Big Brothers Big Sisters of the
Greater Twin Cities
“How We Connected”
Greg Brucker was looking for a meaningful way
to connect with young people and decided to meet
with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater
Twin Cities. In 2007, he became a Big Brother.
know many kids and had a hard time opening
up to them because he was so quiet. Now,
he is part of a group,” says Greg.
When meeting with his Match Support Coordinator,
Carole, she told him about young Jamal, a very
reserved 11-year-old who loved sports. Greg agreed
to be Jamal’s Big
Brother, trusting
Carole’s insights into
the match process.
Besides noticing an increased confidence among
both adults and his peers, Greg has witnessed
Jamal’s innate sense of determination really
come to life. His focus and practice in basketball
earned him the
Most Improved Player
trophy in March.
Jamal kept
extremely quiet
when the pair got
together in those
first few months, but
that would change.
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invited Jamal to
watch the Super
Bowl at his place,
and during the game,
Jamal suddenly
opened up. “By
the end of the
night, it was like
he was a different
kid. He was so excited and talked up a storm,”
Greg recalls.
That internal drive
has spilled off the
court as well. Jamal
is excelling in school,
often bringing his
A papers along on
activities to show his
Big Brother. That’s
a definite change,
according to Greg:
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want to talk about
school at all.
In fact, he couldn’t
wait for the year to
end.” Previously, Jamal
hadn’t even considered
post-secondary education as an option, but now
he sees college as part of his future reality.
It was that passion for sports that gave the two
an opportunity to really connect. Greg went on
to coordinate Jamal’s registration for football,
basketball and baseball leagues. He helped coach
Jamal’s baseball team and he helped the other
coaches organize rides, deal with behavior issues,
recruit players, provide treats and raise money
for equipment.
During Jamal’s first year playing sports, teammates
became friends. “In the beginning, Jamal didn’t
Greg calls his match with Jamal one of the most
rewarding and intense experiences of his life.
He is continuously grateful for the time they
spend together. “Jamal is one of the neatest
kids I have ever known,” Greg says. “Some
day he will tell his own amazing story of what
he has accomplished in his life, and that
will be a dream come true.”
For more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters please visit: www.bbbs.org
www.pga.com/diversity