At desert club for youths, ‘they treat me with respect’
Bobby Carter has fallen for the serene calmness that accompanies the game of golf.
Bobby, 11, who first played golf at a local course under the auspices of the Desert Hot Springs Boys and Girls Club five years ago, now eagerly anticipates his nine holes each week.
“There’s all sorts of fun things to do here,” said Bobby, who comes from a single-parent household, “but golf is the greatest because it’s just you against the course.”
Sports and recreation aren’t the only functions of the Boys and Girls Club, a national organization that counts actor Denzel Washington and former Secretary of State Colin Powell among its alumni.
The Desert Hot Springs Boys and Girls Club is a sanctuary for at-risk children in the community of about 20,000 about 12 miles north of Palm Springs. Between recreational activities, the club’s four full-time and 20 part-time employees help the children with their homework.
Along with golf, the instructors also coach the club’s 130 youngsters from ages 6 to 18 in basketball, tennis, soccer and flag football. The club received a $20,000 grant from the Times Holiday Campaign, the result of donations by Times readers.
Director Adam Sanchez searches constantly to find a mix of sports and education that fosters a healthy environment for the club’s members, most of whom come from low-income households.
“Once we can identify what their weaknesses are, we can help them to excel,” said Sanchez, 48, who grew up in a single-parent household himself. “We won’t give up on them. We tell them we will not let them fail, and we make sure they will get whatever they need.”
There are a lot of needs in Desert Hot Springs, which has one of the state’s highest crime and poverty rates for a city of its size. At $28,000, the city’s median family income is one of the lowest in the region.
The city struggles against gangs, drugs and crime. Sanchez and the club contribute to that effort, trying to keep the children safe through learning and exercise, in the hope that they become responsible adults.
“Sometimes, parents aren’t around to show them enough love, and that’s what we are here for,” Sanchez said. “We provide everything possible to make them successful.”
The number of children participating will nearly double in January with the “No Child Left Behind” project, in which club employees go to campuses to tutor struggling middle- and high school students after their first report cards come out.
The club enlists its older members to help.
Once members reach 16, they are given added responsibilities, including helping younger members with homework and nursing the occasional playground scrape.
“They treat me with respect here,” said Emily Johnson, 16. “It’s fun to come here and hang out where nobody gets in trouble.”
Dues are $10 for the school year and, in many cases, fees are waived for families unable to meet the cost.
The city-run organization hopes to become the last Boys and Girls Club in the Coachella Valley to move into its own building. A 30,000-square-foot site has been selected, but because of the city’s financial woes, the project is on hold.
Still, Sanchez hopes a new facility can open soon. He envisions an indoor basketball court and aquatics center at the new center.
“If we are fortunate, hopefully we can get something moving in five years,” he said.
*
The annual fundraising campaign is part of the Los Angeles Times Family Fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, which will match the first $500,000 raised at 50 cents on the dollar.
Donations are tax-deductible. For more information, call (213) 237-5771.
To give by credit card, go to latimes.com/holidaycampaign.
To send checks, use the attached coupon. Please do not send cash.
Unless requested otherwise, gifts of $50 or more will be acknowledged in The Times.
*
*
Yes, I want to help
Enclosed is my gift of $__________
to help children in need.
Last Name, First Name
Address
City, ZIP Code
Please list my gift as follows:
(write below or check Anonymous)
Anonymous
Mail to: Los Angeles Times
Holiday Campaign
File No. 56986
Los Angeles, CA 90074-6986
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
