Guest Commentary: Tommy Bohanon Foundation football camp is more than just fun and games
As a lifelong resident of Southwest Florida and former student-athlete at North Fort Myers High School, I’ve seen many of the hardships my friends, teammates and even I went through as a youth.
Many of us came from disadvantaged backgrounds, causing issues at home and a lack of adequate food, clothing and shelter. Others struggled at school, with poor grades, problems “fitting in,” and so on. For many of us, sports became a way of finding structure, a place to get away from the struggles and negativity in favor of teamwork and camaraderie.
Sports also taught us life lessons about good sportsmanship – leadership that will last a lifetime – and helped with how to recognize and conquer the obstacles that young people in our community often face, preventing them from reaching their fullest potential.
That’s why my wife Katie and I started the Tommy Bohanon Foundation eight years ago. We saw the need to empower the youth in our community and foster positive change, with sports as the vehicle.
Our first foray supporting student-athletes was a youth football camp, which continues to be our most well-attended program. Over 250 local student-athletes come to North Fort Myers High School one Saturday in June for hands-on training in the game from experienced coaches.
Even more important are the life lessons we share with the kids to help them grow into amazing young men and women.
We know the game of football will bring the youth plenty of fun and excitement, but sports alone will take them only so far. Our work at the foundation continues with education, mentorship and community engagement for the student-athletes.
We strive to break barriers, unlock potential and inspire future leaders. We believe in providing opportunities that inspire growth, resilience and a brighter future for the children of our community.
A short time after the first camp ended as a big success, Katie and I realized the need in the community went much deeper. We knew we could do more to support the youth and with that the Tommy Bohanon Foundation was born.
What was once a one-day youth football camp has now become an organization that has raised over $1 million for academic scholarships, sports equipment grants to local high schools, youth football camps, seminars and as a benefactor to other local nonprofits.
Katie and I couldn’t be happier about the success we have had with the foundation and the impact it has had on more than 12,000 youth in Southwest Florida. Now, as parents, we know even more why the camp and foundation are important to many young athletes and their families.
With the support of people like you, we will continue to make a positive impact and enhance the lives of the next generation.
— Tommy Bohanon is the president of the Tommy Bohanon Foundation. He is the Managing Director and a Financial Advisor with Baystate Financial in Bonita Springs. He spent seven seasons in the NFL as a fullback and special teamer.