Correspondent photo / Nancilynn Gatta Directors of the Hubbard Youth Coalition are, from left, Hubbard police Chief Robert Thompson, Kim Chaney and James Chaney, all of Hubbard. Missing from the photo are directors Kelli and Joe Komlanc of McDonald. Kelly is a teacher at Hubbard Middle School.

HUBBARD — While many people made sourdough bread or cleaned out their closets during the COVID-19 lockdown, friends James Chaney of Hubbard and Joe Komlanc of McDonald created the nonprofit Hubbard Youth Coalition (HYC).

“There was a club that was intricate to the community, The Gridiron Club. They disbanded in 2019 and we were looking for ways to fill the void. During youth football practice, Joe and I had a conversation about what we needed to do and ran through some ideas. That is how it started,” Chaney said.

Three parents of former and present Hubbard students — Chaney and his wife, Kim, and Robert Thompson plus Hubbard Middle School teacher Kelli Komlanc and her husband, Joe — are the directors of HYC.

“We are all active parents in the community and we saw the need,” Kim Chaney said.

Thompson, the Hubbard City police chief, said he became involved with the nonprofit because he came from a family that was charitable. He also is aware of the needs not being met for the local youth.

Prior to beginning their endeavor, they spoke with Hubbard School Superintendent Ray Soloman, community leaders and students to see what they envisioned for the center.

“We formed HYC in December of 2020 and our first meeting with high school representatives to request permission to explore remodeling the (old Roosevelt school) gymnasium was also December 2020,” James Chaney said.

After all the discussions, they had a viable plan to present to the community and business leaders to explain the goals of the group.

“At the same time, HYC directors were trying to finalize usage structure with the school system,” James Chaney said.

“We knew we could not fund the project in its entirety so we developed a four-phase plan for the interior construction that we could complete while keeping the facility open and operating during construction,” said James Chaney.

By early 2024, they raised $100,000 to begin the first phase of construction on March 17. They planned for phases two, three and four to last 18 months to two years. Local support changed the timeline.

“Once we began construction in March of 2024, the interest of the community skyrocketed and we were able to raise the funds for phases two, three and four within three months,” James Chaney said.

The interior construction was completed in less than a year and the facility opened in September 2024.

The HYC website listed its vision as “How can we help?” and detailed that with “We believed that with the support of our community, we could provide the resources, encouragement and opportunities our youth need — not only for a brighter today but for a stronger, more confident future.”

With the intention of helping in any way they can, HYC offers scholarships, ACT test prep, service projects, access to summer camps so students can explore potential careers, batting cages, pitching machines and weights at the wellness center.

“We created HYC to fulfill needs not met by the school system,” said James Chaney.

He gave an example that Hubbard schools only let the in-season sports teams use the gym and weight rooms.

Athletic teams that want to improve their skills in the off season can train and work out at HYC. The high school baseball coach believes that the extra practice helped the boys team win their first district title last year and advance to the regional game.

HYC is completing an inclusive playground where every child, no matter their ability, can play on the Roosevelt grounds. It is also fundraising to have a golf simulator at the center.

Fundraisers aid HYC’s goals, including a golf outing scheduled July 24 at Pine Lakes Golf Course. Monies raised are split between HYC and Hubbard Educators Local Philanthropy (HELP).

On Aug. 13, the third annual Gary Stiver Youth Golf Experience takes place. Children aged 10-14 who are interested in golf are paired up with an experienced player. Gary Stiver was a longtime employee of Greenwood Chevrolet in Hubbard, which at one time was Stiver Chevrolet. The golf experience is named in his honor and there is a plaque with his name and photo in the gym of the Roosevelt Student Wellness Center.

HYC wants to give the youth of the Hubbard community a chance to become the best versions of themselves and to succeed in life with the opportunity to be involved in service projects, educational endeavors and help with athletic pursuits.