When Debi Johnson was looking for ways to keep her sons safe and active after school, a friend suggested she try out her local Boys & Girls Club of the Valley.
“I knew of, like, the Boys and Girls Club. But I didn't even think about ‘Oh, should we pursue or check them out or not’ until I was desperate for somebody to help me with the boys,” Johnson said.
At the time, Johnson had three sons. Now, as the parent of five, the support her family has received from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley has been immeasurable.
“They didn't even want to leave at 8:00. Sometimes I'm like, ‘We gotta go [home],’” Johnson said.
The club was especially impactful for Johnson’s oldest son, Adrijan Hyseni. Hyseni began playing on his local Boys & Girls Club flag football team when he was in third grade. Now a junior in high school, Hyseni plays defensive end and defensive tackle for Peoria High School.
“I was always into soccer,” Hyseni said. “And I came into the Boys and Girls Club, and I saw ‘Oh, they're playing football.' So I decided to join it. Since then, I always had that passion and love for the game.”
Hyseni credits his coaches and the community cultivated by the Boys & Girls Clubs for his success as an athlete.
“Financially, mentally, spiritually, physically, whatever it is, they're trying to help us,” Hyseni said of the club.
Athletics was just one area of Hyseni’s life that the Boys & Girls Club impacted. As the oldest of five children, Hyseni saw how hard his mom and dad worked to provide for their family. The leadership skills he learned from the club also helped him grow into a levelheaded leader at home.
“We have an amazing father in the household,” Hyseni said. “But you know, my dad's at work, so I got to set the tone when he's not there. So, you know, that's when I started learning, ‘Oh, I got to be a leader when he's not here because he sets the tone high.’ So I'm going to make sure I can set the tone higher.”
Throughout February, ABC15 is partnering with Earnhardt Auto Centers for the Second Chance Sports Gear Drive. Donations of new and gently used sports equipment gathered throughout the month will go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, helping athletes just like Hyseni.
According to Hyseni, he has seen firsthand just how much sports equipment donated by community members can motivate a team.
“When we get new stuff, it makes us motivated to do more,” Hyseni said. “Like, ‘Oh, they're blessing us with a new ball or new cleats’ or whatever it was, then it made us want to work harder to win everything.”
Even though he doesn’t play for his local Boys & Girls Club anymore, Hyseni continues to apply life lessons from his former coaches to his everyday life.
“I want to go to the league and be the greatest ever played a game of football,” Hyseni said. “Without the club being there after school, I wouldn't have been able to have this opportunity and blessing.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley is most in need of footballs and football helmets, soccer bags/balls, basketballs, baseball and softball bats/gloves/balls, volleyballs, and kickballs/dodgeballs. Drop off new and gently used sports gear at all 17 Earnhardt Dealerships now through February 29. Click here for more information or to donate online.
- Earnhardt Buick GMC, 6315 E Auto Park Drive, Mesa, 85206
- Earnhardt Cadillac, 7901 E Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Scottsdale, 85260
- Earnhardt Chandler Cadillac, 1450 S Gilbert Road, Chandler, 85286
- Earnhardt Chevrolet, 2121 N Arizona Ave., Chandler, 85225
- Earnhardt Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, 1521 E Drivers Way, Gilbert, 85297
- Earnhardt Ford, 7300 W Orchid Lane, Chandler, 85226
- Earnhardt Genesis of Gilbert, 3252 S. Auto Way, Gilbert, 85297
- Genesis of Scottsdale, 15345 N Scottsdale Rd Suite K-150, Scottsdale, 85254
- Earnhardt Honda, 10151 W Papago Fwy, Avondale, 85323
- Earnhardt Hyundai Avondale, 10401 W Papago Fwy, Avondale, 85323
- Earnhardt Hyundai North Scottsdale, 8445 E Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Scottsdale, 85260
- Earnhardt Lexus, 800 E Camelback Road, Phoenix, 85014
- Earnhardt Toyota, 6136 E Auto Loop Ave., Mesa, 85206
- Earnhardt Peoria Kia, 17431 N 91st Ave, Peoria, 85382
- Earnhardt Queen Creek Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, 35747 N Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, 85144
- Rodeo Ford, 13680 W Test Drive, Goodyear, 85338
- San Tan Hyundai, 3252 S Auto Way, Gilbert, 85297
