Stronger Together: The Importance Of Team Building In Sports And In Life

By Dr. Jeff Padgett

At the Paul Anderson Youth Home, we believe that character is not just taught—it’s forged through experience. Whether in the classroom, on the job site, or out on the athletic field, every moment is an opportunity to mold young men into leaders of integrity and purpose. One of the most powerful tools in this transformation is team sports, and more specifically, team building through sports.

When our young men step onto a court, or line up on the field, they are not just engaging in a game—they are entering a living classroom. Every drill, every play, every huddle becomes a moment where trust is built, communication is refined, and character is tested. These are the same values that Paul Anderson himself modeled: discipline, humility, perseverance, and the belief that no individual is greater than the mission.

Sports provide a clear and compelling metaphor for life. No one wins alone. Success on and off the field requires commitment, accountability, and selflessness. In sports, as in life, we must learn to lean on others, to lead when needed, and to sacrifice personal gain for the good of the team. That’s why we use sports as a foundational component of our program—not just for physical development, but for spiritual and emotional growth as well.

Team building teaches our young men to see beyond themselves. Many of them arrive at the Home struggling with isolation, distrust, or a distorted view of masculinity. But on the field, they learn that real strength is found in unity. They learn to lift one another up, to work through differences, and to strive for a common goal. In doing so, they begin to grasp the bigger picture—not only of what it means to be a teammate, but what it means to be a brother, a leader, and eventually, a man of God.

This month, as we continue to emphasize the value of team building in our sports program, we are reminded that the ultimate team we are preparing them for is the family of God. We are training future husbands, fathers, mentors, and citizens—men who will one day build up others the way they themselves were built up here.

Thank you for standing with us in this mission. Together, we are shaping a generation—one team, one heart, one young man at a time.

Strength For The Day

Each week, PAYH shares a devotional; “Strength For The Day,” by Chaplain (Col) Stephen W. Leonard, USA, Ret. In addition to being a retired US Army Chaplain, he is also the husband of our Co-Founder, Glenda Anderson Leonard. His writing is both moving and inspiring and will most certainly lift your spirit and encourage you in your walk with Jesus. To receive his weekly writing, you can subscribe online at payh.org. You can also read past writings by clicking here.

Family Weekend At PAYH

There’s something powerful about families coming together with purpose. Recently, we welcomed families to the Paul Anderson Youth Home for a special time of connection, growth, and encouragement.

From heartfelt breakout sessions to fun games and intentional time spent together, Family Weekend is all about strengthening the bond between our young men and their loved ones. These moments are designed not only to uplift the individual—but to support the entire family.

Honoring The Flag Honoring The Fallen

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the City of Vidalia, Georgia Fire Department for taking the time to visit the Paul Anderson Youth Home and pour into our young men.

With great care and reverence, they taught proper flag protocol—how to raise and lower the American flag with respect, when and why it’s flown at half-staff, and the importance of precise, intentional folds when presenting it to the family of a fallen hero.

This wasn’t just a lesson in flag etiquette—it was a lesson in honor, sacrifice, and patriotism. The American flag is more than fabric. It represents the blood, sweat, and sacrifice of those who have served and laid down their lives for our freedom.

Thank you, Vidalia Fire Dept., for instilling that truth in the next generation.

Thank You, Kiwanis Club Of Vidalia

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Vidalia for the warm welcome and opportunity to share about this year’s Bike Ride! The young men were honored to speak about their journey and the impact it has had on their lives.

We are also incredibly grateful for the lunch provided—it was the perfect way to refuel and connect with such a supportive community.

A special thank you to Mac Jordan for serving as our liaison and helping coordinate this meaningful event. Your continued support means the world to us!

Thank You, Vidalia Rotary Club

We are so grateful to the Rotary Club of Vidalia for welcoming the Bike Ride boys to your meeting and allowing them to share about their experiences on the Ride. Your kindness, encouragement, and support mean so much—not only to them, but to everyone at the Paul Anderson Youth Home.

Because of friends like you, these young men are given opportunities to grow, learn, and discover just how far they can go when they push beyond their limits. Thank you for investing in their lives and cheering them on!

