Exit 27
| By Unknown user - Oct 21, 2009 12:12:18 PM ET |
Over the weekend, the coach of a competing girls select soccer team called to cancel (and forfeit) his game against Think Detroit PAL’s girls select soccer team, the Turbo. The opposing coach apologized for his girls; they were coming to practice pretty inconsistently, he didn’t have enough players to field a team; he had to forfeit.
It can be challenging for parents to get their kids to activities, even when the activities are good ones. Kids miss practice for all sorts of reasons: music lessons, math tutoring, lack of transportation, and the list can goes on. And yet, thousands of kids show up for Think Detroit PAL practices and games, day in, day out, every year.
One of those kids is Dalson.
Dalson plays football for the Westside Panthers. On practice days, Dalson’s mother drives him to exit 27 to meet his uncle. His uncle takes him to practice at Henry Ford High School. After practice, his uncle drives him back to exit 27 to meet his mother, who picks him up and drives him home. On Fridays, Dalson spends the night at his uncle’s house so that he can play his game on Saturday. His uncle, mother and father attend the game and then Dalson drives back home with his mother and father.
Dalson lives in Toledo, Ohio. Every week, for months a at a time, Dalson’s family rallies around him—driving hundreds of miles, to provide him with the support necessary to play football with the Westside Panthers.
Dalson’s mother wouldn’t drive her child to exit 27 for just any youth football team. Dalson’s uncle wouldn’t either. Dalson plays for the Panthers because his family knows that the Panthers have the right role models, the right values, and that this is the right programming for her son.
As a supporter of Think Detroit PAL, you are a part of something special—a community of people, like Dalson’s family, who value great youth programs, and who know that these programs change kids lives. We know that it can be hard to show up sometimes—other commitments and responsibilities make it difficult. When that happens, remember that kids like Dalson are counting on us, just like he is counting on his mother and uncle.
It can be challenging for parents to get their kids to activities, even when the activities are good ones. Kids miss practice for all sorts of reasons: music lessons, math tutoring, lack of transportation, and the list can goes on. And yet, thousands of kids show up for Think Detroit PAL practices and games, day in, day out, every year.
One of those kids is Dalson.
Dalson plays football for the Westside Panthers. On practice days, Dalson’s mother drives him to exit 27 to meet his uncle. His uncle takes him to practice at Henry Ford High School. After practice, his uncle drives him back to exit 27 to meet his mother, who picks him up and drives him home. On Fridays, Dalson spends the night at his uncle’s house so that he can play his game on Saturday. His uncle, mother and father attend the game and then Dalson drives back home with his mother and father.
Dalson lives in Toledo, Ohio. Every week, for months a at a time, Dalson’s family rallies around him—driving hundreds of miles, to provide him with the support necessary to play football with the Westside Panthers.
Dalson’s mother wouldn’t drive her child to exit 27 for just any youth football team. Dalson’s uncle wouldn’t either. Dalson plays for the Panthers because his family knows that the Panthers have the right role models, the right values, and that this is the right programming for her son.
As a supporter of Think Detroit PAL, you are a part of something special—a community of people, like Dalson’s family, who value great youth programs, and who know that these programs change kids lives. We know that it can be hard to show up sometimes—other commitments and responsibilities make it difficult. When that happens, remember that kids like Dalson are counting on us, just like he is counting on his mother and uncle.
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