Sport embraces discipline, determination, Confidence, Essential life skills for success.

The pathway to success or failure begins in our early years.

For our youth, sport is a positive first step through sport.

Kids can learn to relate to each other, experience the joy of winning, the lessons of losing, and the rewards of effort.

Recognizing the importance of this philosophy, several community leaders and philanthropic individuals formed a partnership committed to creating a free summer youth program in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a program so profound it is affected kids, parents, the entire community, and potentially the nation.

The Lifetime Sports Academy, Where Everybody Wins.

The idea for this academy began in the mind of a well-known Fort Wayne businessman and sports enthusiast, Tom Jehl.

With Tom's experience in high school sports, he understood that for most people, team sports like football, basketball and baseball, are usually abandoned when school is over, leaving an active lifestyle and its long term benefits behind.

With this notion in mind, Jehl wanted to find a way to get all kids interested in sports that could be enjoyed for an entire Lifetime, like golf, tennis and swimming.

In order to reach all interested youth, this model had to provide all lessons and equipment free of charge.

He gathered a group of like minded friends and presented his idea to the Fort Wayne Sports Corporation, a nonprofit organization supporting community development through sports and the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department.

From that moment on, the Foundation for the Lifetime Sports Academy began to take shape.

I think right away it was just amazing.

You could feel the energy that was generated at this board meeting of about 25 to 30 Sports Corp. board members thinking, yeah, this is a great idea.

idea that we certainly felt would sell in Fort Wayne and be a good thing to do for the youth.

Tom had in his vision some very basic parameters that he wanted to see happen.

That was number one, that it be free, entirely free, that everything be provided.

The kids could come whenever they wanted to come in as often as they wanted to come, and none of the boards make it totally flexible.

As it developed, we realized that we wanted to focus this on kids who might normally never be able to get lessons of this sort.

I mean, that was important.

It was also important that that we be able to figure out a way that it could be long lasting and not just go for a year or two.

I mean, it's one thing to get a to get a foundation grant that's going to sustain you for for a year or two.

It's another thing to have something that can be long lasting and go on year after year and just really become a permanent fixture.

A committee for the Lifetime Sports Academy was developed in 1997, and for one year the program schedule was finessed, fundraising efforts began and the staff was carefully selected.

I talked to Rick Hemsworth, who was our our golf pro out at McMillan Park, and he's the golf pro for the city, and he runs the golf program.

And I mentioned to him, hey, you know, volunteers wouldn't wouldn't be a bad idea.

You know, we might get some pros from the other clubs and so forth.

You know, some of them can come on Monday, another one to come on Tuesdays.

So stop right there.

Volunteers are great.

We encourage volunteers to come out.

But but we have paid trained staff.

And I believe and we believe as a group that by by having these people come and be paid and that's their job, they're going to give us more than a volunteer where they're going to they're going to invest in the kids more than a volunteer would.

They're going to invest in learning what they have to take to pass along the kids the skills that we want them to teach.

And so the Lifetime Sports Academy Committee agreed that a paid staff would ensure participants the best quality experience.

The next challenge for academy creators was to find a location that would meet their needs.

McMillan Park was found to be most accommodating because of its size and existing facilities.

At the time, this park was in need of repair and consequently was not well utilized by the community.

We decided to fundraise some dollars to improve the park that way.

In the event that the Academy didn't last for a long number of years, that we had had improved the park that the community could benefit from.

And that was one of our main for us when we went and talked to potential contributors, was that we were improving a park throughout the first year.

Enough funds were raised to support the staff as they planned and prepared for the first season.

In order to maintain the idea of a flexible schedule for the kids, it was decided that there would be no pre-registration.

Result, The Academy had no way of predicting how many kids would show up on this opening day in June 1998.

We were there 730, 8:00, and nobody was on the park and 830 and nobody was coming.

So we thought, well, hey, we just planned a complete disaster.

Nothing is going to happen today on this park.

At 9:00, there was a parade of cars come in, and before the day was over, 500 people had signed up for the academy and off we went.

We were overwhelmed.

I mean, it was just phenomenal.

And throughout that whole first season, even, I mean, every day new kids would show up that we hadn't seen before that point.

We knew we had a winner on our hands.

The Lifetime Sports Academy had an attendance of 1000 kids for that first season in 1998.

Since then, the season attendance has grown to 12,000, with an average of 400 kids per day.

Clearly, the anticipation, hard work and fundraising efforts to fill a need in the Fort Wayne community has had tremendous results.

