Font ResizeASHLAND — Denzil James Scales lay on the asphalt Wednesday morning after taking a fall while participating in basketball drills with a group of kids at Hillside Elementary School.
Although he was visibly shaken, he didn't stay there long. A few moments later, Rafael Avendano, the site coordinator for the Boys & Girls Club program there, encouraged him to get back up, leading the rest of the group in humming the theme song to "Rocky."
Eventually, just like the "Italian Stallion" himself, 10-year-old Denzil got back on his feet, dusted himself off and everyone went back to playing.
Indeed, this was a typical day at the Hillside program. But it also was a reflection of how the Boys & Girls Club has created a haven for young kids over the summer in this unincorporated community.
Because of the Hillside program, which is part of the larger San Leandro Boys & Girls Club, nearly 100 first- through fifth-graders spend each weekday in some form of athletics — either basketball, flag football, volleyball, soccer or dance — doing arts and crafts, and enriching their minds.
If it wasn't for the program, many of the kids say they would just be staying at home watching TV, bored out of their minds.
"The staff is fun, and the sports are, like, challenging," said Taahira Shabazz-Brown, 10, who has been participating in the program since she was in second grade. "It's challenging because the coaches are
Branden Mitchell, 10, echoed Taahira's enthusiasm and said he liked the sports part of the program as well.
"It's also fun because they keep you hydrated," he said, referring to the free lunch program offered at Hillside and the staff's emphasis on drinking water.
The program is unique because, as the only Boys & Girls Club site in the San Lorenzo school district and in Ashland that is open during the summer, kids flock there from all over the community.
One of the main reasons the program continues to thrive during the summer is because of the efforts of one lady: Suzanne LaBare, the newly retired Hillside principal, who for the past seven years has pushed to keep it active when the school year ends.
She said when she first started at the school, she immediately saw a need for keeping the program alive in the summer months. During the school year, the Boys & Girls Club already had an afterschool program there, she said, but she wanted to make sure that opportunity was available year-round, especially because many of the students come from low-income families.
She said she also wanted to ensure that the kids weren't just playing all the time, but also keeping their minds active. That is primarily why the students who participate in Hillside's summer program now enjoy the benefits of both sports and academic enrichment.
"It's been a good working relationship, and I'm glad to have the Boys & Girls Club here," LaBare said. "I wouldn't want to imagine what it would be like if the Boys & Girls Club wasn't here."
What's more, the program has outlasted all of the changes that have taken place at the school throughout the years. Many of Ashland's residents are renters, so people come and go. The sports part of the program is now handled by Oakland-based nonprofit Team-Up For Youth.
But many say they expect the program to continue thriving because LaBare has laid a strong foundation of support.
"Since we've been here, Mrs. LaBare has had a big impact on keeping us at the school," said Christen Gray, program director for the Ashland Team-Up For Youth program. "So it will be really sad to see her go."
LaBare said she also will be saddened to leave the summer program that she has nurtured for so long. But she said she is not worried about what the future may hold because she knows the community needs it and the kids keep coming back year after year.
For more information about Hillside Elementary School's Boys & Girls Club program, call 510-483-5581. Reach Martin Ricard at 510-293-2480 or mricard@bayareanewsgroup.com.
