A Sammamish family had a unique situation in their family.

Their son was being mistreated and bullied due to a situation beyond his control. The family came up with a new idea. They knew how much their son looked up to the sports players in the area, so his dad went to a coach at Skyline High School and asked if he could find a good match for his son to spend some time with and get to know him.

The athlete chosen was a well-known football player for Skyline named Simi Reynolds, and after the young neighbors noticed this young man had a new big buddy, they too wanted to hang out with him and play with this amazing newbie to the cul-de-sac.

The athlete realized quickly that this was his chance to make a difference. He told the children they could join up with their time together only if they were kind to his little buddy and if they treated him fairly and with respect.

This act of charity changed the world for this youngster. He was now considered “cool,” was included and suddenly these neighbor children defended their new friend. Life was totally different at school after that for this boy.

The family thought about the impact this amazing mentor was to their son and wanted other children with special needs to be able to benefit from this idea. That is how Athletes for Kids was born, right here in Sammamish.

Soon, a small group of athletes from Skyline signed up to work with young students who needed some mentoring. Athletes for Kids has since grown to service currently 130 local children in nine cities, including Redmond, Sammamish, Issaquah, Newcastle, Mercer Island, Renton, Bellevue, Woodinville and Fall City.

Athletes for Kids not only matches mentors with students, but it also trains mentors to be successful and effective as they spend time with their little buddy once a week. They also are now providing an optional event each month that the mentors can attend with their buddy that allows them opportunities to socialize and facilitate activities with other pairs.

Athletes for Kids has a very extensive interview process to be sure the right mentors are chosen. This is a big commitment, and the rewards go both ways, as the mentors are reporting that this is one of their favorite parts of the week.

This opportunity for service has opened doors for a needed break in their very busy and stressful lives. Mentors have discovered that when they serve others, their special friends are not the only ones to benefit.

I have a friend who has an autistic son who participated in the program many years ago. He was visited by a mentor on the Eastlake High School football team. The youngster looked forward to their time together each week and his mother is sure that this has been incredibly impactful for their son.

I am sure this program will continue to grow and flourish, all because a family had an idea and wanted to share this concept with the greater community. An idea is like a seed; it will grow if given the right nourishment and light.

More information

For information about Athletes for Kids, visit https://athletesforkids.org or call 425-369-2142.

Amy McOmber is a 22-year resident of Sammamish.