Arkansas City ? Ellsworth Lolar says he grew up at the Northwest Community Center.

“It’s good for the little kids,” he says.

It’s good for older kids too, said Lolar, a high school junior who returned to the center recently for family activity night. “It keeps you out of trouble.”

Lolar was helping out at the center during the weekly program called “Reaching Out.” Its founder and director is Chuck Watson who organizes different activities each week for kids aged 6 and older. Valarie Abington is his assistant.

Watson, 73, started the program nine years ago as a retiree who worked many years as recreation director for the Winfield State Hospital, before it closed in the late 1990s.

Watson talked about the program as Lolar and a few other high school-aged boys played 3-on-3 basketball in the gym. Several girls 9 to 13 years old were in the room next door playing board games. Later, some girls swung hoola-hoops in the gym.

Watson said he participates with the kids in many of the activities. They also include dodgeball, kickball, indoor softball, pool, bingo, cards or watching the game of the week on TV.

The program is not about winning games, though, said Watson. “You teach people how to get along with each other.”

For instance, during the volleyball games planned for that evening, the kids would be urged to share, hit the ball to their teammates, instead of trying to dominate the game, Watson said. Teamwork is emphasized.

Teaching kids to respect each other can be a challenge, Watson said, because some kids who come to the center are “less than kind, put it that way.”

“One of the things we try to teach here is to respect the facility and the rights of other people,” he said.