INTRODUCTION

The Prince George's County Boys & Girls Club is a private, non-profit corporation incorporated under the statutes of the State of Maryland and is governed by a Board of Directors. The Club provides Prince George's County youth opportunities to participate in many activities sponsored and conducted by 33 member clubs located throughout the county.

Each club is administered by volunteers. At the present time, 3,000 volunteers serve 18,000 youth members of the Prince George's County Boys & Girls Club.

Member clubs offer basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, cheerleading, track, and football programs for girls and boys ages 5 - 18. These activities are available to all Prince George's County youth, regardless of ability and/or skill level. Participants receive instruction from coaches who are American Sports Effectiveness Program qualified.

Become involved and join the fun and the activities offered by member clubs of the Prince George's County Boys & Girls Club. Adults, get involved as a volunteer. Youth, join the fun as a member and meet new friends! To get involved as a volunteer or member, please contact the Membership Chairperson of the club in your residential area.

Each quarter, we will recognize a special individual who has helped make the Boys & Girls Club a success. This quarter, we recognize Katrina Williams, an alumni of the Prince George's County Boys & Girls Club.

KATRINA WILLIAMS
Lanham Raiders Alumni Cheerleader Goes Pro with the Washington Redskins!

Each morning when I awake I have to ask myself, "Who am I today and what role do I have to fill? Am I the Manager of the Fitness Center at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex, the 5-year veteran Washington Redskins Cheerleader, Coordinator of the Washington Redskins Junior Cheerleaders Program, or simply Katrina, mom and wife?" I often lie in bed for 10-15 minutes and contemplate the answer. Once my mind is free from clutter, I jump up and start my day.

I am fortunate to have so many choices, roles and opportunities in life. I have been working at the Sports & Learning Complex (PGSLC), a facility of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, since October 1999, and serving as the Manager of the Fitness Center since the summer of 2001. At the Complex, I am responsible for the general operations of the 20,000 sq. ft. Fitness Center. I manage a little over 60 employees and maintain a membership of at least 1,500 members at all times. The interaction with the staff and patrons is fulfilling and energizing, and the challenge is tremendous. Needless to say, I love my occupation. My passion is to educate about the benefits of being active and helping individuals realize that they can make decisions to impact their lives in dramatic ways, either positive or negative. Being active has always been a way of life for me. If you ever see me at a training or a workshop, I am the one who just can't seem to sit still.

Not only do I have a great career, but I also have a great hobby, cheerleading for the Washington Redskins. After my work is done at the Complex, I commute just 2 minutes over to FedEx Field for practice. Team practices are held at least twice per week and I use the practice as my way to stay fit, blow off some steam and interact with 41 other young ladies of common interest.

I am a 5-year veteran on the squad. I have loved every moment of being a cheerleader. The Redskins organization is a prestigious and classy organization and being a cheerleader has allowed me to experience things I had never imagined. I travel, meet new people and am actually treated like a star. I have visited other stadiums to see the Skins play. I would have to say, my most memorable game would be our 1998 loss to Tampa Bay. It was a quiet plane ride home. I have traveled twice to the Dominican Republic and to Mexico for our team calendar shoot.

While those excursions were fun, last year, I went on an 11-day tour to the Balkans, particularly to Kosovo and Bosnia. We also spent a few days in Austria and Germany. This trip was memorable because I was given the opportunity to witness first hand the dedication of our peacekeeping troops, the poverty and destruction of war-torn areas and the important role that entertainers can serve to lift the troops' spirits and give them "a little piece of home." We performed on the Fourth of July and I can honestly say that I have never felt so appreciated and needed. At the end of our segment honoring our troops, I gazed around the audience and it was hard to find a dry eye. It was truly an emotional moment that I will never be able to put into words.

But what does all this have to do with the Prince George's County Boys and Girls Club? When I was about 9 years old, a friend of mine was a cheerleader. She was a year older and I remembered thinking that she was the coolest. She told me about cheerleading and I asked my mom if I could join. Little did I know that I was beginning a journey that over 25 years later still has not come to an end.

My mom took me to Thomas Johnson Middle School to register. As the registration took place, I noticed girls jumping around, sitting in their splits and doing all kinds of stuff to be noticed. I was intimidated to say the least. But I went home and with the help of my friend learned some of the jumps that were popular. They had all kinds of weird names like the Russian and the side-hurdler. I even let my friend push me down into my splits. On the day of tryouts, I was ready. I made what was referred to as the A-Squad and from that moment on, I never looked back.

Although, what I do now as a Redskins Cheerleader is dance, and not cheerleading in the traditional sense, my experience with Lanham Boys and Girls laid the foundation for what I am so fortunate to experience today. The practices, competitions and games taught me discipline, perseverance, how to interact as a member of a team and the benefits of hard work. Those characteristics have proven useful in all aspects of my life, including my career, parenting and my role as a cheerleader.

Cheerleading with Lanham was so much fun that I cheered throughout high school. Once the opportunity to cheer was again presented, there was no way that I could pass it up. Something that started as a hobby in my youth has developed into an experience of a lifetime. And, it all started right here in Lanham!

Prince George's County Boys & Girls Club Office
4325 Forbes Boulevard, Suite A, Lanham, MD 20706