GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — When I walked into the gym at MSA Woodland in Wyoming I had my head held high, but a few shots at the basket with 16-year-old Kauron and my confidence quickly left the room.
Shot after shot, Kauron’s basketball abilities were on display while mine were not.
A simple game of horse and it didn’t take long for the letters to start piling on for me, Kauron making quick work of me.
Even a few lucky shots couldn’t salvage my game, so we decided to take a breather and get to know the teen a little better.
We first learned basketball isn’t even his best sport.
“I really like to play football,” 16-year-old Kauron said.
“My main position would be quarterback.”
He loves watching college ball especially Clemson, but says it’s the Lions that have inspired him off the field.
“They don’t give up, and that’s cool,” Kauron said.
“It reminds me I can do anything if you keep trying.”
In school, he keeps putting his mind into math, a subject he’s grown to love and be good at, despite a slow start.
“I would put my head down and just sleep,” Kauron said.
“Now, I really like math.”
His work ethic on the court, on the field, and in the classroom is evident, but he’s also been working hard on something else. He’s been working hard to find his forever family to call his own.
“I just want somebody, a family, there to be there for me no matter what,” Kauron said. “No matter what happens, they're just there to support me.”
Having someone cheer him on for every basket, touchdown, and passing grade he achieves would be a game-changer.
“I feel like if I did have that, it’s going to be life-changing for me,” Kauron said.
It’s safe to say finding a forever home would be a slam dunk for this teen.
If you're ready to take the next step and give a foster child like Kauon a loving foundation for life, contact Orchards Children's Services.
