Some people are just naturals; born with talent. Some are natural musicians. Others are natural artists. Raj is a natural athlete. He was always athletically-inclined, but never had the opportunity to play any sports when he was young. In fact, Raj was not allowed to play outside. He spent much of his youth isolated and living with a single mom who suffered from debilitating depression, and her abusive boyfriend.

When Raj first arrived at The House, he wanted to spend most of his time outside on our playground. Within his first week, he picked up a basketball and had a hard time leaving the court. Through one of our programs, Raj was able to join the YMCA basketball league. He and several other boys trained under the guidance of Mr. Carter where they learned how to become a team. Raj quickly emerged as a leader and with help from Mr. Carter, fine-tuned his skills to lead the team to victory during the championship game.

Raj returned to a high school in the community with a new sense of worth and motivation. After a year at his new school, Raj became the captain of his basketball team. He is quite frankly, a natural!