MONTHLY SPOTLIGHTS

Chris Sanders Staying Focused on Evolving

Chris Sanders is the 12 and up Instructor for the Youth Development Program. He runs programming like Passport to Manhood and SMART Girls alongside Olivia Parker. In his role, Chris also assists with video gaming, running the Triple Play basketball league with Carlos Johnson and instructs students in the Michael Phelps Foundation swim program. 

Having been with the Boys & Girls Club for eight years, Chris shared that, “A day at the club is always fun. It’s always positive, for the most part. You find something positive to make your day better.” 

Working as a teacher in the morning, Chris then walks into a day at the Club and knows each day is always different. “I’ve never had two of the same days in a row and I mean that from a positive perspective,” said Chris. He went on to share that he could be having a bad day and then he sees a kid he has a special bond with and it takes away the bad in his day. 

When asked about his motivation for working in this role, Chris shared that his passion for teaching and instilling confidence in the youth keeps him going and striving for more. “It’s a blessing to be with those kids every day,” said Chris.

The biggest impact he hopes to make is teaching the kids to build confidence in themselves and character building. 

Chris’s time with the Boys & Girls Club hasn’t just been about him teaching others how to grow and build confidence, though. Chris credits his role at the Boys & Girls Club with changing his mindset about life. He shared that the biggest takeaway from working in this role has been to learn patience. “Everything isn’t going to be perfect.

Everything isn’t going to go how you want it to be, but working with these kids has just taught me a lot of patience,” said Chris.

In regard to the Passport to Manhood program, Chris shared that he starts out each day by saying their space is a no judgment zone and a safe space for open dialogue. He tells the young men that they can ask him any question and go over any topic. Nothing is off limits and they can be as open and honest as they feel comfortable being.

“With Passport to Manhood, I’ve built unbreakable relationships with these young men and I’m honestly just so proud of them. I love to see how much they’re evolving,” said Chris.

With mentorship being such a large component to the work of Boys & Girls Club, Chris expanded more on the importance of mentorship both on himself in his youth through attending the Boys & Girls Club and the overall impact of mentorship on young adults. His view is simple - mentorship is for everyone. “Everybody needs guidance. Everybody needs help. Every person on this planet has had help from someone,” said Chris. 

To Chris, being a part of the Boys & Girls Club allows those involved to find new family members in the connections they build through the Club. Being a part of the Boys & Girls Club growing up and now being an instructor at the Club as an adult, Chris said, “I can never remember a bad day at the Boys & Girls Club so when I had the opportunity to work here, I took it.”

In 2025, Chris is laser-focused on his personal and professional evolution. “I don’t believe in being stagnant in anything. I always want to grow and get better,” said Chris.