day. His father was and still is a role model to him and his brother, John. John and Robert realized at an early age that they did not want their father’s legacy to end in 2003, and that is why the You Gotta Believe Foundation is here today. The impact those three words have on John and Robert are immeasurable, but they also wanted to make sure other young men have the opportunity to hear those words.

In 2010, after transferring from the University of the South, Robert walked on the Ole Miss football team. Although Robert saw little action on the field he did earn an athletic scholarship for his junior and senior years.  Robert took pride in holding the offensive players to a higher standard in the weight room, in the meeting rooms and on the practice field. As soon as Robert’s collegiate career was over he began coaching football at Ole Miss.

Although coaching at Ole Miss was very exciting and a dream come true, after three seasons, Robert decided to move back home to Fort Worth, TX. Football will always be a major part of Robert’s life, and that is why You Gotta Believe and the future of the camps are so important to him.

Robert, Natalie and their three boys, Wyatt, Henry, and Warner reside in Fort Worth, TX. When not coaching and being a dad Robert works with CAC Group, an insurance brokerage firm.

staff@ygbfoundation.org