Not only is Hunter Lhotak the Wagner and South Dakota Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year, but he is also the creator and implementer of a new program at the Wagner Boys and Girls Club called Pass and Receive. Hunter held the first session of the program on March 11th after school with a group of 19 boys aged 10 and up. The goal of this program is to teach the kids football skills while also teaching them an overall life lesson. Hunter is passing on his knowledge and experience in hopes that the kids participating will receive the skills and the message to build strong relationships.

In the inaugural session of Pass and Receive, Hunter began by demonstrating the proper way to pass the football, lining up his fingers over the laces as well as the proper catching procedure for football. After showing the group the passing and receiving basics, he proposed a competition. Each of the 19 boys would pair up and would do three sets of passing and receiving. The boys would receive a score based on how well they demonstrated the technique, with the winning team receiving a root beer float.

After the boys in the group were taught the passing and receiving skills and the competition came to an end, they then watched some football highlights together with Hunter. Afterwards, Hunter was able to relate the skills that they had learned to the importance of passing and receiving in order to better help the kids build strong relationships in their lives. Hunter used the example of the need to pass and receive kindness whether it be with friends, family and people in general.

In the first session, Hunter wanted to help introduce the boys to some of the vocabulary that they will be hearing throughout the program. Going forward, Hunter and the participants will keep building on their football and relationship skills as the conversations and activities become more specific to loss and bereavement. This is a topic that is very near and dear to Hunter as he lost his dad at a very young age, not getting the chance to build the relationship with him or getting to pay catch with his dad as he was growing up. For Hunter, this is also an opportunity to help other youth that may be going through similar situations in the community, letting them know that they are not alone.

The Wagner Boys and Girls Club is the site of the pilot program for Pass and Receive. Hunter is hoping to be able to introduce the program at other Boys and Girls Clubs around the state. This program is also a great opportunity for Hunter as well. As he enjoys playing football and will continue to play for Mount Marty after graduation, this program allows him to use his own love of physical activity and football to build relationship with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club as well as give back to the club that he has been a member of since he was eight years old.