BOZEMAN — Gallatin High School senior Ethan Waldo saw a problem he felt he could solve during Raptors basketball games.
"Last year I remember looking in the crowd and I saw a lot of kids would be there but they wouldn't be very engaged," Waldo said. "I wanted to find a way to help them have fun and help them be a part of what we're building."
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As a result, Waldo founded the Raptor Rebound Club, a way to connect those young students in the crowd with his team.
The club came at a time when Waldo needed it, too.
"I was having a little bit of a rough season mentally last year and I wanted to find a way to help myself have more fun," Waldo said. "I came to coach (Michael) Claxton the next day, and thanks to him we were able to get it together."
The impact of the club is felt through those part of it and across the gym.
"It's great not only for the kids that are on the bench with us during the games, but I look in the crowd like when I'm on the bench and I see their friends all waving to them," Waldo said.
Waldo said he doesn't know where his giving heart comes from, but it's simply who he is.
"I feel like I've always just had it," Waldo said. "It's always just been a part of me. I've always wanted people to be happy, and I find joy in seeing others around me be happy."
As for how he finds a balance between school, basketball and leading the Raptor Rebound Club, Waldo said you just have to find the joy in it.
"Finding the joy in learning new things makes doing your homework easier, getting through ... class easier," Waldo said. "Obviously the Raptor Rebound Club is just a huge joy for me because I see how happy it makes everybody. And then sports are basically my life, so everything centers around that and it's easy to build off of that."
