Boys & Girls Club Blog

Montee Ball Jr., retired runner back for the Denver Broncos and former Wisconsin college football player, visited Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh and shared with teens his story, it’s high points and also what he learned from his low points. He even signed autographs.

Ball shared his story as a young adult experiencing pressures while attending UW-Madison, hitting rock bottom while he was a member of the Denver Broncos NFL team and then his road to recovery. Through his transparency, teens were able to learn about the effects of alcoholism and how his substance abuse contributed to his breakdown. He expressed how important attending therapy and receiving family support was in turning his life around and reaching recovery.

Teen Center Program Director, Liz Karlovich, shared that “the way he talked to the kids was very honest. Our kids needed to hear that even if you make a bad choice, or are in a bad situation, you can rise up from that. You don’t have to be stuck in that situation. That you are the only one who can change your mentality of who you are and who you want to be. Never give up on bettering yourself. It can always get better.”

Ball was brought to Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh through Solutions Recovery Center, Inc. and the Club’s HOPE (Hold on Pain Ends) Group, which gives teens a place to talk about their loved ones who are dealing with addiction.

We appreciate Montee Ball Jr., taking time to come to our Club and share his story with our teens. It was a memorable lesson for our teens to realize that they are not defined by their mistakes but rather by the effort they make to do better in the future.

For more information on the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh, please contact the Club at (920) 233-1414, visit the Club online at bgcosh.org or find the Club on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@BGCOsh), YouTube or LinkedIn.