Hot Shots 2026 Update
By John Wilpers, Hots Shots founder and director
Ever since the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield CEO canceled our contract in June 2024 without notice or explanation, we’ve been looking for a new home, new supporters, and new leadership. I am 76 and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and prostate cancer in late 2024, slowing down my work to resurrect the program and ensure its future. My Parkinson’s also rendered me incapable of running Hot Shots on a daily basis.
After 30 years of successful and unique programming and graduating 6,000 young children, I am loath to see Hot Shots wither away without a fight. I am committed to preserving, even expanding the unique Hot Shots approach to early childhood development, which was built around:
- 100% parent or caregiver participation to build bonds between kids and their parents/caregivers
- Fun, kid-friendly “drills” using, for example, puppets, parachutes, pillow fights, and squirt guns to teach soccer
- Public speaking: At the start of every session, the children introduced themselves to the crowd, using a microphone to reveal their favorite food, color, animal, and what makes them special
- A weekly bags of books: Every child got a bag of five books to take home each week, read, and return for another five books
- An interactive story time: After each session, we’d read a book aloud and discuss it with the kids
A great young couple wanted to step up, but the chilly reception they received at the Boys & Girls Club when they inquired about returning convinced them it was a non-starter.
I then approached the Atlanta headquarters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America about adopting Hot Shots as a national program. We made it to the review stage, but they ultimately decided they didn’t want to serve the “market” of families with 2- to 6-year-old children. (If you’re interested, here is a link to my one-page exec summary of the proposal; here is the presentation). Now, I’m preparing a proposal for the national YMCA.
If you or someone you know might be interested in helping me ensure that children will once again and for foreseeable future be able to experience the magic of Hot Shots, please reach out.
John
johnwilpers@gmail.com; Text or call: 617-688-0137