Results that continue to attract more businesses and foundations who are making a commitment to sustain this program in their community for future generations.

Along with this community support, many families recognize the impact this program has on their kids and are also making a commitment to support the Lifetime Sports Academy.

Single parent Deb Coleman is so committed to the Lifetime sports Academy that she looked for a job that would accommodate the Academy schedule.

She and her three kids have been taking advantage of the Lifetime Sports Academy for six years now.

Jacob, now 14, has been working in the junior Lifeguard program.

It would be very difficult for me to give them this kind of training, this high level of training, and be able to afford it because my kids are in tennis and golf and swimming all at one time, and I could never afford that ever.

I really had to pull a little bit for Jacob to come and be committed to life up to the lifeguard training.

But after the second class, he thanked me and said, I'm glad you made me come, Mom.

Now he is.

He's went through an entire training program and he is taking the same CPR training that they require the medical profession to take.

And that's valuable.

That's the first thing we do here.

Two whistle blast.

No one wants to be called because we want the EMT who has more equipment.

There's more training than we do to get out here as fast as possible.

And the swimming program provides certified Red Cross instructors to work with beginning, intermediate and advanced swimmers.

Once the kids advance through all three levels, they're eligible for the competitive swim training program and they can potentially earn a certificate for additional swimming lessons.

Junior lifeguard training is for kids 11 through 17, where they learn first aid, CPR and water rescue techniques, which are the kids who work hard and graduate from the junior lifeguard training program may be eligible for employment with the Parks Department in the future.

My role as an instructor and a lifeguard is to teach the kids safety, to teach them something that they thought they never could do, but also understand the responsibility behind it.

That is not an easy task that you might knock on wood.

You might have to do something you never wanted to do in your life at a young age and take that responsibility wholeheartedly and know what to do.

That's my my biggest enjoyment.

At the end of the summer, we have a city for me in town and they all participate in the city swimming and they might not make it to finals, but if they went in there he or they like can go on the next day.

It's so exciting for them.

The Bougher family is experiencing the excitement of this academy for the first time.

Bill and Karen have been involved in sports most of their lives, and they want their kids to be involved in sports, too.

After hearing about the academy through coworkers and friends, the Boughers took full advantage I believe that the, you know, the name of the program says a lot, you know.

Lifetime Academy of Sports.

And, you know, we're where else can you go and learn these types of skills?

Be outside and you know the skills that you develop for a Lifetime.

I mean, they're not going to go away.

So far, we have two children that are involved.

Rachel is ten, and she is primarily doing the swimming and the tennis.

And Michael, who is just now eight this year, so his family is old enough to do it.

Last year he wanted to do it, but he wasn't old enough.

So he's taking advantage of everything because he's my little go getter.

PGA Class eight Professionals Group Lessons and Practice Opportunities are available every day at the Lifetime Sports Academy.

Equipment is provided for the lessons, and as the golfers advance through various levels and passed the golf test, they'll earn their very own set of clubs along with a bag, shoes and balls at no cost to them.

LSA is in my blood, I think.

You know, I've been a professional golfer for a long time.

20, 23 years now.

I've played golf.

I played the PGA Tour at one time.

I've done just about everything there is to do.

And the Lifetime Sports Academy is the coolest thing I've ever done.

You know, I just love being here because I can interact with kids, different groups of kids.

Alex and Andrew Harris know that in order to excel in tennis, they must work hard.

Although very shy, these identical twins do not blend into the background.

They are unstoppable on the tennis court.

They've been here since the beginning of the academy, and they, along with a lot of the other kids, get here about seven in the morning and they work out until we get here at nine and they work out all day.

So if you do that, you're going to get good.

Bottom line, they are very strong right now, but the maturity physically and the psychological aspect of it, when they get more mature, it's they are going to be very, very, very good.

At the high school level, the kids don't mind hard work when they have such great role models to guide them on the court.

Coach Barnes and Coach Williams.

U.S. PTA professionals provide high caliber tennis instruction.

Rackets and balls are provided for the beginning, intermediate and advanced tennis lessons.

And kids can earn free rackets when they pass the tennis skills and rules tests.

So everyone earned a tennis racket today?

Yes.

What are you going to do with the tennis racket?

Well, I play.

You're going to do what we should.

You're going to play with it.

What are you going to do with your tennis racket?

How often are you going to play with it?

A lot.

How many of you are ready?

Ready.

Ready.

Ready for what?

You get it right.

