How the YMCA Fostered an Extraordinary Friendship
Six years ago, Jason Hank enrolled his son Jack in swim lessons at the Sewickley Valley YMCA. At the time, he was just looking for something that would stick. Jack had tried t-ball, tried karate—nothing lasted. But when he got in the water, everything changed.
“He liked it right away,” Jason said. “And we liked the structure. I’m a teacher—I’ve always seen how kids who are part of something after school tend to thrive.”
More Than Just Swimming Lessons
The Y’s aquatics program gave Jack more than a sport. It gave him purpose, discipline, and the support of a coach who would come to mean a lot: Paula Kwalick.
“She was tough and honest, but loving,” Jason said. “She really cared. Paula became a permanent part of our lives.”
But what defined Jack’s experience at the Y even more than his growth as a swimmer was a friendship—one that started on deck and grew into something special.
A Friendship That Makes a Difference
Jack’s best friend on the team is Ian Benson, a boy who, like Jack, loves the challenge of the sport and responds to structure. Ian is on the autism spectrum, and in many environments, he hasn’t always felt included. But at the Y, things were different. Here, he found a team. And in Jack, he found a friend.
“They just clicked,” Jason said. “They’re both curious, hands-on, always building something or going out to explore. Jack loves that Ian’s like that.”
Their friendship goes beyond the pool. Over winter break, Jason would drive Jack to Ian’s house so they could train together. Sometimes, Ian needed the extra push to show up—and Jack was that reason.
“He’d go because Jack was going,” Jason said. “It’s not that he didn’t love swimming, but that friendship kept him excited to show up. That’s what mattered most.”
A Lesson in Empathy
Jason has seen enough students over the years to know how rare that kind of connection can be.
“A lot of kids don’t give someone like Ian a chance,” he said. “They see different, and they look the other way. But Jack? Jack leaned in.”
There was one moment, early on, that stood out. At a holiday swim party, the kids were entering nicknames into a game system. Ian, not understanding what was inappropriate, submitted something he shouldn’t have. Jason, not knowing Ian well then, reacted quickly.
“I was frustrated. I said, ‘What’s that kid’s problem?'” he recalled. “And Jack turned to me and said, ‘Pump the brakes. I don’t think he knew. He felt bad about it.'”
It was a moment that stuck with Jason. “My son was the one showing patience and empathy. I was the one who had to catch up.”
Friendship Without Labels
Their friendship isn’t about sympathy. Jack doesn’t see Ian as different—he sees him as Ian.
“He likes Ian because Ian’s a good person,” Jason said. “That’s it.”
The Hanks have come to consider the Y a second home. Jason trains there to help manage his MS, his wife joins when she can, and together they’ve built what they call their “swim family”—a tight-knit group of parents whose kids brought them together, but whose friendships have lasted beyond swim season.
“We never paused our membership, even during COVID,” Jason said. “That’s how much the Y means to us. It’s part of who we are.”
Character Built Both In and Out of the Water
For Jason, what makes him proudest isn’t Jack’s time in the water—it’s the person he’s become outside of it.
“He’s the kind of kid who lifts people up,” Jason said. “And in Ian, he found someone he truly cares about. He showed up for him, over and over. And in doing that, he became someone I deeply admire—not just as his dad, but as a person.”
This blog is part of our series showcasing how the Sewickley Valley YMCA builds character and community. Your support helps create environments where friendships like Jack and Ian’s can flourish.