Youth Boost gives kids chance to make dreams reality
Billy Duffy has a dream. At 14, he knows the one thing he wants to do more than anything when he grows up is play in the NFL — his position, defensive lineman. So when his friend and classmate, Austin Grayston, gave him the opportunity to play football, he jumped at it.
The opportunity came through the Youth Boost initiative. Youth Boost was started in 2011, in the community of Bowness by Austin’s mom Chantelle Grayston; she’s a mother who knows firsthand the pressures parents feel to have their kids in sports activities.
“All they wanted to do was be part of competitive sports, particularly football,” she explains. “It’s challenging, between getting equipment, travel time and costs, clothing and food. It honestly seemed impossible.”
It may have seemed impossible, but when parents like Grayston, and kids like Duffy and Austin Grayston join forces it became quite doable. The kids came up with all the reasons they couldn’t play competitive sports, such as transportation, enrolment fees and committed parents, and they tackled those barriers one by one.
In fact, they were so dedicated to the cause they ran their own fundraiser — a garage sale — and raised $1,000 in a day to help pay for registration fees.
“It was such an incredible feel- ing to raise money for Youth Boost,” Duffy says. “We just wanted the same opportunity other kids have because we love sports, so we did whatever we could to make it happen.”
Now, more than 25 kids from Bowness are able to participate in year-round sports programming including AIM High football training camps and general sports conditioning programs where participants play dodge ball, run sprints, even scrimmage. They are registered in the AIM High Sports program, so they get to be a part of a team and play the sport they love.
United Way of Calgary and Area saw what developed in Bowness and jumped on board to support it.
“This is exactly the type of initiative United Way gets behind — it’s community supporting community. Youth Boost was built by the community and is now keeping youth active and focused on their goals and dreams. It’s incredible to see how far they have come,” says Susan Ramsundarsingh, neighbourhood co-ordinator at United Way.
It is the hand-up support that Chantelle Grayston was hoping for.
“United Way of Calgary and Area and AIM High Sports have done so much for us,” she says. “United Way has donated funds, has helped me navigate the system and has even brought food to practices for the kids. There are people within the organization that somehow are able to create magic.”
But, the true magic behind the success of this initiative is Grayston. She’s a mother who would not accept no and found a way to spark change in her community. Duffy cannot say thank you enough.
“When people care about where we are going, what we are doing and how we act, it really makes you happy to know people out there actually care,” he says with a smile.
Each week, Grayston dedicates at least 15 hours to Youth Boost. From using her personal vehicle to drive kids to practices and games, to building connections and finding funding, Grayston, according to these youth, is their hero. “She’s amazing,” says Duffy. Since the program started, Grayston says the youth have become more confident, their grades have increased and they have become more respectful of one another.
Today, Youth Boost has supported more than 50 youth in their goals of participating in competitive sports, of which 13 of those youth were funded through the initiative to take part in a full week of summer football camp. Eight of the Youth Boost participants made the local Cowboys competitive football team in 2012 and more than 15 of them received new cleats.
“Youth Boost really gives these kids an opportunity to lead and be part of something special,” says Grayston. “The difference they’ve made in their own lives is just incredible.”
To learn more or help support Youth Boost, check out the website at www.albertayouthincare.ca/youth-boost.
To learn more about United Way’s work in the community log onto www.calgaryunitedway.org.