A gavel, a game plan, and a Big who keeps talking to him like he matters: Lonnie & Dion

When Big Dion and Little Lonnie were matched last fall, their connection came together quickly. From the beginning, they clicked over sports, school, and big-picture goals for the future. Over time, that steady conversation has grown into something more meaningful: a match where Lonnie gets to be fully himself, a kid who loves basketball and soccer, and also someone starting to think more seriously about school, money, and what kind of future he wants to build.

The kind of advice that sticks

Dion did not come in trying to lecture. He talked with Lonnie in ways that felt practical, useful, and real. They talked about healthy habits and how eating better can give Lonnie more energy when he plays sports. They talked about school too, including the simple discipline of getting homework done before video games. And when they talked about money, Lonnie listened. Later, he was able to say clearly what he had learned from his Big: that it is important to save his money, and that there are real ways to earn it, even now, by mowing lawns or helping out around the house.

Sports, smiles, and something easy between them

Lonnie loves sports, especially basketball and soccer, and those became natural ways for the two of them to connect. They also threw the football, played Uno, and joined in on scavenger hunt activities. What matters is not just what they did, but how they were together while doing it. Match support staff repeatedly observed two-way conversation, positive interactions, and Lonnie smiling and laughing during sessions. That kind of ease cannot be faked. It is what happens when a kid feels comfortable.

The day he got to be the judge

Then came the field trip that seems to have shifted something. On a visit to a federal courthouse, Lonnie took part in a mock trial and got to play the judge. For him, the best parts were wonderfully specific: he got to hit the gavel, sit in the nice chair, and take the role seriously. For Dion, it was bigger than a fun outing. He said it felt like a huge learning experience and that he could see Lonnie thinking about his future as more than just sports. And after that day, Lonnie said he wants to be a judge someday.

That is the beautiful thing about exposure. Sometimes one experience opens a door a kid did not know was there.

Find it here

Maybe what Lonnie and Dion have found here is momentum. A relationship built around trust, laughter, practical wisdom, and one grown man taking the time to talk to a young person like his future matters. That is why mentoring matters in 2026. It is social infrastructure. It helps kids imagine more for themselves, and then start taking small steps toward it. In this match, that looks like homework before games, saving money a little at a time, and a kid leaving a courtroom thinking, maybe one day I could sit in that chair for real.  Become a Big, and find it here.