This is a story about the power of being seen, and it’s especially true for the estimated 60,000 foster care children in California.
Josh Ford, the head water polo coach at Jesuit High School in Sacramento, shared his personal story of foster care and how a Court-Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, mentor changed his life.
The water polo team at Jesuit High in Carmichael got a full workout. As the sun began to set, they practiced drills with Ford at the helm.
“My teams know, and every team I ever coached knows that my team is my family,” Ford said.
As a young boy, Ford defied all odds. First, he had to fend for himself as his mother battled substance abuse. Then, Ford bounced between twelve different foster homes.
“I was a foster youth from the age of 13 until I aged out at 18,” he said.
On his 14th birthday, Ford would meet his CASA mentor, Major Rogers, for the first time.
“He essentially told me you can have anything you want in this world, but it’s going to start by getting good grades and playing a sport,” Ford said of Rogers.
Rogers soon became a father figure and friend to Ford.
“He pushed me in the direction of, ‘Why don’t you try water polo?’ ” Ford said. “And I came into water polo and tried out during a conditioning week, tried to quit three times but stayed with it.”
By staying with it, Ford became a competitive water polo athlete at Redwood High School in Visalia, winning matches and tournaments.
Rogers stuck by his side as his coach.
“He understood that a kid like this needs a structure or a family, or a team, or somebody there that is accountable, and something to work for, something to live for,” Ford said. “And once he threw me in the water, I didn’t want to get out.”
Ford would go on to play water polo at American River College, winning the first Big Eight championship in program history. Rogers always showed up.
“He gave me opportunities to see this life in a different way, to be a friend, an ear to fall back on,” Ford said.
After graduating from Sacramento State with an English degree, Ford joined Jesuit High School as the head coach. Team captain Declan Blewett admires Ford’s leadership and passion for the sport.
“I think it explains a lot about his character and shows how he kind of perseveres through everything,” Blewett said.
As the playoff push continues for the Jesuit Marauders, Ford said he is thankful for the stranger who saw him for who he was and taught him what it means to be family.
“He had the foresight to see that I just needed a structure and a family like a water polo team,” Ford said. “And now, year in, year out, I get a family every year.”