Let's go see if we can get a tennis racket in.

Here is right here.

Lee and White's family lives in an inner city neighborhood in Fort Wayne, where families work together to find healthy activities for their kids.

She believes the Lifetime Sports Academy is a blessing to this neighborhood because it provides them even more options.

Lee Ann does her part to make sure the kids have a way to get there.

One day, our neighbor, who has five children, came over and asked if he could bring my children down to the Lifetime Sports Academy, and I had no idea what it was.

And they the thing that attracted me was this permission form, and I thought there might be some type of organization.

So he brought the children down for the first two weeks, and then one day because of his business, he cut.

And so he asked if I would bring him.

And I was overwhelmed with a professional quality that Coach Barnes and Coach Williams was giving to the kids.

And I saw how the kids just loved the instructors.

And I did, too.

I didn't want to miss a lesson even though I was sitting on the sideline.

If you looked like a tennis player and Carol and Vic Fox homeschool some of their kids, and now because of the Academy program, their kids have an environment where they can have fun learning and playing sports and make new friends.

Kati, their oldest daughter, has taken up the game of golf and hopes to play in her high school team.

We have six children, but our youngest will start participating next year.

So we have five children right now in the academy.

Being able to participate in the academy has been wonderful because it lets the children have an opportunity for sports.

They may have not been able to with just home schooling.

I mean, they can go and play basketball and things like that.

But as far as earning their clubs and participating in a sport such as golf or tennis, it really gives them a better opportunity and they can be with other children too, whereas homeschooling, sometimes they're working just one on one with their parents or with the other siblings.

So it gives them more opportunity to socialize and to have fun and to strengthen their bodies, you know, and to work as a team with other children.

So it's it's been very beneficial.

Our sports academy is so much fun because I can meet my friends and the instructors go pick out the things that you're not good at and the things that you are good at so you can progress and get everything perfect.

She's a Lifetime sports Academy graduate.

She's a leader in training and she's a junior leader this year.

She's not real sure she's going to do very good, but we know she is.

But the program's all about because she was in it and now she's won teaching.

Persia Ford is a fine example of what a Lifetime sports Academy kid can accomplish with a lot of encouragement from her parents.

She started to play a little golf and found that she really enjoyed it.

In fact, she enjoyed it so much that she made her high school varsity golf team as a freshman.

She would, Come on, Mom, you won't believe what I did, Mom.

Guess what?

I got a trophy.

And you could just see, you know, the excitement in her eyes because she was just you know, she was awestruck and then him being so young.

Well, when he got able to understand, it's like you could tell he was like, I'm gonna do this to, you know, academy help me, because I'm like the type of person that doesn't like to practice a lot.

But coming over here in the academy, it's fun because you get to talk to kids while you're learning, actually working and practicing and getting better.

This year.

It's been a year of growth for Persha.

You know, her job here at the Academy man has been, you know, she's I mean, she's she's grown up believing that I was actually good enough to give kids advising me When I first came over, I was really nervous because I didn't want to, like, give a kid a wrong tip.

And like my third swing out, that was probably like my biggest challenge just by getting in there and believing that my what I could tell them would actually help in the long run when they can see her get up on the tee or whatever and show them how to hit a correct shot is they like, Oh wow, that makes her feel really good.

And to know that she learned it from over there, she's saying, Now you guys can do this, too Marty Grotrian, a retired and a proud grandmother plays on a golf league at McMillan Park while playing there.

One day, she saw a sign for free golf, tennis and swimming lessons for kids.

Marty had been trying to get her grandson, Derek, to play golf with her since he was a toddler without much success.

When she recently told Derek about the Lifetime Sports Academy where he could possibly earn a set of free golf clubs, she finally got his attention.

Now the entire family can enjoy playing golf together.

When we got through the first time, I was just I was in awew of how he could play, how he could the last day of the academy.

They call it a fun day.

And Derek was in an age group from 8 to 10, and they had like a longest drive.

They had a putting contest, and Derek won both of those.

He drove that ball 154 yards.

I mean, it was awesome.

And so that was more than I ever expected.

And I think he expected less to.

What the Academy has done for me is make me feel so proud of what Derek has learned and what he has accomplished.

There.

In fact, through the winter, he said to me, You know, Grandma, I can't wait to start playing golf at the academy again.

And that, to me is worth the world.

The goal my our family is proud of what the academy has done for their son, Robert.

He's been attending the Lifetime Sports Academy since fifth grade.

