Since 1993, Al has impacted kids’ lives through his hard work and dedication as a volunteer youth sports coach. For Al, the Y has been a place where he’s helped young kids learn the importance of the Y’s core values – caring, honesty, respect,
and responsibility. The Y fits his own coaching philosophy that emphasizes passion, teamwork, skill building, and enjoyment of the sport.
One of his favorite stories is about Bailey, a young girl who played on Al’s team for three years. She was the smallest on the team and not the best player skillwise, but she always worked as hard as she could. She had a great attitude and brought joy to the whole team. The Y gave Bailey the chance to play a sport for the fun of it while learning a skill and how to play in a competitive environment. Although a career in basketball isn’t on the horizon, Bailey learned things far more important than sports.
Al continues to teach kids and hopes to make a difference in many more lives. He believes, “the YMCA’s mission is often times at odds with the world around us. It is critical that we hold on to the values and the principles the YMCA adheres to, for without those values, we lose the very foundation for the next generation.”
