Raising a Champion, On the Field and In Life

Joshua Needs a Team On and Off the Field

My son Joshua plays soccer. He recently joined a new club, and they already won a tournament together. Last year he made the honor roll. This boy is working hard, on the field and in the classroom, to be the best version of himself.

But hard work needs support behind it. What Joshua needs every day is something soccer alone cannot give him: a man in his corner.

His father chose to walk away. That is his story to carry, not mine to tell in full. But I will say this. A boy without a father figure still needs one. He needs someone to show him how a man handles pressure, keeps his word, and shows up on the hard days, not just the good ones.

That is why Joshua is part of BOSS in Long Beach.

BOSS stands for Business of Student Success. It was built by a man who once worked as a sports attorney, who saw firsthand what boys from under-resourced communities are up against and decided to do something about it. BOSS gives boys like Joshua discipline. Character. A mindset that says the odds do not get to decide his future.

Joshua's tournament win and his honor roll spot did not happen by accident. BOSS is a critical piece of that success. It is the mentorship that reinforces what I try to teach at home. It is proof that when a boy has the right people around him, he rises.

I am a single mother. I am building a business, raising a son, and doing it all in faith that God has a plan bigger than what I can see right now. I cannot be everything Joshua needs. No mother can be. That is not weakness. That is truth.

This fundraiser helps cover Joshua's participation in BOSS this year: mentorship sessions, program materials, and the community events that keep these boys connected to men who show up for them consistently.

Every dollar is an investment in a boy who is already proving what he is capable of.

If you have ever believed that a child deserves more than the hand they were dealt, I am asking you to stand with Joshua.