Now he hopes to play on the high school golf team.

Theresa, self-proclaimed cheerleader and devoted mother, has been attending the academy alongside her son since the beginning.

It makes me feel proud to be a part of it, to be one of those parents out there and to participate in whatever way I can to help them and that I just I feel like a number one cheerleader for them to say and that I just I've been when I talk about it and I don't think we have a boy in the program who's work harder than Robert has to achieve what he's had.

He's playing the junior tour.

He's got his high school team.

He's he's really come a long way.

And just because he's wanted a little time to drag mom with him and Mom's here every day to I just saw that there was just like a spark that was lit.

And I think that had a lot to do with the program and obviously him liking that sport.

But it just seemed like each summer it just grew and grew and then in the last couple of years there was like an explosion.

He just the competitiveness started to come in.

Courses matured some from ten to almost 15, and he's just gone and he's almost he's just ran with it.

All he can talk about is making the high school golf team the next step This summer.

He wants to try to qualify for the men's city tournament just to play in it.

And he also talks about wanting to give back to the academy because I am surprised how kids, even at a young age, they realize what opportunities have been given to him and he wants in every possible way to give back.

And he would like to come back and be an instructor someday to to give back to the young kids that are starting out where he did five years ago and show them what can happen, because you never know.

One visit out there can change your life.

The check for a Check for a pulse to the person on your left.

You go put your hand right here and check for a pulse.

He's your other hand.

He has his hand here.

I think some more.

Mickey is not unlike most teenagers.

She's 18, anticipating her high school graduation and looking forward to college.

What makes her story a little different is that she has the big responsibility of caring for her two month old baby boy that she loves dearly.

Mickey truly understands the mission of the Lifetime Sports Academy.

She's been involved in the junior lifeguard program, not only because she likes to swim, but she knows that this training will potentially provide her and her son a source of income someday training that she could never afford on her own.

Mickey says she'll be old enough to be a lifeguard next year, which is why she's taking the junior lifeguard class with Joe Woodson.

She appreciates how Joe takes his time to help everyone learn this skill because she knows that public pools need lifeguards and she could work at the McMillan Park Pool when she's finished with his class.

Mickey and everyone experiencing the academy recognize not only the valuable physical and health benefits of sport.

Additionally, they're realizing the social and personal skill development that can go along with being involved with sports Skills they'll apply to every aspect of their lives.

What she has become more outgoing and that's good.

She has.

She's a rather quiet girl, and I guess this is good for her because golf is a quiet sport, but she's getting a lot more people and especially that in spirit.

Instructors have been great learning the rules in a, you know, a good environment where they have, you know, coaches that really know what they're doing and really encourage the kids to say enough good things about the program.

And I'm hoping that they'll use this later on in life.

With it being Lifetime sports, that's what it means that when they get to be older, they can go out and golf, so they're not going to have to run bases and, you know, try and kick the ball.

They can maybe close a business, deal out on the golf course or something.

And tennis can swimming, too.

You use all your life.

There's obvious benefits from Lifetime sports, health and fitness, obviously.

I mean, it's you can stay fit and theoretically live longer by participation in sports, but there's many other benefits.

In addition to that.

And that's kind of some of the things that we kind of wanted to focus on.

And there's good social and psychological benefits from sports participation.

Also, what Michelle talked about it being golf, tennis and swimming is much more than that to me is it's a lifestyle is a change here.

Me come up yesterday in front of the young people and at the end I asked him a question, What would you be doing today if we did not have Lifetime Sports Academy and they said, watching television, I wouldn't be doing anything.

I would be bored.

These are things that came out of their mouths.

So to me we have struck a chord in the community and these kids are doing things even if they are not participating in a golf, swimming and tennis.

They are learning some very, very positive behaviors.

And so you can't put a price on that because these are kids that are not in the court system, they're not in trouble, they're not misbehaving.

They are good young people that see other people caring for them.

And that's what I get out of it.

So I really think that's my story and that's what I would like to share about it in terms of Lifetime Sports Academy.

So according to the National Park Service, it costs more to incarcerate a child than it does to provide recreation program arms.

The Lifetime Sports Academy annually invests, on average, $100 per child, providing a wholesome alternative to drugs, gangs and other negative behaviors.

Each community is a little different, but the average, the national average to incarcerate a child is about $32,000 a year.

A year.

If you can put just a tiny bit of that $32,000 into something positive like the Lifetime Sports Academy, you have saved millions being where we are.

We're in the center part of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and in the inner city.

