From Gila River to the Super Bowl LX
February 13, 2026
PRESS RELEASE
B&GCA/GRIC
SACATON, Ariz. — When Sinai talks about leadership, she doesn’t raise her voice. She doesn’t need to. The 16 year old member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gila River Indian Community has learned that real influence comes from consistency — from showing up, speaking with purpose, and carrying her community’s stories with care.
That quiet strength is what will take her all the way to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara last weekend, where she will stand not just as a football fan, but as one of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s “Champions of Change.”
Sinai is one of only three teens nationwide selected for the honor, a recognition born from the Think, Learn, Create Change (TLC) program a BGCA initiative that teaches young people how to advocate for social justice issues that matter to them. Through a partnership with the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative, teens who complete the Inspire Change Badge Challenge are encouraged to design real projects that uplift their communities.
This year, Sinai’s work stood out. A Project Rooted in Urgency and Love
For Sinai, advocacy is not an abstract idea. It is personal, tied to the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and their relatives, an issue that touches families across Native communities, including her own.
Alongside fellow Club members, she has helped shape a series of projects meant to spark awareness, connection, and healing. Their plans include:
• Launching a youth-led podcast featuring community updates, resources, and conversations with tribal leaders, law enforcement, and other young advocates.
• Building an online network where Boys & Girls Clubs on Native Lands can share ideas, collaborate on events, and support one another’s advocacy efforts.
• Hosting a community town hall, inviting tribal leaders and possibly members of the Arizona Task Force to join an open, intergenerational conversation about safety, justice, and collective responsibility.
Each idea reflects the same belief: that young people have a role, and a responsibility, in shaping the future of their communities.
“I think what makes a champion is dedication,” Sinai said. “No matter what you’re doing whether it’s sports or learning a new skill, you keep showing up. In my community, I use my voice to encourage others and share what’s going on.”
A National Spotlight on Youth Leadership
The NFL sees that same determination.
“The NFL Foundation has a responsibility to use the power of our platform to create opportunity for the next generation,” said Anna Isaacson, the league’s senior vice president of social responsibility. “Through our longstanding partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, we’re empowering young people to be advocates for themselves and their communities.”
For Sinai, the trip to the Super Bowl, complete with tickets to the game and access to Super Bowl Experience events, is both a celebration and a reminder. She will represent the Gila River Indian Community on a national stage, standing alongside LJ from West Alabama and Jaelyn from Greater St. Louis.
But she carries something larger than a title.
She carries the stories of her peers. She carries the urgency of a movement. She carries the hope that her generation can help shift the future.
And as she prepares to step into the roar of a stadium thousands of miles from home, Sinai remains grounded in the same belief that started her journey: that change begins with one voice choosing to speak, and another choosing to listen.