Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club members Emil Martin and Yefri DePaz, accompanied by Middle School Program Coordinator Desirae O’Neill, were the only two members from the Boys & Girls Club to represent the entire state of New York at the Boys & Girls Club Triple Play Leadership Summit held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs on September 6-8. Only 150 Club members nationwide were invited to participate in this elite summit where Club staff and experts from around the country created an engaging and interactive conversation around the issue of obesity and how to combat the disease by providing attendees with leading practices and interactive tools to use in their own communities.
Emil and Yefri were selected to represent not only Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club but the entire state of New York because of their outstanding achievements in health, fitness, overall well-being and community outreach efforts, exceeding all expectations and requirements needed to qualify for attendance at the Summit. Emil and Yefri are today’s renaissance youth - well rounded teens excelling in academics, excelling in sports and fitness, and excelling in interpersonal and social skills. “I am so proud of Emil and Yefri. They wear so many different hats and these are the types of leaders we are fostering. In addition to our Triple Play initiative where we teach our members about a healthy and balanced life, the Club provides them with an environment of diversity, different opportunities and through our programs we are exposing them to a variety of interesting, educational and fun activities that are broadening their prospective on life. Emil and Yefri are two examples of how are programs are having a positive effect on our members. They are smart and outgoing, they know their value, they know their self-worth and that is a beautiful thing.” said Desirae O’Neill.
“I learned a lot about living a healthy lifestyle from the Summit but I think what I learned about myself was that I am in fact a good leader for my peers. I wasn’t really expecting to be chosen but now I understand what it takes to be a leader and I believe I am capable of being a good one. I think twice about my actions and I think the Summit helped me grow up a little bit as well,” said Emil.
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Being at the summit was really cool. I made new friends and learned a lot which I know will be helpful to me with in the future. I feel more self-assured now and I want to share my thoughts and ideas with others. I really feel more confident and I think I can make a difference and be a leader to my peers,” said Yefri about his experience from attending the Summit.
Emil, 13, attends Robert M. Finley Middle School. He wants to become a marine biologist when he grows up. Yefri, 13, also attends the Robert M. Finley Middle School. He wants to pursue a career in the technology field when he grows up.
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Triple Play is a healthy lifestyles game plan for the mind, body and soul, launched in 2005 by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services with support from The Coca-Cola Company. The goal of Triple Play is to encourage kids to eat healthier, become more physically active and increase their ability to engage in healthy relationships. Made possible by The Coca-Cola Company and the WellPoint Foundation, Triple Play has made more than 7.2 million connections with kids since its inception. The Triple Play Leadership Summit helps reinforce these connections by empowering attendees, the Ambassadors of the initiative.
Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club at Lincoln House has been serving the community since 1903 by providing a safe and caring environment that will inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive and responsible citizens. The Club serves more than 700 youths, ages 6 to 18, in the Glen Cove community with a variety of after school programs in education, sports and recreation, dance, technology and art, all designed to enrich and enhance learning and build self-esteem. To learn more about Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club and how you can help support the Club, its mission and service to the youth of the Glen Cove community, please call Melissa Rhodes, Executive Director at 516-671-8030 or visit www.glencovebgc.org.