There was you know, there is and was some gang activity and some really neat, neat kids have developed out of that.

Some of the kids that the first year were really a lot of trouble have become kids that are really, really strong supporters of the program.

So those activities, you know, that we've developed that have made a major impact on this neighborhood, it keeps me out of trouble.

And I used to stay in a lot of trouble and it helps me think about other things besides trouble.

That's why I try to stay in it long as I can.

I try hard to do everything just right, at least try to do it right.

I don't ever give up.

And give up is not an option for me.

Fort Wayne Police Detective Wayne Kelly not only patrols the McMillan Park area while off duty, he picks his son up from the academy and enjoys spending a little time on the driving range in Kelly.

I've been on the police department going on my 19th year ever since the inception of the Academy.

I've tried to come over to the Academy to be visible, to let people in the area know and to feel safe when they are out here, whether we were here or any other place.

I just want them to know that the police presence is very well known and that we care about them too.

I try to promote the program and I always challenge parents and I always tell them if they have a a troubled child or if they have a child that wants to be involved.

And it's something I strongly suggest that they come over here and enjoy the academy.

If they have to spend gas money to come over here, if they have to spend money extra to do something as it relates to the academy, I always tell them that it's cheaper than bail money.

Since the Lifetime Sports Academy, they've just had wonderful programs going out there and they McMillan Park Association thinks it's wonderful.

So that's something when the neighborhood said this is a very positive program, another positive aspect of this program resides in the pavilion on the park grounds.

It serves as the perfect facility to provide free lunch through the National Free Lunch Program, facilitated by Fort Wayne Community Schools.

Before or after lunch.

The kids who are too young or not interested in sports can take part in special programs or arts and crafts activities and all sorts of games.

What's important to me is that they get good understanding of socializing with one another and understand that there are rules and regulations throughout life and and and it's no different here, but except they're in a park environment where you suppose where you you're going to have some fun sometimes wrong if they're not having fun.

So we encourage them to have fun but show respect for one another in the process.

Another neat aspect about the program is that we get this great social interaction between low income kids and high income kids and kids from different ethnic backgrounds, and they're all out there for the same reason.

And they and they have fun and they learn together.

You know, you get comments from parents that if it wasn't for this program, their children would not be exposed to the different socioeconomic, the different ethnic backgrounds that they are because, you know, the schools they go to or, you know, just they're they're different settings.

They come out of here on a level playing field.

And the philosophy is, hey, we're as good as anybody.

Let's let's learn all we can and let's go on out there and and take our spot in the world.

Several kids have been consistently attending the academy since it began back in 1998.

Now, those kids are reaching high school age, which means they're hoping to take a spot on their high school sports teams with the free professional instruction at the Lifetime Sports Academy.

These kids now have the self-confidence and skills to compete with any and all high school athletes in order to develop high school athletes, you have to have programs that encourage kids to come back summer after summer and get better, not just learn the basics, get better, improve and compete.

So, yes, you know, part of us is about preparing kids for competition.

Andrew And Alex, one thing that's very exciting pertaining to them, last year they played in their first USTA time and I told them that, you know, they probably would not win it, you know, because generally, you know, those individuals have been playing years, years, years, etc.. Hey, don't you remember the first USTA tournament you played in?

And we talked about it and I told you that, you know, with the first tournament that you probably would not win it.

And let's see who won it.

Alex He won the first time he played in first USTA tournaments.

I was extremely myself proud of them.

How how well they did against, you know, such a high level of competition and up until last summer had never even played in a tennis tournament.

We we're real happy proud of them.

But brag on most days you'll find as many parents as kids on the park grounds.

Some just enjoy the relaxation.

But others, you know, they get actively involved in the lessons too, is amazing when you go out there during day to watch the parents that are watching their kids and getting involved through, fine, I can't believe it's free.

I want to get my phone so I can go outdoor for my dad.

I enjoy golf and the other things I'm glad I did and stuff because, you know, he can come out with me in golf because I've been trying to get him.

He's my first born.

It's like I'm trying to get him out there to play with me.

This is a way for parents, aunts, uncles to be able to interact.

We've got people playing golf for 80 years old and a grandfather can play with a grandchild.

You can take your kids and all go swimming.

These Lifetime sports like tennis, carryover between generations, and they help build that sense of family that sometimes in our busy lives gets lost because help was my dad kept encourage me to come over here every day and it wasn't like my uncle.

He taught him how to play.

