{"id":90995,"date":"2026-06-04T20:50:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T02:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=90995"},"modified":"2026-06-04T20:51:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T02:51:26","slug":"healthy-swings-home-run-charity-event-supports-athletics-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/healthy-swings-home-run-charity-event-supports-athletics-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy Swings home run charity event supports Athletics & Beyond\u2019s mission to help young people open doors through sports"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Young
Young athletes train at Athletics & Beyond, the Colorado nonprofit that empowers children and teens through sports, mentorship and leadership development. Athletics & Beyond is this year’s beneficiary for UCHealth’s Healthy Swings Charity Home Run Derby. Photo by Michael Ciaglo, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An industrial office park in Denver\u2019s Montbello neighborhood seems an unlikely spot for a beehive of optimism-fueled activity.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s exactly what you\u2019ll find at Athletics & Beyond<\/a>, a two-decade-old nonprofit with deep roots in the community.<\/p>\n

Youngsters trooped into the 7,500-square-foot facility on Nome Street on a recent afternoon to box, sprint, swing bats, lift weights and pivot purposefully under the watchful eyes of experienced coaches and trainers.<\/p>\n

The play is part of a larger purpose, said Narcy Jackson, co-founder and executive director of Athletics & Beyond. The organization channels young people\u2019s enthusiasm for sports into academics and other support that will help them succeed in whatever profession or pursuit they choose.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want our kids to lock themselves into only one thing,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cDon\u2019t be just a football player. Be a scholar athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n

Expanding young people\u2019s horizons<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To that end, the organization offers free tutoring, run by a teacher and an engineer, to the entire community every Wednesday. Students also get instruction in film, dance, yoga, computer science, financial literacy and more in a community room within the facility.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of what we do is community work,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cWe are a mentoring program, but in order to get our kids\u2019 attention, we have to go to what they\u2019re passionate about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Youth
Workouts at Athletics & Beyond are about more than speed or strength. They help young people build discipline and confidence. Photo by Michael Ciaglo, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

UCHealth recently hosted the 8th<\/sup> annual Healthy Swings Charity Home Run Derby at Coors Field, and multiple pro athletes and celebrities helped raise $260,150 for Athletics & Beyond and its ongoing work to improve community health. The dollars raised this year set a record for the UCHealth event.<\/p>\n

Jackson called UCHealth\u2019s ongoing support, including the financial boost from the Healthy Swings event, \u201cbeyond exciting. I am pinching myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspiration from tragedy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A poster affixed to the wall above Jackson\u2019s head bears witness to his drive to divert young people away from the risks and temptations that surround them and toward productive, satisfying ways to live.<\/p>\n

The young man pictured in the poster wears a basketball jersey on the court and a proud competitive scowl as he rises above another player. He is Lonnie Harris \u2013 aka \u201cBinky\u201d to Jackson and his other childhood friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was putting up like 50 points,\u201d Jackson said, looking at the photo. \u201cNo matter what sport, no matter what it was, he excelled.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson recalls Harris as a \u201cphenomenal student athlete\u201d at Central Catholic High School in Denver who pushed him \u201cto be better and work twice as hard\u201d just to keep up.<\/p>\n

As an adult, Harris went on to a successful career at Comcast and was for Jackson the ideal model of the scholar athlete he wants kids in Athletics & Beyond to emulate.<\/p>\n

But in 2017, Harris was murdered outside his southeast Denver home. He was just 52, and the murder remains unsolved.<\/p>\n

At the time of the murder, Athletics & Beyond had been serving young people and their families for more than a decade but was four years away from moving into its present home. Jackson said the tragedy helped to spur his efforts to secure a home that protects kids and nurtures their promise.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe definitely was an inspiration,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Youth
At Athletics & Beyond, a Denver-based nonprofit, young people build strength, confidence and a path to success. Photo by Michael Ciaglo, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Support for sports, academics and more<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Harris\u2019s death is also a reminder that the world can be a tough and dangerous place that can rob without reason. The Nome Street facility is not a hiding place, but rather a refuge where kids receive positive support and direction, Jackson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach one of those kids is in a safe facility and away from whatever harms might be out there for them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Athletics and Beyond also works as a \u201cconnector\u201d for young people who need counseling, mental health services, nutrition and other assistance, Jackson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re finding that some of our kids have a lot more going on than what the average person would see,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cSome kids might have slept in the car the night before. They might have a parent that has been abused. They might not have eaten. We try to feed our kids at every event we hold. That\u2019s the \u2018beyond.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Youth
Through support from the UCHealth Healthy Swings charity event, Athletics & Beyond helps young people find coaching, encouragement and a sense of belonging. Photo by Michael Ciaglo, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Service to others prevails<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A spirit of service is evident from the moment one opens the door of Unit C. Victoria Aguilar, receptionist in the facility\u2019s tiny front area, said she started helping at Athletics & Beyond as a junior in high school. She\u2019s now a junior at Metro State University.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve lived here my whole life,\u201d Aguilar said. \u201cI enjoy being able to give back to my community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shouts and bustling activity filled the cavernous, equipment-filled space behind her. Boxing coach Lyle Nurse (Coach Lyle) stood next to a boxing ring flanked by heavy training bags that kids pummeled while he spoke.<\/p>\n

