Ivan G. loves soccer.
Ivan loves soccer even more when he gets to play it with his friends at Club.
The 10-year-old Yerington Elementary student is a Club Kid you can find at his local clubhouse running around, hanging out with his friends and being kind to everyone around him. Along with his older brother, who attend the Club’s teen center, and his little sister, the family attends daily so their mom knows where they are while she works her shift at the hospital.
For Ivan, soccer is a passion. It’s something he’s been playing since he could walk and has only gotten better every year. He plays every opportunity he gets at the Club, is an avid AYSO player, and even gets in games year-round during Yerington’s indoor soccer league. There are very few teams in Ivan’s age group, which means he almost always plays up.
“When I play with the bigger kids, I get better and try to pick up their skills,” he said.
One of the best things about the Club for Ivan is how nice everyone is.
“People here are kind,” he said. “Especially Ms. Makyla. She greets me every time I come into the Club.”
At Boys & Girls Clubs of Mason Valley, youth are more often rewarded for their good behavior instead of punished for bad. Kids caught being kind, respectful, safe or responsible are rewarded with Be Bucks, an in-clubhouse currency that members get to spend at a store on rewards like toys, pizza parties, and candy.
“But be careful,” Ivan said. “I’m going to buy all the candy.”
By seeing their friends and peers earning Be Bucks for behaving right, youth are more likely to mirror those behaviors, setting up a positive system of reinforcement throughout the Club.
While he admits he doesn’t like it as much as time in the gym, Ivan does enjoy all the programming the Club has to offer. Power Up for homework assistance helps him get even better at math, his favorite subject, while Healthy Habits teaches him all about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.
“Did you know kids can only have like one Root Beer? There’s a ton of calories in Root Beer.”
This year, Ivan ran for Junior Youth of the Year. Stacked up against five Club Kids from across Boys & Girls Clubs of Mason Valley, Ivan gave a speech and answered questions from the judges. While he didn’t claim the title, Ivan loved the experience and got the chance to share his story in front of 360 people at the Club’s annual banquet on February 21.