Pulling Flags with the Pros at the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago

On July 1, 2024, TeamSnap Impact volunteers – including those from the Chicago-based Waud Capital Partners, the private equity firm that backs TeamSnap – arrived at the Linda and Bill Gantz Boys & Girls Club to join former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tunde Oshinowo to teach kids the basics of flag football and choosing a healthy lifestyle. 

The fun, high-energy session, known as the Chicago Bears Mini Monsters Clinic, is a mix of non-contact football drills and fitness drills, as well as education around the importance of healthy eating, physical activity and proper hydration. It’s all part of the NFL’s Play 60 initiative, which encourages kids to be active for at least 60 minutes a day. The clinic, presented in partnership with Advocate Health Care, is designed for boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 12.

This particular Mini-Monsters Clinic hosted more than 100 boys and girls, many of whom came from the housing project across the street from the club.    

NFL alum Oshinowo said, “It was an absolute joy running drills and talking about the importance of exercise and nutrition with the kids. It’s super rewarding spending time with such an awesome group. Go Bears!”

Local TeamSnap and Waud Capital volunteers helped facilitate the flag football drills, each leading a station and their own group of kids. 

“It was incredibly rewarding to support the Mini Monsters clinic at the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago, promoting a healthy and active lifestyle for the children in our community,” said Max Rothweiler, an associate at Waud Capital Partners. “We are excited to continue building a strong relationship with these two outstanding organizations and remain committed to advancing youth sports.”

“I really value the opportunities we get through TeamSnap Impact because they allow WCP employees to get out into the Chicago community through youth sports,” said Libby Baker????, director of people operations at WCP. “At Waud, we engage through various partnerships in the community, but typically through a financial literacy or private equity education lens, so TeamSnap provides us with a fun and different way to get out there and engage with kids!”  

The Boys and Girls Club of Chicago (BGCC) is one of TeamSnap Impact’s oldest partners. To date, BGCC serves some 20,000 youth across more than 20 locations in the greater Chicago area. TeamSnap Impact supports BGCC’s free programming for all their youth. 

Learn more about TeamSnap Impact – and how sports can make a difference in the lives of kids everywhere.