Look who stayed up all night: LINC lock-in invests in power of friendships
On the surface, the night was all about fun — bus rides together to classic sports gyms and event spaces, stopping at a corner store at 3 a.m. for treats, gaming into dawn.
A second level of meaning was also apparent to the two dozen boys from LINC programs who signed up for LINC’s Sports Lock-In June 27 and 28. That’s because the boxing and soccer coaches and other mentors during the night preached it: Discipline, hard work, team building, character.
But there was another layer, maybe not so obvious to the boys, said LINC Athletic Director Jason Ervin.
LINC purposefully brought boys together from different parts of the city. And the night was designed to strengthen existing friendships, but more importantly forge new ones.
As they grow into their teens and become young adults, they may take invitations to get together again. There may be moments in sometimes turbulent, sometimes dangerous situations ahead when these friendships will help them rise together as leaders.
It can start here and now, Ervin said. The kids all exchanged phone numbers as the night turned to dawn.
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