And then when I came over here, my dad taught me how to play and then I had a sports academy help me out a whole bunch.

One thing we were able to start last year was a learning academy for the parents, specially in a skill that they might not know, like golf.

Some of the mothers aren't really in tune to what golf is all about.

So by teaching the parents, then the parents can work with the kids and say, Well, you need to build on this skill or that skill.

And that's a great opportunity to.

I'm going to teach you how to hold it, how to stand and how to hit it.

And then we're going to go through that process.

We're going to hit some balls.

And then at the end of this, at the second half of this lesson, we're going to go through the pitching lesson.

Now, the reason we do that in the second lesson is because that is the most difficult test that your children will have to pass to get their golf clubs and earn their pass.

In the math, these three.

So when you say that sounds like an easy thing to just hit that ball a little ways into the air, we're going to show you that is not you cannot write this.

For those of you who are having trouble doing that, that is once again a kick out for your children.

You will not pass a child that doesn't finish completely on their left foot with their right to right, told Touching and their club up above them.

If they if they finish like this, we're not going to pass.

They've got to swing through the ball.

You my good I took the adult class so that we could kind of help our kids with a swing.

It was fun to try and to learn, you know, So now I can look at my kids swings.

They know you need to get your elbow up more and stuff.

So they give us the the skills actually, so that I can correct my kids.

They seem to really see what their children are going through, which is really cool.

And then they learn about golf.

And my and my goal is, of course, to hook them on golf, because if I took the adults and they and they want to bring the kids and I'm moving those wonderful feet, I don't know how serious your child wants to play tennis, but if they want to play serious, they need to get in shape.

They need to get in shape because if you are out there moving your feet all the time, you are going to be in shape.

Okay.

I want you to pull after you drop the ball.

Oh, I've got that.

Okay.

Parent golf, tennis, all those individual sports, because I know you will support your kid in if they have some talent, you know, support them.

They can easily get a scholarship.

But to get a scholarship in tennis, though, you had to be good.

I mean, you have you have to be good.

Those attending the Lifetime Sports Academy recognize one of its greatest benefits, more family time.

The kids may play these Lifetime sports better than mom and dad now, but the whole family has a great time.

I think it's a good way to get the family together because they parents, they can go out like on the golf course and help the kids out and like helping with the children and putting in.

So it's just a good way to bring them together and have fun to go out there if they're going to go to the rain to hit balls or if they're going to come over here to have balls, it's it's it's fun.

And even if I can't hit the ball just to be out there and doing it, we're all together.

They laugh.

We have so much fun because, hey, mom, that's not the way to do it.

Why won't he?

But he doesn't like to play anymore.

Because that person maybe always be alongside us.

He decides now is easy, is easy to quit.

And when you kids start being a teenager.

But that's okay with Robert.

That's what you heard.

What we want.

That's what we want.

You know, we started my young so they can learn how to play the game and we hope that they get better than we are.

And I always say I am the world's worst golfer, but I enjoy being on a golf course and I enjoy playing.

And I decided that if Derek learned to play golf, he and I could go and play golf since I have retired and now that gives me more time to play.

She had always wanted to get Derek, her grandson, to play golf.

He became just someone who absolutely loved the game of golf.

Grandma was thrilled because now she can play with with with the boy, with Derek.

He has taught me a lot.

I can tell you that he and I went one time, and as I'm hitting the ball, he's just shaking his head.

We got back to the car and Derek says to me, Grandma, I would like for you to listen to me.

And I said, okay.

He said, Let me tell you, every time you go to hit that ball, about the time you get this far from it, you raise your head.

It's no wonder that ball doesn't go very far.

So the next time I played league play, I remembered this and it was I'm just incredible how what more length or distance I could get from just him telling me.

I mean, those seven weeks are I'm a very lucky grandma to have a grandson like him.

He's the only grandchild I have.

I just think that every child should be entitled to go.

I just said if I had a bus, I'd take a bus load.

By the time the six Fox kids get together with their cousins at the Academy bus wouldn't be out of the question.

When we go home, we always get our golf clothes from the back of the van and we got on the front lawn and going hit balls and hit balls until we're blue in the face.

And mom's like, It's dark outside.

You can't see him.

Or so I had to come in.

But the next morning we're right out there and, you know, some of the golf instructors will come by and wave at us and we'll come will wave back at them.

So, you know, there's it's it's so much fun because we can play all until winter this year, a lot of their cousins participated with them.

And so it was a great opportunity because we would get together, I would get together with my sisters and talk.