\"Youth
Coaches at Athletics & Beyond\u00a0push kids to work hard and become scholar athletes. Photo by Michael Ciaglo, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s a far cry from what he saw the first day Athletics & Beyond opened the Nome Street facility in 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing was here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Coach Lyle said he works with kids from the ground up, training them to box competitively.<\/p>\n

\u201cI begin teaching the basics,\u201d he said. \u201cNumber one is defense because kids will be punching back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Above his head, two 13-year-olds in headgear and padded gloves practiced, waiting for his instruction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the age I like them,\u201d Coach Lyle said. \u201cThey\u2019re growing into manhood. I help to raise them. I\u2019m a tough coach. I\u2019ve had them get angry with me, but I\u2019m a mentor to help them get through tough times. Not everybody here is going to be a pro, but if I can get them started and then isolated with another coach, that\u2019s the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Affordable training, equipment and organized activity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Meanwhile, Bryan Sanders, Athletics & Beyond\u2019s baseball director, tossed pitches to young hitters inside a netted batting cage. After several vigorous swings \u2013 and solid contact \u2013 a youngster named Eric said he appreciates having a place for organized practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get help with my swing and my mechanics,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Youth
At Athletics & Beyond, kids build strength, confidence and a sense of community while they train, play and grow together. Photo by Michael Ciaglo, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThere was nothing like this when I grew up,\u201d said Sanders, a Montbello High School graduate who played baseball collegiately and served as head coach at his alma mater.<\/p>\n

Eric and other kids who have aspirations to play \u201cat a higher level\u201d practice hitting against a pitching machine and get data about their swing from technology like Blast Motion and HitTrax, Sanders said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s technology like you see in high-level gyms\u201d that is \u201cnot breaking pockets\u201d for parents, he said. The kids also play competitively in tournaments. But Sanders and his coaching colleagues have a larger message to convey to kids: use sports as a springboard to lifelong success.<\/p>\n

\"Youth
Athletics & Beyond is a place where young people can work hard, have fun and feel supported. Photo by Michael Ciaglo, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAthletics is the hook,\u201d he said. \u201cSports can only take you so far, and they might not be a path in life. We\u2019re helping our kids to be good young men.\u201d<\/p>\n

Positive support prevails<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The positive influence coaches have on young people shone through in another corner of the space. Young kids took turns taking rapid staccato steps and making sharp pivots, both empty-handed and with footballs cradled under their arms. After a series of drills, they clustered around Armani-Tashon Swazer, who had put them through their paces.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can do anything you put your mind to,\u201d Swazer told them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI became the man I am because of coaches,\u201d Swazer said after the kids left.<\/p>\n

\"Youth
As the recipient of donations from this year\u2019s UCHealth Healthy Swings Charity Home Run Derby, Athletics & Beyond will move into a larger space to keep helping young people grow through sports and mentorship. Photo by Michael Ciaglo, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He calls his training \u201cDawg University,\u201d meaning it helps them to become \u201ctalented beyond the usual. But it\u2019s not just talent. We\u2019re helping them develop a mentality to outwork every other person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swazer said his high-energy, demanding routines aim to build in youngsters \u201ca mindset that will put them in the best position to succeed even when things aren\u2019t the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marquaze Johnson\u2019s six-year-old son was among those who heard Swazer\u2019s message.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s helping to teach discipline,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n

Nearby, Tyrone, a teenager from Aurora who competes in high school football and track and is preparing to attend the University of Northern Colorado, crouched in starting blocks before launching into a sprint.<\/p>\n

He said Athletics & Beyond gives him more than a place to practice and train.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, it just helps me to make an impact and let people know that I can go bigger, beyond football,\u201d he said. \u201cI like the culture. They make you feel welcome, no matter what color you are or what language you speak.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that for now he\u2019s not getting help with his academics, but knows that \u201cif I needed it, I know they are here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back in his office, Jackson said Tyrone\u2019s words embody what he originally envisioned for Athletics & Beyond.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne hundred percent of our high school seniors graduate, and five are graduating from college,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s what we hang our hat on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Youth
Children work on sports skills and also get help with tutoriing at Athletics & Beyond, this year’s recipient of funds raised through this year’s UCHealth Healthy Swings Home Run Derby. Photo by Michael Ciaglo, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The mission expands<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Jackson\u2019s dream continues to grow. On July 1, Athletics & Beyond will move into a new 25,000-square-foot home at 3250 Quentin Street in Aurora.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will allow us to spread out,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cWe\u2019ll be able to do more to meet the demands of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An industrial office park in Denver\u2019s Montbello neighborhood seems an unlikely spot for a beehive of optimism-fueled activity. But that\u2019s exactly what you\u2019ll find at Athletics & Beyond, a two-decade-old nonprofit with deep roots in the community. Youngsters trooped into the 7,500-square-foot facility on Nome Street on a recent afternoon to box, sprint, swing bats, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2143,"featured_media":91005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[3921],"class_list":["post-90995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-community-benefits-report"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHealthy Swings charity event supports Denver nonprofit Athletics & Beyond\u2019s youth mentorship work - 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