Part of the mission of the
Commonwealth Challenge is to get
kids into new environments, like Red
Wing Park’s pickleball courts, and
expose them to as many activities
and outlets to better themselves as
possible. Morgan is quick to point out
with pride that the program is not “for the bad kids,” or “delinquents,”
and he takes personal offense when people describe the program in this way.
Twice a year, for 22 weeks at a time, 16- to 18-year-old males and females enter
the program from all over the state of Virginia. The national program has 40 such
camps across the United States overseen by the National Guard Bureau. The
Commonwealth Challenge program is 75 percent funded through the National
Guard and 25 percent funded through the state of Virginia. The goal of the
program is to graduate more than 250 cadets each year.
During the 22-week program, kids are trained, housed and dressed in a military-
style environment. They take classes and fill gaps in their education so, upon
completion, they are equipped to finish out their high school careers or get their
GED and enter a collegiate, military or workforce environment. Commonwealth
Challenge follows up with every cadet for one year after they complete their
training to provide assistance as they transition to the new phases of their lives.
“We want to make sure they stay on track and utilize the core components of
what they’ve learned here,” Morgan says. “The emphasis on extracurriculars
is just a part of the program to show them there are alternatives to the lifestyle
choices they made before coming here. We expose them to the world that’s out
there, that they may not have known existed before. These are kids who need
to get out of the foster system or who are unmotivated and need a military
structure. Sometimes it’s a kid who wants to do good, but his mom and dad are
selling school supplies for drugs.”
“My greatest
challenge
working with
the kids is
getting them to
experience new
opportunities. We
know sports is a
major component
in giving
direction and
relieving stress,
so pickleball
practice is an
excellent carrot.”
Since the Commonwealth Challenge first opened its doors in 1994, there have
been 50 classes to graduate from its ranks. Three staff members at Camp
Pendleton are former cadets who went on to pursue successful military careers.
Class 51 graduated on Aug. 24, and Class 52 will start on Oct. 1, and Morgan will
have a new crop of students for his pickleball classes.
“My cadets work hard on and off the court to be members of this team and
I would love to give them that boost in the arm to continue playing after
graduation,” he says. “We don’t promote contact sports here. The closest we have
to contact sports is our basketball club. Pickleball promotes all the court sports
and from pickleball they can go anywhere, rather than go back to old habits.”
Morgan also said that as the sport grows in the Virginia Beach recreational
community, it’s also taking root in the local school systems, which only
strengthens bonds the cadets will have to the sport once they reenter an
academic environment. For those who graduate and move on to adulthood,
Morgan has that base covered as well.
“The last club meeting we have before graduation, we go to the USAPA website.
We’ll type in their home zip code and they’ll find the organizations they can play
in close to home,” he says. “I’m hoping they’ll take these pickleball skills back
home and find new people to play pickleball with while they’re working toward
achieving their life goals.” •
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE
COMMONWEALTH CHALLENGE, GO TO
vachallenge.org.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 |
MAGAZINE
29