Thank You, Vidalia Lions Club

A heartfelt thank you to the Vidalia Lions Club for graciously welcoming our Bike Riders and giving them the opportunity to share their journey from the 2025 Paul Anderson Bike Ride!

Your hospitality and interest in the mission of the Paul Anderson Youth Home mean the world to us. Because of friends like you, our young men gain the confidence to share how God is transforming their lives—one mile at a time. We are grateful for your continued support and encouragement!

Georgia’s State Bird

In defense of Georgia’s state bird, the gnat…

When you’re out here cutting grass AND serving as the frontline defense against the entire gnat population of South Georgia.

This young man is proving that nothing—NOT EVEN a gnat swarm—will stop the work from getting done at the Youth Home!

Through A Child’s Eyes: A Legacy Of Love At The Paul Anderson Youth Home

by Olivia Hendley
There are people who come into our lives and leave footprints so deep, they are never washed away. At the Paul Anderson Youth Home, we have been blessed by many such individuals—but few quite like “Aunt Nell” Hodges.

Bill “aka, Uncle Bill” and Nell Hodges were the very first volunteers at the Youth Home. From the earliest days, they gave their time, their energy, and their hearts to the mission of shaping young men’s lives. Whether it was driving the boys to doctor’s appointments or preparing meals with love, the Hodges poured themselves into this ministry in countless quiet ways. The boys didn’t just know her as a volunteer—they cherished her as a grandmother figure. Her care wasn’t scheduled or superficial; it was personal, lasting, and deeply felt.

So much so, that the Atlanta Falcons recognized her and Bill as “Volunteers of the Year”—an honor that only scratched the surface of the impact they had.

One young girl who felt that impact firsthand was Olivia Hendley. Olivia and her family lived in the “M & M House” on the Paul Anderson Youth Home campus while her parents, Matthew and Shannon Hendley, served faithfully. Matthew served as the Director of Advancement. During their time at the Home, Olivia formed a special bond with Aunt Nell—a relationship built on stories, warm hugs, shared laughter, and a trust only a child and a grandmother-at-heart can know.

Enjoy the series of memoirs written by Olivia:

A sturdy old lady moved into a small house. A quaint place to live, she needed some extra care and didn’t need to live so far out from where she spent so much of her time. Where she volunteered and had been working for 50 or so years. So, she moved from her farm and into what was called the “playhouse”, next door to us. She wasn’t frail, just older and just as stubborn as they come. She had a really wonderful personality, or so it always seemed to me. Things that seem so real to me may be remembered differently by others, but i’ll always do my best to share things the way I remember them. I never knew her when she was young or even in her middle-age years, but I did know her throughout her eighties and into her nineties. In fact, there never was a time that l didn’t know her. She went as far back as my memory goes. She raised me, or that’s what she always said. I was one of her young’uns, and she was our Aunt Nell.

One of my favorite souls to walk this earth and among some of the best people l’ve ever known. True, I was just a kid knowing her, but she made a lasting impact on me and played a big part in my childhood. She was one of my closest friends; I can credit her with that. With Aunt Nell, things could either be fine and dandy or just plum tacky! She could be aggravated and amused all in one breath. She was the best cook you’ll ever hear tell of, everybody agreed, she knew it too, and she’d even tell ya, that’s the truth! Spirited is one to say it. Her Pecan Pie is world-famous, or at least to us it sure was.

I remember a time when my dad wanted my older sister and me to try and get her recipe, so we went up to the kitchen and followed her around for a while, desperately trying to write everything down. Well, that secretive old lady walked circles around us, just throwing random handfuls of things together, no measurements needed. When my sister tried asking specifics, she would answer very vaguely, not caring to share her secrets. What we did gather we took home and attempted to recreate her pie. All I remember was that we failed miserably and scrambled the eggs when putting the “gunk” (that’s exactly what she called her filling) into the crust. Never again, did we try to figure that one out. It just wasn’t something you even really tried to replicate because you knew that it would pale in comparison to hers every time. Just wasn’t worth it, and once you tasted Aunt Nell’s pecan pie, you couldn’t even really enjoy anybody else’s because you understood that her way of making it was the only right way in the world. That skill and knowledge may have just been something she took to her grave with her.

