Photo courtesy of UA Optimist Club
Joining a sports team means more than throwing a ball around and trying to win a game. For many kids, it is where they find their second family and learn values and skills that they carry with them for a lifetime.
The Upper Arlington Optimist Club’s mission is exactly that- to bring out the best in kids. The club is a part of Optimist International, a worldwide volunteer organization made up of more than 2,500 clubs.
With leagues for both girls and boys from fourth through 12th grade, the UA chapter has been positively impacting the lives of children since it began more than 60 years ago. Paul Boyer, president and director of the Basketball Program, grew up in Upper Arlington and has watched the program grow over the years. According to Boyer, this is the club's biggest year ever, with 86 teams and more than 900 kids involved.
Mac Schnoll, an 11th-grader, has learned a lot during his team on the team and has made lasting memories.
“Our first game this year, a kid on the other team we were playing had played in the Special Olympics in the past and joined the club this year,” Schnoll says. “He made a miracle three-point and everyone on both teams went crazy."
This consideration that the kids have for one another is no accident. Coach Eric Hardgrove has been with UA Optimist Club for three years, and says that he feels fortunate to be part of an organization that gives back. Hardgrove is quite candid about his approach to coaching: it’s all about letting his players learn.
"There is always something to be learned from being part of a team. Optimist is very supportive of that,” Hardgrove says. “They do a good job of highlighting what is important, learning and having fun at the same time.”
Scholarship Opportunities
The club also offers the Upper Arlington Optimist Club Exemplary Character Scholarship which awards $1,000 to an Upper Arlington student who demonstrates exceptional character. The winner is announced at the club’s annual banquet. Nominators focus on attributes that make the student a good example to others, whether it be perseverance, courage, selfless service to others, optimism in the face of a challenge, humility or an overall positive attitude.
There are also a variety of contests that challenge students to think deeply about what it truly means to be optimistic. The winners of the club level contests can participate in an essay contest in which they compete for a $2,500 scholarship in the district contest. The topic for the 2018- 2019 school year was "When all the world's problems are solved, is optimism still necessary?" The topic for the oratorical contest was, "Is there a fine line between optimism and reality?" The club also gives out a Respect for Law award to various activists in the community.
More than anything, though, it seems that the kids genuinely enjoy having a place to put their screens down and focus on the task in front of them.
"I really enjoy the laid-back part of the league and being able to just go out and play without worrying about who wins or getting benched, but just going out and playing a game I love with my friends," Jack Diwik, a 10th- grader at Upper Arlington High, says.
Diwik has been part of the club since seventh grade.
Despite the laid-back nature of the league, it has been known to develop college-level talent. Boyer says that there are three players from Upper Arlington playing at the University of Notre Dame, Pennsylvania State University and Western Carolina University. The players were also recently featured on ESPN and while Boyer makes no guarantees to their 900 participants, it is another fun challenge to follow.
While reaching the next level is a huge accomplishment for any aspiring athlete, the UA Optimist Club is happy to simply offer an escape from daily life and provide entertainment to the community’s basketball lovers.
“Kids have a ton of pressure put on them, whether it be school or home life or relationships with their peers,” Hardgrove says. “I think they don’t get a chance to be kids, and through the Optimist Club, what we’re trying to do is give kids the chance to compete without feeling any type of outside pressure.”
Interested in playing? Visit www.uaoptimist.org or email upperarlingtonoptimistclub@gmail.com for registration and league information.
Caitlyn Blair is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com
