INTERVIEW WITH DIEGO FLORES
INTERVIEW WITH DIEGO FLORES
“We’re the only local skateboarding school in San José.” On a sunny autumn day, Diego Flores, founder of Go Go Skateboarding sat down with EASTSIDE Magazine for a cafecito to share how his love of skateboarding turned into a series of empowering programs. Go Go Skateboarding was established in an effort to provide California youth, and those young at heart, with high-quality skateboard programs and services. Their mission soon grew into shedding light on the mental attributes needed to conquer fears and reach goals: “We try to use skateboarding as a catalyst for kids, whether in elementary or middle school.”
For a long time, it was just teaching skateboarding. It wasn’t until a parent emailed saying, “Hey, I know this is just skateboarding lessons for you, but my son was getting bullied by someone, and through the skateboarding lessons, the positive reinforcement, the high-fives, my son started to have a different sense of self-confidence and belonging. The lessons help him with his confidence more than you’ll ever know; he doesn’t care what the bully has to say anymore because of this extracurricular and positive reinforcement that goes into it, all you’re offering.”
“The lessons help him with his confidence more than you’ll ever know; he doesn’t care what the bully has to say anymore because of this extracurricular and positive reinforcement that goes into it, all you’re offering.”
Flores had yet to fully understand the impact of his teachings. Before all the hardships, this was a personal turning point because the message showed the cause and effect. He wanted people to skateboard and loved being in a class. What Flores did felt natural.
“The trickiest part of this journey was reaching out to schools, getting the ball rolling and the confidence in ourselves, in myself, to see this vision come to fruition.” They were reaching out to schools, and many people were saying no, no, no. Over time, that persistence of sending them an email about once a year with a quick, “Hey, not sure if things have changed, but this is what we’re offering, we’d be happy to help any way we can,” yielded results. Slowly but surely, the schools caught on, and so far, it has been amazing to see the feedback and demand from schools. They have a small waitlist of schools to accommodate, but at this point, the challenge lies in finding people who have the time to come out and teach.
“Slowly but surely, the schools caught on, and so far, it has been amazing to see the feedback and demand from schools.”
Flores has high schoolers who join them as docents. “It’s wild because, after ten years, we witness these kids grow up.” Through their staff coaching, high school docents are developing leadership skills, having first-hand experience, and gaining awareness of the possibilities within the field and the possible influence on these kids when presented with the mindset, you can change a life.
Flores vividly remembers a little girl who had extreme anxiety but with the goal of dropping in on a quarter pipe ramp. It was the first or second class when she climbed the quarter pipe and said, “I really wanna do it, but I’m scared.” Flores and the instructors talk to the students about listening to their hearts and intuition. If they don’t feel like it’s time, it’s okay; take a step off, go skate, and come back when you think it’s time. It was the third or fourth week, and she came up to the top of the quarter pipe and was shaking. Finally, they gave her one chance, and she rolled away, which was magical. All the other students were clapping; no one was telling them to clap. Everyone was cheering her on. As she was rolling away, she let go of a sigh of relief, and then she got back up and started doing it more and more. Remembering that emotion and how powerful it was for her– that sense of empowerment is there.
“Finally, they gave her one chance, and she rolled away, which was magical. All the other students were clapping; no one was telling them to clap. Everyone was cheering her on.”