Annette, Kelly, Cindy, Carol, Kathleen.

Gosh, my name is Phyllis and I'm their mother.

And who's this guy?

I'm John and the father of the whole pack.

We have 11 that are golfing and and tennis 1111.

All of our family are participating.

It's a good program because we probably wouldn't be able to afford giving the kids all these lessons.

And here they're learning something they can use all their life.

I've been singing all my life.

Do you think I could sing well, do you not to sing or do I hear you sing?

What do you like doing?

Well.

And golf?

Golf?

What about tennis?

Playing tennis.

Okay, but you don't like to sing.

Oh, sorry.

You sing, but I like it.

You like to listen to how many staff members have been loyal to the Academy since the very beginning.

And when you ask them why they stay, the unanimous response is it's because of the kids, the sense of pride.

Each staff member embraces while watching a child grow stronger each day is proof that the Lifetime Sports Academy is a powerful resource in the community.

Mr. Barnes and coaching staff, Thank you for being patient enough to teach me tennis.

Tennis lessons were a lot of fun before this.

My dad tried to take us to the tennis courts, but not often because we couldn't hit back last week three with four nights in a row and now with new rackets, we will even go more.

The truth.

For me, it's coming back and seeing the kids.

You may not remember everyone's name, but they remember you.

And I always loved the look on parent's face when this little kid comes running up to me at the mall and hugged me.

Pairs are just staring at me, you know?

And it's me.

It's okay.

You know, this individual I've taken home, I've picked up walking down the street, come into the Lifetime Academy.

And he was so worried about getting his clubs here.

Flunk test after test after test.

I said, okay, you're going to get them.

You're going to get them.

Keep track.

So one day I thought he achieved it.

I don't know which golf staff it was.

Marcus says, Yes, Pass.

He's got his clubs.

So knows who I am.

I jump back on a walkie talkie.

Tell him I said.

Okay, good job.

You know, the whole nine yards.

So that was a same voice come back on and say that wasn't Marcus Bullough.

Well, the other Marcus said oh, said, oh, man.

So my heart dropped.

And next thing I know, Mark is walking up to me and he's looking and everything.

And I said, Oh, I don't I don't know what to say to him.

So he brought it up.

I flunked again.

I said, That's all right.

You don't, you know.

Oh, I know.

I'll get him.

I know how to get him.

And to make a long story short, he got him the other day.

It's something to do for everybody.

Yeah, You can color, you can draw, You can just chat with your friends, You can you can play games, You can.

You can go outside and play games.

You can go to lessons and brand new speaker class.

Look at that and look at this.

Look at this.

This bag is so cool.

I got all these pouches and pockets.

Yeah, and you got shoes in one of the pockets.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

So you must.

Yes, sure.

Oh, it's fun.

Hard, but fun.

How many blades of grass are on a green?

All of us.

All right.

I won.

Kevin started his second year.

I was sitting here watching, and his first winning for the first time in the course he went any.

And he got a bogey on the first hole, and the coach just went crazy.

And I thought, you know what?

It was so special.

You know, I will never forget that.

He goes, He does what?

The coaches scream.

He got a bogey, you know, And it was such a neat thing.

And I'll never forget that they are just they're so close to the kids.

I mean, you know, they're more than a coach.

They've become a friend.

It's really a neat thing.

When I was earning my clubs, I was really bad at pitching and I couldn't pass the test.

So the teachers then with you alone and just practice and practice and practice and they get so excited when you are able to pass.

They were just overjoyed over such a big accomplishment Oh, we get a lot of kids who come back year after year.

And as they come back, they're like, Oh, we want this instructor because we had our last year and we have this instructor this year, and I'm here for the kids.

It's let them know you can do it.

They can do, they can, they can make it if they want to.

I found out that young people are, um, is a part of my calling and, um, I'm real passionate about working with them.

Yeah, I see that.

Don't you feel better?

All right.

Okay.

Bryce, this past job.

Bryce.

That's another set of Coach.

When the program began back in 1998, the Fort Wayne Sports Corporation, a nonprofit organization supporting community development through sports, raised nearly $200,000 through private donors and foundation grants.

This money was divided between new tennis courts and a driving range, as well as salaries and equipment as the number of kids increased each year.

However, it wasn't very long before the Lifetime Sports Academy Committee realized that the kids in the golf program were beginning to run out of room.

We were getting a little crowded out there.

We were getting so many kids at different times of the day and we really needed to spread out more.

