Alumni Spotlight: Michael Chapman — A Safe Place, A Second Chance,A Saved Life

Michael Chapman didn’t realize the Boys & Girls Club had changed his life until decades after he

first walked through its doors. Like many alumni, he thought of the Club as a space to hang out,

shoot hoops, play soccer or explore woodshop after school. It wasn’t until a conversation with

his mother years later that the full weight of what the Club meant to his life hit him.

Today, Michael is a father, a lawyer, a volunteer and a community leader in Greater Cincinnati.

But the journey from an angry, struggling kid in Bloomington, Indiana to the man he is today

was anything but straightforward. And the Boys & Girls Clubs played a quiet, consistent and

transformative role throughout.

A Quiet Sacrifice, A Lasting Gift

Michael grew up just seven blocks from the Lincoln Street Club in Bloomington. “I was a card-

carrying member,” he recalls. “I wore my soccer jersey from the Club to school every day. I was

proud.” Back then, he didn’t understand why the Club mattered so much. It just felt like a

normal part of childhood.

But one phone call changed everything.

About a decade ago, after the passing of his beloved grandmother, Michael called his mom just

to say thank you. The moment stirred some guilt, he’d been meaning to visit for months but

hadn’t made the time. “I told her, ‘You did a great job, Mom. I just wanted to say that.’” What

she said next would stay with him forever.

“She told me, ‘Michael, it wasn’t easy. When your father left, we had no money. You were

angry and got into fights all the time. I had to beg for used shoes so you could go to school.’”

That’s when his mother said the words he had heard before, often in commercials or interviews

with celebrities: “The Boys Club saved your life.”

Only this time, it wasn’t a slogan. It was his truth.

Growing Up with Strikes Against You

Michael’s childhood was marked by pain he didn’t even fully comprehend at the time. His

father, an abusive alcoholic, left when he was six years old. His mom worked three jobs to keep

the family afloat. Money was tight. Dinner was often pancakes, something young Michael

thought was just a fun treat. He didn’t know it was because the family couldn’t afford anything

else.

“I was just a kid who liked breakfast for dinner,” he says now, with perspective.

When life at home was chaotic and uncertain, the Boys & Girls Club became a haven. “It was

safe. It was welcoming. I didn’t know it at the time, but my mom put me in the Club

intentionally to surround me with positive male role models. I just thought I was playing

basketball.”

Later, during high school, Michael’s life began to spiral. He got into trouble. He was looking for

a way out, even considering the military but was rejected because of pending legal issues. And

once again, the Club stepped in.

“I had to do 50 hours of community service. The Club took me back without judgment. I swept

floors, filed papers, made peace with myself. And they listened to me. They gave me not just a

second chance, but a third, fourth and fifth. That’s the kind of place it is.”

Changing the Trajectory

Those chances made all the difference. Michael turned his life around, went to college and

became a teacher. Later, he graduated with honors from law school. He got married. He’s

raised two sons, both thriving and proudly service-minded like their father.

His eldest, Sam, is an Eagle Scout with a 4.0 GPA and was just elected student body president.

His younger son, Levi, is just as bright. They volunteer together, ringing bells for the Salvation

Army each year and serving their community with joy.

Michael models the kind of life he once struggled to imagine. One built on giving back and

showing up for others the way the Boys & Girls Club showed up for him.

“I can never repay that debt,” he says. “So I pay it forward. Every chance I get.”

From Survivor to Mentor

Today, Michael wears many hats: lawyer, advisor, volunteer, board member. He’s part of the

Clermont County Board of Developmental Disabilities, a local Rotary Club member and chair of

a scouting district. He also serves on the advisory board for the Boys & Girls Clubs.

He’s been a coach, mock trial coach and a mentor for youth who are walking the same path he

once did. Kids growing up with three strikes against them. Kids who are angry, hurting or lost.

“It’s not just about me,” he says. “It’s generational. The Club broke a cycle for me and now I

want to help others break theirs.”

He sees himself in the kids he mentors. They’re hyperactive, full of energy and maybe a little

rough around the edges. “Some of us were pretty terrible,” he laughs. “But the Club staff

always welcomed us. They settled us down, gave us space to breathe. That’s rare. Most places,

you make one mistake and you’re out. I made countless mistakes, and they never gave up on

me.”

The Legacy of Belief

Michael’s story is deeply personal, but not unique. He’s met countless other alumni who share

the same experience. A childhood on the brink, a second chance through the Club, a life turned

around.

“When you’re in the cycle of poverty, divorce and abuse, a few bad choices can change your

whole life. The Club helped me overcome that and change the entire trajectory of mine.”

Even now, walking into a Boys & Girls Club brings tears to his eyes. “I see those kids, and I see

myself. It’s emotional. Because I know that if they’re here, they have a chance.”

And that’s what keeps him going.

“This work, it’s the one thing I do where I’m in way over my head, but I love it. I take pleasure in

overcommitting myself to help kids in my community. That’s how I try to say thank you.”

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