The Athletes for Kids Youth Mentoring program is not about sports, but about building supportive relationships between children with special needs and high school athletes. We believe that modeling acceptance, inclusion, and respect of all individuals transforms and strengthens our communities.

We carefully match each mentee, whom we call a "buddy," with a qualified high school athlete who commits to mentoring the child for one to three years. Once a mentorship is formed, the pair meets on a weekly basis.

For AFK buddies, having a mentor provides friendship, encouragement, and a dependable presence in their lives. In return, mentors develop leadership skills, character, and a deeper sense of responsibility, while building relationships that often leave a lasting impact on both lives.

• We currently serve children in the 1st through 12th grades who have a wide range of disabilities or special needs, including ASD (autism), ADHD, developmental, learning, and physical disabilities, anxiety, depression, and others. Some children we serve are referred by teachers, counselors, doctors, and other service providers. 
• Your child must attend a school that feeds into one of the feeder high schools for our mentors.

If you have any questions about eligibility, please email us at [email protected].

No. Our mentors are trained, and they must attend one of the Athletes for Kids high school chapters in order to be matched. See our buddy info page for the most current list.

The supportive peer relationship that a mentor provides fosters an invaluable sense of companionship and empowerment for AFK buddies, helping them build confidence and social skills while gaining new experiences. Many of our mentor-buddy pairings result in strong friendships that last well beyond the program. Currently, 99% of mentee parents say that having a mentor is making a positive difference in their child’s life.

Yes, our program runs year-round, with many mentor-buddy pairs meeting throughout the summer as well.

Submit our buddy application by clicking HERE(opens in new tHEREab).

Depending on the time of year, the next new mentor training and mentor availability within a 10-mile driving distance, you can expect anywhere from 1-6 months

Mentors and mentee parents coordinate with each other to set up meetup times that work for both the mentor and the mentee's family. We strongly encourage both parties to get into a rhythm of consistent weekly meetings. Most mentor-buddy meetups happen on weekends.

Mentors are expected to meet with their buddy on a weekly basis, for a total of 6-8 hours per month.

Yes, parents or guardians do need to be home for any meetings happening at the home. Guardians don't need to be present for meetups in the community (at libraries, parks, restaurants, etc.). For any activity involving water, we ask that a guardian be present.

We spend approximately $1,200 per year to maintain and support each mentorship. We ask all mentee families for a nominal mentorship fee of $240/year, payable monthly, quarterly, or annually, beginning once the child has been matched.

Note: This fee can be waived for low-income families who request a scholarship in the application.

It is not uncommon for mentoring relationships to have a slightly bumpy start. AFK offers a structured process for working through mentorship difficulties. Most issues are resolved by having our Mentorship Coordinator speak with the mentor.

If all attempts to resolve issues in your child’s match are unsuccessful, we can match your child again if a mentor is available. This is a rare occurrence (less than 5% of all matches) and one that we try to avoid. We encourage you to give the mentorship time to develop and to email us at [email protected] if you have concerns.