What does determination, hard work and leadership look like? Look no further than teen member Isaiah, a beneficiary of Boys & Girls Club of Collier County athletics programs, who has taken the lessons learned on the playing field and applied them to his everyday life.
Isaiah never imagined the basic principles and fundamentals learned from participating in athletics at the Club would show up in everything he does.
“Playing sports has definitely taught me a lot of things that I’ve added to my character,” Isaiah said. “These include learning how to communicate, how to be a better teammate and nicer to my friends, and how to deal with setbacks and disappointments. Sports is my favorite part of the Club.”
A member of the Bolch Club, Isaiah has been attending since elementary school and has become involved in a number of teen activities that are offered. However, the highlight of his day is when he is able to spend an hour participating in various sports activities including basketball, flag football and baseball. Baseball is his favorite sport, but his skills have also grown tremendously in basketball and flag football, where he is often selected by teammates as the captain. In the past, Isaiah admits he was not a team player and tried to do everything on his own. With core values instilled in him during Club athletics, he has transformed his way of thinking.
“I had to learn the hard way that you can’t do everything by yourself and that being a team player will always equal success,” he said.
“It’s more fun for everybody when I play sports the right way, and it’s easier for my friends to respect me and trust me for doing that.”
One especially proud moment occurred during the Cal Ripken Senior Foundation Naples Baseball Camp. He helped one of his friends who was a beginner at baseball to better understand the techniques and fundamentals while playing and performing drills. Although he put on an impressive performance in front of the coaches and Florida Southwestern State College softball players, he was more proud of helping his friend improve his skills.
“Being able to help my friend with hitting stances, fielding, throwing with velocity, and even putting on the glove properly to catch fastballs, was a cool thing to do,” he said. “By the time we played games, I saw that he was more comfortable and confident playing with the other campers. It is something I’ll never forget.”
“I’m looking forward to next year when I can try out for the baseball team at my school and I feel more confident than ever that I can make the team this time,” Isaiah said. “The best thing that [Athletic Director] Coach Nigel taught me is your discipline, determination and dedication will determine your destination. As I get older, I understand it more. I wouldn’t have been able to learn these things if I wasn’t a member of the Boys & Girls Club. I’m forever grateful to be here.”