Bjugstad Teams Up with Boys & Girls Clubs to Support Local Teens

Arizona Coyotes forward Nick Bjugstad believes it's important for athletes to be involved in their communities.
When he had the opportunity to partner with the Hartley & Ruth Barker Boys & Girls Clubs branch in Scottsdale on Wednesday, he jumped at it.
Bjugstad, who said he also partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs during his seven seasons with the Panthers in Florida, spent the afternoon playing street hockey at the teen center before speaking with them about life problems and how to overcome adversity.

"It's about being a part of it with the kids and showing them we care, that's the most important part," Bjugstad said. "The Boys and Girls Clubs do a great job of keeping these kids occupied after school and helping them grow."
The Hartley & Ruth Barker branch is one of nine affiliated with Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, and supports both youth and teens that range from ages 5-18. It's a place where kids and young adults can spend critical non-school hours participating in development programs that support a commitment to learning, positive values, and healthy habits,
according to its website
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Beethoven Felix, the senior director of teen services at the Hartley & Ruth Barker branch, said the center focuses a lot on its teens' academic success through homework tutoring, character and leadership programs, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Wednesday's hockey clinic fit in perfectly with a number of those pillars.
"We try to keep them busy, we keep them here as much as we can, and we have Friday night events so they're here late," Felix said. "Parents don't have to worry about them being somewhere where they shouldn't."
The center supports roughly 50-60 teenagers daily, in addition to 100 youth from kindergarten through sixth grade.
The teens were all smiles when Bjugstad showed up on Wednesday, and spending time interacting with everyone is something he said he recalled from his own days in school.
"I remember there were athletes that came by school when I was younger," he said. "It brightened my day, it gave me hope, and it motivated me to know I met someone who made it to the professional ranks."
The 30-year-old Minnesota native is taking that one step further, as well, starting his own foundation named 'Goals 4 Kids.' The foundation's goal is to help teach kids about setting goals and developing life skills - some of the very concepts he demonstrated on Wednesday.

Goals 4 Kids, which Bjugstad said he started with a friend back in Minnesota, focuses more on off-ice development, as opposed to on-ice skills, and runs in conjunction with the summer hockey camps he runs.
"I try to talk about how important it is to set goals and stay true to yourself throughout childhood because it's a confusing time," Bjugstad said. "I think it's important for kids to learn about themselves in different ways and get out of their comfort zone, like they did today.
"It's important to me, I've always wanted to start a foundation, and it's finally coming about, so I'm grateful for that."
Felix said Wednesday's visit was impactful, and he's looking forward to future collaboration with the Coyotes.
"I think it's great exposure for our population, especially for the sport of hockey," Felix said. "A lot of our kids don't really know about it, so seeing their faces when I said, 'Hey, I have someone from the Coyotes coming to visit,' they get that sense of belonging that someone wants to come visit, and I think that's amazing."