WORKING -- MATT BARNICLE

HE IS

A kid at heart

WELL-SUITED

Barnicle, 28, has been the athletic director of the Boys & Girls Club

of Huntington Valley for the past 18 months. Originally from Worcester,

Mass., Barnicle has been working with children since he was 14.

“I’ve had a lot of experience with kids,” Barnicle said.

He has been a YMCA youth administrator and also a youth director for a

cruise line.

He said he was strongly affected by watching his father, who was also

an athletic director, teach sports to children.

“I think watching my dad really influenced my love for sport and that

has been the reason I pursued this career,” Barnicle said. “Sport is just

an amazing outlet for anyone, especially for kids, because it can keep

them out of trouble.”

TIME FOR CHANGE

While working for the West County Family YMCA, Barnicle realized he

needed more to his job.

He decided something with more administrative responsibilities would

allow him to have more input while still allowing him to be involved with

kids.

He said this new start was going to be a big step, so he moved from

Massachusetts to a city he was familiar with.

“I used to ride the freestyle and trick bikes, and on the bikes they

always had ‘Made in Huntington Beach, Calif.’ inscribed on them,”

Barnicle said. “So I decided that Huntington Beach, California, was where

I was going.”

DAY TO DAY

The Boys & Girls Club is a place where kids from 3 1/2 to 16 may spend

time before and after school, Barnicle said.

“The kids are supervised but are free to roam within the facility and

make choices as to what they want to do,” Barnicle said. “It broadens

their minds when they are allowed to choose.”

Fulfilled by the hard work he puts in, Barnicle added that along with

administrative duties, his work also involves coordinating and

scheduling athletics programs for about 500 children throughout

Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley.

“I get to do many things here, and I can integrate more of my ideas

here than in previous jobs,” he said.

REWARD

The rewards of his work are subtle, Barnicle said.

“You see it in the gratitude of the kids,” Barnicle said. “I have kids

who just come to my office and sit there just because they want to talk

to me. That’s a pretty good feeling.”

si Story by Torus Tammer, photo by XXXX