Eagerly swinging legs, back and forth under the bleachers, eyes fixed, intensely watching the game. His round copper eyes lit-up when the coach approached him to ask if he wanted to join his big brother’s team. Skills learned and respect earned early in Brody’s life. Realizing this is one special place, where a young enthusiastic child can learn to play soccer, baseball and basketball. However growing older he recognized that it was more than sports he was learning at the YMCA. Family involvement and volunteering, Brody didn’t see it as “work” or “volunteering” he simply saw it as the “thing to do” and “the place to be.” His jobs were as simple as picking rocks up from the soccer field and trash after tournaments, simple but he knew these jobs would be appreciated.
Experience, talent and hard work earned Brody a starting position, his freshman year, on his high school varsity soccer team. A winning season, a letter earned and hopes for the next three years came crashing down when suddenly becoming ill, escaping sudden cardiac arrest. The diagnosis was Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. The painful news was delivered to Brody; “No more playing sports.”
The YMCA staff and crew called on Brody to put his experience to work. They asked if he would help coach a young soccer team. Worried about his health, but wanted to be back on the field, volunteering was the most he could do. As his mother, looking back on this opportunity, it was the boost he needed. Brody was stripped of his life, how he knew it, and the Y gave back his courage.
“If everyone plays, everyone wins” ~ Coach Brody.
He was a soft spoken coach, smiling back at every player, encouraging them to simply kick the ball, run around, make friends and have fun. Most of his teams were under six years old!
Brody volunteered an average of 50 hours a year, giving whatever his health, school work and his commitment to playing classical piano would allow. Brody is graduating top four in his class despite missing dozens of school days sick and undergoing heart surgery at age sixteen.
Imaging Brody without the positive support of our YMCA is dreadful. Brody is a product of the Y and what a YMCA can do. They trained, encouraged and supported him. The outcome: A motivated, caring, giving, respectful, and strong kid!
Brody is days away from graduating from high school and is already trying to establish a YMCA Endowment fund. This endowment would be a scholarship type award to be given to a local YMCA member and high school junior or senior. They must be nominated by a “in good standings” member of the Rome Floyd Co. YMCA. The purpose is to acknowledge local high school students, YMCA youth members and who exemplify the YMCA core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. The nominator must submit a two to three page nomination letter showing specific examples of how the student exemplifies each Y core value. Winners will be awarded (a percentage of the Endowment fund) for the student to purchase books at college or a year membership at the YMCA. Other details are yet to be determined by Brody.
Remembering that little boy swinging his legs eagerly on the bench and now looking into those copper colored eyes and seeing his vision of giving back … A true testament of what the YMCA can do for you!
