KIDCATION

WASILLA — Howie Marks spent much of his childhood in the Valley. Now that he’s grown with a family of his own, he’s rising to the challenge of helping mentor a new generation.

A 1996 Wasilla High School graduate and former high school athletics coach, Marks is six weeks into his new gig as manager of the Boys and Girls Club of Mat-Su. Since taking over the local youth center, Marks said he and his staff have been working hard to rev up the club’s facility and programs.

Marks took some time from a busy Monday afternoon to answer a few questions:

Frontiersman: Boys and Girls Clubs of America has a reputation for being an inner-city youth alternative. The organization is now becoming more of a rural outlet as well, isn’t it?

Marks: Absolutely. I was surprised to learn that we have somewhere between 40 and 50 clubhouses throughout the state of Alaska. Many are in very remote areas.

F: What is the Boys and Girls Club?

M: Our motto is that this is “a safe place for kids,” and that’s exactly what it is. Also, we get grants for certain programs (within the club), like Passport to Manhood. We have a Keystone Club, which is having a garage sale here on Friday. Those are things we have within that focus on groups of kids.

F: How did you get involved with Boys and Girls Clubs?

M: I’ve been involved in youth activities since I was 18 years old. I get into coaching here in the Valley. Most recently, I worked on the North Slope, but was sick of always being away from home. Now I live just down the street … and two of my kids come here too.

F: You talk about instilling a sense of pride and accountability in the club members. Explain what’s happening there now.

M: That’s what we’re working on. Now, we’ve got a check-out system (for games and equipment). The members are coming along. We’ve really been cleaning the place up, too. We’ve been painting, like here in the gym. Most of the members understand what we’re trying to do.

F: What are your goals for the local club?

M: We want to make this a place where, not only is it a safe place for kids, but a place they want to come. In order to do that, you have to not just have classes. They want to play and have fun. … We’re trying to show them some sense of responsibility.

F: How prominent are video games at the Boys and Girls Club?

M: We have an Xbox 360 and a Wii, but they only come out at certain times and for a certain amount of time. The kids do take care of the 360 and Wii better than anything else.

F: Boys and Girls Clubs have an open campus. What is that?

M: Open campus means that if you drop your child off and they want to walk down that trail over there, we cannot stop them. But, if they want to go I usually ask them, “if I called your mom or dad, would they way it’s OK?” And if the answer’s probably no, they usually won’t go.

F: If you had a crystal ball, what would you like to see in the future for the local clubhouse?

M: I’d like to see 200 kids a day here and everything being utilized. We have a teen room, tween room, computer lab. Also, we need some new stuff.

F: What have you learned in the short time you’ve been managing the Mat-Su facility?

M: I have learned there are a lot of youth in the Mat-Su Valley who need a place to stay, need meals, need attention. We offer a lot of field trips and make (a difference) for those kids.

F: Be honest, who drives the other crazy the most — you or the members?

M: I think it’s both sometimes. They drive me crazy by not cleaning up, but I’m sure I drive them crazy bugging them to clean up.

F: You get to influence youth and act like a big kid yourself at times. How are you adapting to your new position?

M: I enjoy it. I play pool on occasion, but that’s not really my game. I bring Pokemon cards and we have Pokemon tournaments on Fridays. I have yet to be beaten at Pokemon or table tennis. Also, this is important. We are here to run our programs, teach the kids and try to teach them responsibility. If some of the kids didn’t come here, I don’t even want to think about what they’d do.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.