Ozzie Morales
Ozzie Morales loves and lives to dance. As a member of the break-dancing group, “Break Street Hit Squad,” Ozzie uses his dancing to connect with other teenagers as the group performs at various community events. The group was a brainchild of Ozzie and his father, who both have been involved with community and youth outreach for a number of years.
Through the group’s interaction with youth—either out on the street or as part of scheduled events sponsored by behavioral health organizations, such as MY LIFE or Family Involvement Center—many youth have become more socially interactive, more self-confident and are making progress in building healthy relationships with their own families and others.
“I just started dancing at a young age because it was fun,” Ozzie said. “After a while it became much more than fun. It was an outlet and a way to express myself. Once we started doing street shows and performing at community centers and charity events, it turned into something bigger than performing—people started coming up to us and saying how much they enjoyed it and wanted to be part of what we do.”
Ozzie, his father and other members of the group promote dance and the culture of Hip Hop and DJs to help other youth who may be struggling with mental health, foster care or substance abuse issues, come out of their shells and understand that communicating—whether through dance or other social activities—can be a positive step in their own recovery.
“I didn’t realize what a difference we could make in other teens’ lives—teens who didn’t have a supportive family or parents like I did,” Ozzie said. “I’m lucky to inspire others with the Hit Squad. The dance team and our parents have become one big family, and I’m proud to see that we have created something that others can look up to.”
Having a strong parent/youth combination like Ozzie and his father have with “Break Street Hit Squad” also demonstrates how adults and youth can improve their relationships by spending quality time together doing something they both enjoy.
