Spending nearly more time at the Johnson Boys & Girls Club than at 
her own home during the week, eleven-year-old Club member Brylynn thrives in the Club atmosphere. Remembering feeling right at home when her mom signed her up for a Club membership on her sixth birthday, Brylynn now participates in an array of Club programming which promotes healthy and positive outlets for her to learn and grow.
Competing on nearly every sports team that the Club offers, Brylynn has learned how participating in athletics can serve as a great way to express her emotions. “I take my anger out at football practice. Then I take all of my padding off and rush over to my soccer game where I love to run and just be free,” said Brylynn as she juggles playing two fall sports. When winter strikes, Brylynn transitions indoors where she has grown to love playing basketball – a sport that has taught her how to be a team player and learn from her mistakes. Come summer, Brylynn’s hands transition to throwing and catching on the Club softball team.
Diving into the Club Learning Center and Art Room, Brylynn has grown a love for learning and a knack for exploring knew things. She regularly participates in the Club Power Hour – a daily hour in the Club dedicated to focusing on academic related activities – where she gets homework help and loves to read. And in the Art Room, she loves to explore different mediums for expressing her creativity – including theater. Last summer, Brylynn landed the lead role as Alice in Alice and Wonderland. “I was a bit nervous at the beginning. But since I was playing the lead role, there were always others around me that could help me with my lines if I forgot them,” recalled Brylynn as she took the stage for the first time. The play taught her how to become consumed in a project and practice, practice, practice until perfect!
In the five years that Brylynn has been a Club member, her world has immensely expanded and she has taken a liking to many new hobbies. However, above all, her passion for basketball and academics remains the most prominent. She dreams of becoming a collegiate basketball player and perhaps going on to play professionally one day. But for the time being, she continues to show up to her Club every day to help stay on track and take positive strides towards making her dream a reality.
