MINNEAPOLIS — You can always find Mike Shelton at the Harold Mezile YMCA on West Broadway Avenue in north Minneapolis. As a native of the city, Shelton is trying to make the place he calls home better, starting with the next generation.
"Our tagline is: Changing lives and community through sport," said Shelton.
So he started the Heritage Youth Sports Foundation to do just that. This year, the foundation has worked with over 200 kids. They teach them not only the basics of sports, but also valuable life lessons.
"Teamwork, learning how to be a leader, things of that nature. We really try to develop the whole person," said Shelton.
The kids can't get enough, and Shelton says the community is thankful for this space.
"Our community is going through some tough times right now, and keeping the kids busy and out the street and not getting into stuff that they're not supposed to is what they really, really enjoy," he said.
And Shelton is thankful he can leave a lasting legacy.
"My personal goal is to make sure that people are good after high school so that once they graduate from high school, they start life off on the correct path," he said.
The foundation is hosting a fundamentals camp in January and is looking for volunteers. If you would like to help, you can find more information here.
On Thursday the program was featured on the TODAY Show on NBC, and the kids got a special surprise. More than 100 toys were donated by Fischer Price and Mattel to as an early holiday treat.
Check out the full story from the TODAY show here:
