Congrats to Cole Snider

2019 Youth of the Year
Athletics Department
Sponsored by Stratford Square

Growing up I spent so much time at Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito in various basketball programs, but I never stopped to think about how The Club was shaping those years. I had never realized that the basketball leagues I had played in, the playgrounds I played at, and the courts that I perfected my jump shot at were all shaped and funded by The Club. I had seen the symbol of the two hands clasped together and I had never really appreciated how much those hands shaped my childhood and my basketball career. Now that I am older, I realize that not only did BGC San Dieguito influence my childhood, the programs that I participated in taught me valuable life lessons and character traits. I learned how much The Club really changes and influences our community in a positive way, especially by providing a safe place for children and youth who are not as fortunate in their living circumstances. The Club is a place of hope, opportunity, and learning. It represents all of the character traits I have come to value: family, support, generosity, responsibility, honesty, and gratitude.

One day, my brother and I talked about how much of our lives BGC San Dieguito affected. Almost nothing about our lives would be the same without it. We realized that we both had a similar idea; we wanted to be a part of The Club as mentors, and to help out our community. So, we formed our own basketball skills program that we called “Access Basketball”. Davion Sarver, the Athletics Director for BGC San Dieguito loved the idea and we began holding our clinics every Friday after school. The program has been successful because we try to help kids appreciate the sport and learn to love basketball the same way we do. Eventually, we were offered an opportunity to coach the boys basketball team at Capri Elementary. Our answer was an emphatic yes! I absolutely loved the idea of being able to give back to the community and being able to instill the love for basketball into the hearts and minds of those kids.

BGC San Dieguito represents, to me, the best parts of myself, and I know that I wil never forget everything that The Club has taught me, and that as I grow older those life lessons will only become more valuable.

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