A Winning Strategy for At-Risk Kids

He works out their hearts as much as their muscles.

Every other week, Sherman Oaks resident Paul Lewis trades in his sleepy Sunday to teach at-risk elementary school kids the fundamentals of throwing a perfect spiral or scooping up a runaway grounder.

Lewis is a volunteer mentor with Sports Buddies, a free program offered by the Jewish Big Brothers of Los Angeles that pairs kids in need with adults who have a need to give.

Together, through participation in sports, lives are changed.

“I wanted something more than just writing a check,” said Lewis, 33. “I wanted to make a difference.

“I’m just there to see that the kids have a fun day,” he said.

But it’s more than that. Sports Buddies provides role models to Los Angeles-area kids who are missing a mom or dad--through divorce, death or abandonment. So, Lewis and about 30 other mentors and a dozen or so coaches from the Los Angeles Unified School District serve as surrogates for each five-week session--and they hope beyond.

“I’m looking forward to seeing these kids . . . grow up,” Lewis said.

The effects of growing up in a single-parent family are as varied as the children themselves. Lewis said some youngsters are withdrawn, others are overly demanding and in need of attention. Whichever, all are yearning for some encouragement that they might not get at home. Most days on the field, there are more hugs than hits.

“The biggest thing we do is cheerleading,” Lewis said. “We’ll give them a fourth or fifth pitch, and when they finally hit the ball, we go bananas.”

Umpiring the games can be a little lax. Often, Lewis said, Sports Buddies games conveniently end in a tie. “Everybody’s a winner here,” he said.

Lewis grew up in Encino in typical Ozzie-and-Harriet fashion. Dodger games and UCLA basketball outings were common for his nuclear family--a mom and a dad and three brothers. But with time, Lewis learned that his idyllic childhood was the exception. “I found out that that’s not reality. . . . I was very lucky.”

The 250 or so youths who have participated in Sports Buddies since its inception come from all over Los Angeles County, referred by teachers and coaches. Buses transport them to the oasis of Sports Buddies--tucked away in the grassy hills of Glendale.

“No one is ever turned away,” said recruitment coordinator Kim Feldman. “Some [of the kids] don’t have consistency in their life. The program is a real comfort to them.”

It took Lewis, owner of a landscape architecture business, a few years to make a commitment to be a Sports Buddy, but is gratified by the return on his investment.

“We don’t just help the kids, they help us too,” he said. “This is one of the ways of working out the problems of the city. The kids learn to play together, and we all learn that everyone’s the same.”

Becoming a Sports Buddy--either male or female--is easy. All that’s needed are two letters of recommendation, a clean background check and a strong commitment. Call (800) 453-KIDS for an application or to recommend a child at risk.

“I’m hoping 50 years from now the kids say it was Sports Buddies who helped, who made a difference,” Lewis said. “Whether they remember my name or not, I don’t care.”

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