And so we had determine that we need to have our own golf course out there, a nine hole golf course.

And the question was, when are we going to have the money?

It was maybe program for a year or seven or eight or nine.

One of our long term goals was to create a build a learning center for for the young people that also added to the to the opportunity for the Parks Department to generate revenue when the Lifetime sports Kenny wasn't using it and a lot of people told us that, well maybe you should start with three holes and see if that works and build another three and another three.

And it's never been in my nature to think small.

And so I said, Well, let's start with with nine and go out and find the support for it.

For over 46 years, Fort Wayne, Indiana has had the privilege of hosting the Matt Anthony's charity classic for children.

This nationally known fundraising event attracts several well-known celebrities from across the country, many who have deep roots in Indiana plays into it each year.

The funds raised in this celebrity tournament are donated to a principal charity based on the criteria of the Matt Anthony's charitable mission, which is dedication to enriching the lives of young people in the Fort Wayne community.

Recently, the Lifetime Sports Academy benefited as the principal charity, making it possible for them to build their nine hole golf course.

The Mad Anthony Threes Purdue basketball coach Jean Katie has participated in this charity event for over 20 years and has been a supporter of the Lifetime Sports Academy since its conception.

I think this is a great, great cause and I think every community should have it.

So hopefully this kind of spread and and help people understand how important it is to have some kind of hobby that you can use besides just team sports as you get older.

If you look at the membership of the Mad Anthony's and what they do and where where they've donated their money in the past, it's principally been to to children's activities, very interested in children's athletic progress and athletic activities.

So the Lifetime Sports Academy just by its very purpose is is very much in line with the Mad Anthony's charitable mission.

We are able now to get kids on a golf course more often with a better quality experience earlier in their learning process.

We can get them on the golf course and it's just added a new dimension to to the intermediate and advanced opportunities for kids to learn competitive golf.

Throughout the years, over $1 million has been raised through the generous support of private donors, foundations and city government on behalf of the Fort Wayne Parks Department to run the Lifetime Sports Academy.

With this support, they're able to add more activities to the schedule and maintain the park facilities, as well as acquire more equipment and staff.

I think that the key things that keep it going is that we offer the professional instruction and we offer access to two facilities and we keep it free.

Now that all takes money.

And so when we go back and talk to foundations and companies that have supported our program, they they're just very pleased when we're showing that we're getting interested young people from all parts of Fort Wayne and Atherton, and they seem to be enjoying themselves and learning same time.

It's been truly a public private partnership between the public sector and the private sector and the Fort Wayne Sports Corporation.

It's it's taken all of these players to make this program a success.

And I think it's a testament to the program that all these players are still involved all of this takes place in a positive atmosphere of community support.

People in Fort Wayne know what they have in program, and that also, I think, makes it unique.

It's great to go to a mayors conference around the country and have people say, Hey, tell me about this Lifetime Sports Academy.

Mayor, How did you do that in your city?

I say it's because of the generosity of the parents, the foundations and some critical leaders.

We had Spark plug leaders.

So it's that partnership of those who care a lot about our community.

They care about kids, they care about sports.

And that partnership is what you need to build.

Any city that wants to can do it.

We'd be happy to share with them our success and how this can help build not only great character with kids, but also help build awareness in the community of the importance of Lifetime sports and wellness and fitness at a young age for our young people.

Tom Jehl and everyone involved in the partnership between Academy supporters and staff are so proud of the success of this academy.

They feel confident that the model they've developed in Fort Wayne would work in any community.

What they've discovered overall is that no matter the size of the budget or how many sports are included, if the initial commitment is made to start a sport program that will have a positive impact on the lives of children, that commitment will take root and grow strong in the community.

I think the future is out there right now.

I think it's in those kids that are learning and that are coming of age and I think they'll be back and they will be the future of LSA and what they're getting now they're never going to forget and they're going to someday come back and give as much and hopefully more back to it.

The words of tennis great Arthur Ashe as he wrote to his daughter before he died.

This describes the essence of the Lifetime Sports Academy's vocation.

Whatever else you learn in school, I would like you to master at least two life sports, those you can play long after you're out of school.

They can bring you comfort and pleasure for the rest of your life.

Sports can teach you so much about yourself, your emotions, your character how to be resolute in moments of crisis, and how to fight back on the brink of defeat.

In this respect, the lessons of sports cannot be duplicated easily.

You quickly discover your limits, but you can also build self-confidence and a positive sense of yourself.