Matt Light: Outdoors, Community, Mentorship

5/31/2024

From sports to school, life lessons affect every area of young peoples’ lives. Matt Light, three time superbowl champion and former left tackle for the New England Patriots was a leader in both the field and in the community. Him and his wife Susie founded the Light Foundation in 2001 to provide experience for young people, teaching them about the outdoors and the lessons that come along with it.

Their mission statement is to “take young people out of their everyday environments and provide them with unique opportunities that ignite their passion, purpose, and motivation to succeed.” Their core values include, “accountability, hard work, collaboration, nature, faith and service.”

Inspired by his own upbringing, Matt Light started the foundation in hopes of spreading the positive impact that outdoor and social upbringing provides, “I grew up in a family that outdoors was number one… everything we did was centered around the outdoors, our trip up north to Northern Michigan was something we looked forward to every year… chasing rabbits, you got your dogs running, coyotes, squirrel dogs… I look back on my childhood and just wish that every kid could experience life like that." Though not within the realm of his professional field, Light is driven by his passion and personal significance to impact the lives of many through his foundation.

Sports also helped Light become the passionate leader and teacher person that he is today, “the things and the lessons as an NFL player and all the coaches they helped shape me, we love being that resource for the kids that we serve."

In a world with social media, competitive academics, and stresses of complex life, Matt Light is a prime and shining example of spreading the light of a stripped down and simpler part of life that is so key yet we often stray so far from. Gronk said, “I think all of us look at our times in the outdoors and say it's your therapy right? It's your one opportunity to let everything go in that's in your mind… the work or family things or whatever it is that weighs you down at times, you know you take that walk to your stand, or you go on that still hunt or you get out on a cold brisk winter morning and everything goes away…”

The Light Foundation also promotes and ensures equity. Every year the light foundation gives out ten thousand dollars worth of scholarship money to select campers, and they self-report having helped over four hundred fifty students from underserved areas around Massachusetts.

The Light Foundation’s leading program, Camp Vohokase, takes in “at risk” incoming high school freshman selected by Matt Light all over the country into a four year summer program. They are required to keep up academic standing and standards while learning the program's core ideas: R.E.A.L. The teens take part in a myriad of outdoor activities such as archery, woodworking, fishing but also take part in camp upkeep and other chores to teach the core values that Light put in place.

Overall, Matt and Susie Light’s “Light Foundation” embodies a passionate spirit of instilling a disciplined, balanced and fulfilling life into the youth that is so desperately needed in today’s climate. Matt Light is able to give away and preach his positive world view and lifestyle that he learned in his upbringing and athletic career. “Our goal is to inspire kids to work hard, put their best foot forward, and strive to become champions in the game of life.”

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Works Cited

Light, Matt. "Managing Deer and Helping Young People With Former New England Patriot Matt Light." Interview by Nick Pinizzotto. Coffee and Deer Podcast, episode 69, National Deer Association, 6 Mar. 2024.

Mattlight72. The Matt Light Foundation, www.mattlight72.com/meet-the-lights/.