Lifelong Vikings Fan Nurtures Youth.....

Getting Open: Lifelong Vikings Fan Nurtures Youth Mental Health Through Sneakers

Every Friday, lifelong Vikings fan Jimmy Guidos visits an elementary school in Anaheim, California.

He sets up a sneaker-cleaning station and wipes down students' shoes, giving new life to well-used kicks.

But Guidos also talks to the kids. He connects with them.

Conversations sometimes revolve around recess or homework, or a student will notice the Vikings Norseman among the numerous pins adorning Guidos' lanyard strap and show off their Griddy moves. Being on the West Coast, many of the young people Guidos meets follow NFL teams other than the Vikings; but most nonetheless share an infatuation with Justin Jefferson.

Oftentimes, talking about a mutual love of football will lead to deeper discussions around family, home life and the ups and downs of school.

Along with refreshed sneakers, children walk away knowing there's another advocate in their corner.

"I get to talk with them about, really, anything and everything they want to come talk to me about," said Guidos, who is approaching nine years working with Western Youth Services, a mental health nonprofit. "We work in tandem with teachers, counselors, psychologists. Really working with disciplinary teams at schools and individually with students to help them with their social-emotional learning, help them develop positive relationships with their peers, help them with self-regulation, self-awareness, social awareness — all these beautiful things we get to teach kids."

Guidos currently is serving 23 different school sites, which he visits before and after school hours, and where he's established his #FIREFRIDAYS sneaker-cleaning program.

He noted the "big, big world" that's opened up to him through shoes, which have always been important to him and often are important to youth.

"You know what they say: 'You look good, you feel good.' But most of the time when I was growing up, they weren't necessarily the sneakers I wanted," Guidos recalled. "It was, 'What are the shoes that my family can afford for me right now? Knowing my parents are working jobs, I'm the firstborn, now I have siblings and we've gotta get shoes for them.'

"A lot of times for these kids, it's not the shoe they want — it's what shoe can we afford? What shoe is sustainable? What shoe is going to still fit you a few months down the road? I always tell kids, 'It's not the shoes you wear; it's how you're wearing them. It's what you do while you're wearing them. Are you listening to your family? Are you listening at school? Do you have the resources available so you can reach your full potential?' " Guidos continued.

In addition to cleaning up students' shoes, he keeps his eyes and ears open for those young people who need a new pair. Guidos then either personally purchases a pair to gift them, or he finds the right size in a collection he's gathered from donations.

"Then there's that moment, 'Hey, you have somebody who's looking out for you. You have someone else out here who cares about you,' " Guidos said. "Sometimes these kids look for family outside of their family, and I want to make sure they're searching for that in the most positive ways. And if that's a way I can plant that seed — 'It's not the shoes I wear. It's not the clothes I wear. It's me. I'm valuable because I'm me and because I'm here' — that means the world to me."