And How BOTO’s Big Ride Brings Setting Goals to Life
Right now, as you’re reading this, our team of cyclists from Cherokee Creek Boys School (CCBS) is midway through a bold adventure … BOTO’s Big Ride 2025.
On September 21st, they set off from Kansas City, Missouri, with a plan to ride 265 miles in five days, finishing in St. Louis on September 25th.
Once again, David LePere, Executive Director of CCBS, is leading the ride and has set a goal to raise $50,000 for the FireKeepers Scholarship Fund.
And of course, our mascot BOTO the Bear (Be Open To Outcome) is charting the course and cheering them on.
Why take on such a challenge?
Our CCBS bicycling team is riding to:
- Raise awareness for adolescent mental health,
- Raise funds for the CCBS Firekeepers Scholarship Fund, and
- Challenge themselves while having fun.
Today as we post this blog, the team is on Day 3 of the journey. Spirits are high, legs are tired and the miles are steadily adding up.
This annual ride is more than a cycling challenge. It’s a powerful living example of one of the most important lessons we teach boys at CCBS … the value of setting goals and working step-by-step to achieve them.
Or, in this case, mile-by-mile and dollar-by-dollar!
Why Setting Goals Matters for Teen Boys … and for ALL of Us!
For boys between the ages of 10 and 15 … especially those who are struggling with emotional, academic or behavioral challenges … life can feel overwhelming.
Without tools to help them organize their hopes and efforts, they can quickly become discouraged.
That’s why learning to set goals is such a vital skill for teens.
According to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America:
“Goals give us something to work toward, purpose to keep us motivated and … with a little luck and a lot of hard work … something to celebrate.”
Setting goals and working towards them can help teens:
- Achieve desired outcomes.
- Build self-confidence.
- Develop perseverance and resilience.
- Discover what motivates them.
- Strengthen their work ethic.
- Learn when to ask for help and support.
At CCBS, we’ve seen how the simple act of defining a goal and measuring progress toward it can change the way a boy sees himself … not as “stuck” or “failing”… but as someone capable of growth.
The Parallels Between Cycling and Setting Goals
This week’s BOTO’s Big Ride is the perfect metaphor for the process of setting goals.
The team isn’t trying to conquer 265 miles in one sprint. Instead, they break it down into five days, checkpoints and rest stops. Each rider relies on team support when the road feels uphill. They keep track of miles completed to measure progress and celebrate each stage along the way.
This is exactly what we encourage boys to do when working toward their personal goals:
- Start small. Break the big picture into manageable steps.
- Measure progress. Celebrate every bit of forward motion.
- Lean on support. Friends, parents and mentors can be teammates.
- Enjoy the journey. Confidence and resilience grow along the way.
When a boy learns to set goals this way, he begins to realize … hard things are possible.
Making Goals SMART
One way to guide boys is through the SMART Goals Framework:
- Specific: Clear and focused (“I will hand in my essay on time.”).
- Measurable: Progress can be tracked (“I’ll write for one hour each day.”).
- Attainable: Realistic and within their reach.
- Relevant: Meaningful and connected to their values.
- Time-Bound: Includes a deadline or time frame.
Just as our riders measure each mile toward St. Louis, boys can measure their daily steps toward success … whether it’s keeping up with homework, improving in a sport or strengthening family relationships.
Helping Teens Set Effective Goals: Tips for Parents
Parents often ask us: How can I help my son learn to set and follow through with goals?
Educator Julie Nariman, in How to Help Teens Set Effective Goals, offers several helpful strategies:
- Make sure it’s their goal, not yours. Teens crave autonomy.
- Partner with them. Support their interests, even if they differ from yours.
- Introduce goal setting as a tool, not a chore. Connect it to something they care about.
- Choose the right moment. Avoid introducing it in the middle of conflict.
- Show them they’re in control. Highlight their past successes.
- Revise vague goals into measurable ones. Help them define what success looks like.
- Emphasize the journey. Progress itself is valuable, not just the end result.
- Connect goals to deeper values. Qualities like perseverance or responsibility give goals meaning.
These strategies reflect what we practice at CCBS … guiding boys in discovering the satisfaction of their own growth.
Fun Goal-Setting Activities for Boys
Sometimes the best way to introduce goal setting is through activities. One simple exercise, recommended in 15 Fun Goal-Setting Activities for Students & Kids, is a Student Goal-Setting Worksheet with prompts like:
- I am good at …
- I am bad at …
- What will I improve?
- How will I make these improvements?
- If my plan doesn’t work, what will I do?
This exercise helps boys reflect honestly and map out a simple plan … building self-awareness and accountability in the process.
Resilience on the Road and in Life
At Cherokee Creek Boys School, we see daily that setting goals builds resilience, confidence and a growth mindset.
Boys learn that setbacks aren’t signs of failure, but opportunities to try again.
That’s the same lesson our cyclists are living right now.
Some moments of the ride are uphill … literally and emotionally. But with each mile completed, they prove to themselves that they can keep going.
And that’s the kind of mindset that carries over into school, family relationships and life.
The ride is happening now … and you can be part of it!
How You Can Support BOTO’s Big Ride
Follow along and learn more here:
- BOTO’s Big Ride 2025 Blog
- Donate Now … and support our boys through the CCBS Firekeepers Scholarship Fund.
Every donation helps us give more boys the chance to discover who they are, what they’re capable of and how to set and achieve meaningful goals.
Final Thoughts
As our riders push through Day 3 of their 265-mile challenge, they remind us of a powerful truth … big goals are achieved one step, one mile, one choice at a time.
For boys, learning how to set and measure goals provides confidence, resilience and hope … qualities they’ll carry long after their time at CCBS.
And just like BOTO’s Big Ride, the journey is as important as the destination. David LePere, Executive Director of CCBS, and leader of BOTO’s Big Ride summed it up best:
“Every mile we ride in BOTO’s Big Ride is a reminder that no boy or family should walk through mental health struggles alone.
At CCBS, we see the difference that hope, support and community can make. This ride is about raising awareness, but more importantly, it’s about changing lives … one boy at a time.”
You can support teen mental health by giving through the CCBS Firekeepers Scholarship Fund.
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