07/04/2026
My dearest Arizona Youth Sports families,
Fourteen years ago, when I started Arizona Youth Sports, I never imagined it would grow into what it is today. Every weekend, as I watch thousands of children laughing, competing, learning, and making lifelong memories, I am reminded why this organization exists.
As the son of a Samoan/Chinese father and a California mother, I am living proof of what many people call the American Dream.
I was born and raised in Samoa. Growing up, I understood what it meant to have limited opportunities. Every year, I watched people leave for America because they believed they could build a better future through hard work, determination, and freedom. Those experiences shaped the way I see this country.
I love the United States of America.
Having traveled throughout much of the world, I can say without hesitation that I have never found another nation that offers the same combination of freedom, opportunity, generosity, and possibility. It is easy for those of us who have always lived here to take these blessings for granted. Ironically, it is often those who come here from somewhere else who recognize them most clearly.
My own life is evidence of what freedom, opportunity and hard work can make possible.
As a child, I loved sports. But where I grew up, organized youth sports simply weren’t available. In the late 1980s, my family moved to the United States for five years before returning to Samoa. During that time, I finally had the opportunity to play organized youth sports. My parents could only afford one season of flag football and one season of baseball for me, but those experiences changed my life.
Years later, Arizona Youth Sports was born from one simple desire: to give every child the opportunity that meant so much to me. I wanted youth sports to be affordable, close to home, welcoming, and genuinely fun for every family. I never wanted cost to be the reason a child missed out on the chance to play. I wanted children to experience teamwork, confidence, perseverance, and friendship. Lessons that last far beyond the final whistle. Most of all, I wanted every child to have the opportunity to play multiple seasons of sports. Something I always yearned for but never had.
Every weekend, I have the privilege of watching thousands of children put on a jersey, step onto a field or court, and discover that they are capable of more than they imagined. For many, these moments become lifelong memories. For others, they become the beginning of confidence, leadership, friendships, and a love for sports that lasts a lifetime. If Arizona Youth Sports can help even one child believe a little more in themselves and a little more in their future, then every long day, every challenge, and every sacrifice has been worth it.
I truly believe that only in America could I have built something like Arizona Youth Sports. This country gave my family opportunities we never would have had otherwise, and I will never stop being grateful for that.
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, I hope we take a moment to reflect on the incredible blessings of freedom, opportunity, hard work, and the responsibility we each have to leave this country better for the next generation than we found it.
Thank you for allowing our family to serve yours. It is one of the greatest privileges of my life.
God bless you, your families, and God bless the United States of America.
Mountains of gratitude,
Gene Ho-Ching
Founder, Arizona Youth Sports, AZ Club Prep, Club Strike
08/20/2026
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