Dennis's Story

His name is Dennis, but most of the people in his neighborhood just call him “Coach.” He and his family (he has a teenage son and a younger daughter) have been involved with the Boys & Girls Club for more than 9 years. Dennis has been an active community volunteer and mentor to youth for even longer. He is a role model not only for neighborhood youth, but for parents as well.

“I can say a lot of things to the kids that most adults can’t get away with. I can tell them to pick up their pop bottles off of the basketball court, and they’ll do it, because they know I’ll confront them if they don’t. They know I really care about them, and I’ve taken the time to build a rapport and relationship with them. I try to instill in them that there’s a lot in life that you can look forward to. There’s a whole collage of things to do besides hanging out in the streets. I take the kids out, expose them to different things, like hiking and camping. Doing these things with them puts you on a level where kids look up to you as a role model. They see me. I don’t do drugs, I don’t drink, but ‘Hey,’ they think, ‘He’s still having fun. I can have fun without that stuff, too.’ The best part is that other kids will start looking up to them.”