Greg Nelson attended the Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad for many years as a youth because he had to. He supports the Clubs as an adult because he is compelled to. His story as a Club kid is the stuff that a youth organization's dreams are made of. Never forgetting the positive impact the Club had on his life, Greg served as a Staff Member, Executive Director, and as President of the Board of Directors. He and his wife, Barbi, co-chair our capital campaign to build a new Clubhouse and made an incredible $1 million donation.

The Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad was a haven for young Greg and his brother Doug. It provided guidance, positive values, and a place to hang out. While youth guidance is a firm foundation of the Clubs, the fact that it is not a guidance center is what makes it unique. Why have guidance as a hallmark of the Clubs' mission? Is that still relevant to today's youths? Greg Nelson believes it is, perhaps now more than ever. With so many organizations doing different things, today's youth need guidance to remember how to be a kid. "Kids today have so much of their time organized for lessons and sport. They need a place to just hang out and be a kid in a non-competitive atmosphere," said Nelson regarding the Clubs' open door scheduling and convenient, kid-friendly programming. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad maintains a drop-in atmosphere that fits well with the varied schedules of today's youths. "The drop-in center provides flexibility to youths. You can be yourself, be a kid, because you're not forced to do anything", commented Nelson.

How can today's Clubs meet the challenges faced by youths that are bombarded by the media with images of perfection from sports figures to pop stars? Nelson believes that maintaining a consistent, back-to-basics approach that teaches kids ... it's ok to be average -- is the key. "Truth and honor don't get respected as much today as they should," Nelson admits. It was during his time as a Club kid that Greg Nelson learned the difference between desire and determination as it pertained to life.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad is an extension of the community of Carlsbad. While Nelson admits that, due to the variety of organized sports and community services for youth, Carlsbad has changed over the years, he is quick to point out that community leaders and residents care about Carlsbad and the quality of life here.

Greg Nelson's advice for the next 50 years is simple: listen to the kids and the community, self-evaluate on the business end, build an endowment fund to strengthen fundraising efforts, keep a caring staff to administer to the kids, and continue to do what we have been doing. Continue to be "The Positive Place For Kids.