MOLINE, Ill. — A Davenport youth nonprofit teamed up with a local football pro for their five-week-long football program benefitting at-risk kids.
The football camp was just one of many things the non-profit offers.
“Treasure Box U-S is a nonprofit youth organization, and we enrich life skills and empower our youth to unlock their hidden treasures, which really has happened this summer," said Beverly Woods, founder of Treasure Box U-S. Through our youth vibe program, we offered five different classes; football camp, hair braiding, cooking, expressive flow, and also a drones class.”
The five-week summer camp is more than just teaching kids how to play football.
“They can be leaders; a lot of kids feel like they have to follow someone, they have to be someone else to be themselves. It's okay to have influencers and people you look up to like your favorite athletes and things of that nature, but trying to be them in a sense of not knowing who you are, is kind of damaging to their mental state,” said Keyvan Rudd, volunteer and Quad Cities Steamwheelers player.
The boys of the youth football program learned skills they can use inside and outside the field.
“So, getting them to understand, they can still be whoever that they want. They don't need to be a reflection of someone that they really don't even know; just create your own image, create your own mindset and follow your own path as long as it's positive. And sometimes you're gonna veer off, there's gonna be some bumps in the road; no path to success is, you know, a straight line with happiness and flowers and sunshine. There's going to be some storms that you have to weather through, and that's one of the things that I want to teach them, but at a level to where they can understand it.”
For more information on Treasure Box U-S, visit their website here.