My Aunt Nell was known for giving out peppermints, the soft kind that melt in your mouth and have red stripes. Maybe occasionally we’d get the green ones or the different colored kind; One can’t tell you what flavor they were, just something good. She was THE peppermint lady to all the kids, but I’m sure she probably gave them to everybody else too; shoot, she’d even feed them to the dogs! She’d save the ones that had one and a piece or two mints in one packet and only give them to my little brother, she called them “twofers.” Her car smelled like peppermints, her house smelled like peppermints, and she smelled like Avon perfume and peppermints. Even after she moved out into the nursing home, you could still smell them through her air conditioner window unit, from the outside. I used to shimmy down a big tree branch and onto her roof when no one was looking, and back behind her house by the pretty blue hydrangeas, up and across the top of that old dividing fence to sit by that old window unit and sniff. I grew up in that old magnolia tree. A little rambling barefoot child.

I believe that I had one of the best childhoods in the history of mankind. Challenging in some ways, yes but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. We were left alone so that we had freedom and room for the imagination, even if we lived with boundaries. I think we took full advantage of enjoying our beautiful surroundings, and Aunt Nell was just another character and piece of that. If I remember correctly, Aunt Nell didn’t drink coffee much because it would remind her that she used to have her cup of coffee with a cigarette, and she’d given up smoking a long time ago. I reckon the temptation would’ve been too strong.

Aunt Nell liked the color purple the most, and she always loved pigs. She had them everywhere, I know I helped add to that collection, I just couldn’t help it. Because of her, I love the Gaither vocal band and watching any old western. I reckon we both love cowboys. Aunt Nell was married to “Uncle Bill” he wasn’t a cowboy, or at least I don’t think he was. She sometimes talked about him. I remember few stories about him, some things she may have only told because I had asked. I remember meeting Uncle Bill a couple times, but he had Alzheimer’s and lived in a nursing home long before she did. She told stories later on of him just walking off down the lane, leaving her, but always searching for home. Sad, I always thought, to see someone you love go downhill like that with you having to watch and care for them. My dad had been right with him when he passed away. I wish I could have known more about him. She really did love him.

In her later years, Aunt Nell would cook some, and she would sit in her big yellow armchair, maybe blab and gossip some. Her Royal Highness had earned the privilege of bossing people around in the dining hall and all over campus. The rest of the time she spent watching her westerns, and she ran her errands to the hair-fixin place and the Dollar General. The problem was she was blind in one eye, and getting older as the days went by, she probably shouldn’t have been driving as long as she did. I remember how shocked I was when she told me she only had the one good eye, and I thought, well you couldn’t ever tell by looking at her! In my childish head, I never realized until that moment that a person could be blind, and their eyes look entirely natural. Most likely, my way of thinking came about because of a certain Mr. Donald, the only blind man I knew, and he wore thick sunglasses. It finally made sense why l’d accidentally startle her when l’d come up to the side of her car to open the door and help her down to her house. Must have been her left eye because she couldn’t fully see me unless she turned her whole head in that direction.

A favorite memory of mine will always be seeing her old white car pull up out front, and racing outside to give her my arm, walk her down that old crooked sidewalk, and someone running ahead with her keys to unlock the door for her. An outsider might say those kids just wanted some candy, but I honestly don’t remember those thoughts ever crossing my mind. Sure we may have wanted a peppermint, but to me, Aunt Nell’s company was even sweeter. I know she’d sometimes tell stories, and maybe advice but what I feel mostly we had was just casual conversation. You see, normal everyday conversation came easy with Aunt Nell. That’s just how I remember it, of course I have always liked talkin to old ladies; rather, I think I have always been the old lady. I always really felt like the two of us got along good. Two peas in a pod or two pigs in a pond. I’m an old soul anyway, but she was made to feel younger. Matter of fact, she once told me that I made her feel young or something along those lines. I’ll never forget that, or how it made me feel. Ours was an inevitable friendship with no pressures at all, just two people enjoying each other’s company.

To Be Concluded Next Month By Oliva…