Variety Grant Fuels Skate DSM's Get on Board Initiative

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Skate DSM received a Variety grant to help fund the Get on Board Project, which will provide skateboards and helmets for hundreds of kids like Kyrie in the Des Moines area. Skateboarding combines extreme physical exertion with precise muscle coordination and balance, which makes it a great activity for kids' physical and mental health.

Kyrie and her little brother joined Skate DSM’s after-school Skate Club at Brubaker Elementary School earlier this year. They spent eight weeks working with instructors and peers to learn the basics of skateboarding. The first few weeks of Skate Club were spent learning how to balance, push, turn, and stop on a skateboard. Kyrie noticed that some of her peers were learning quicker than she was, especially her brother and his friends. Kyrie was shy, seemed to lack self-confidence, and worried she would never be as good as the other kids. Throughout those initial weeks of Skate Club, Kyrie would express how much she wanted to skateboard but continued to say, "I can't do it". Skate DSM instructors encouraged her to continue practicing and worked with her on specific skills she struggled with. Eventually, she was able to get one push, then another, and another… and before she knew it she was riding just as fast as the other kids!

As she learned new skill after new skill she would excitedly run up to the instructors saying how she never thought she would be able to do those things! When asked how she felt after landing a new trick she replied that she was proud of herself, and by the end of Skate Club’s eight weeks, Kyrie was toe-flipping, kick-turning, and gaining not only speed but also newly found confidence in herself and her abilities. Through the act of skateboarding, she learned what it means to be persistent, to never give up, and how empowering it can be to learn a new skill. This is Kyrie the day she received her brand new skateboard and helmet, all full of excitement and ambition! Now, after graduating from Skate Club, Kyrie and her brother are ready to continue their skateboarding journey outside of a structured lesson at school. Skatepark, here they come!

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