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Committed to serving youth and families since 1999, Youth Determined to Succeed (YDS), a 501(c)3 nonprofit formerly known as Track Minnesota founded by former Gopher and Pittsburgh Steelers Melvin Anderson. Over the past decade YDS, has helped hundreds of children and youth through a variety of programs and services in the areas of obesity-prevention and treatment, general nutrition, health and wellness and fitness training. With a volunteer staff of health professionals, trainers and parents, our youth learn healthy lifestyles and develop essential health and behavioral skills to become successful and productive adults.   

Our mission is to inspire and equip youth to develop healthy, responsible lifestyles, and become successful community leaders.

Why YDS is uniquely suited to address the youth health and the obesity epidemic:

  • YDS is integrates the four primary components that are necessary to help youth combat poor health and obesity; health education, nutrition education, emotional support and physical fitness.
  • Our health program is lead by board member Dr. Tonya Bryan, a pediatrician at Park Nicollet hospital and an advisory board of doctors, health professionals, and volunteers.
  • Dr. Bryan has developed YDS’s customized and nationally recognized youth health and wellness curriculum and lecture series.
  • YDS has a proven track record, a decade of providing quality services to both urban and suburban youths, our health professional and fitness trainers have many years of experience and the expertise to produce positive results.
  • We are committed to bringing together youths from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds and have a special commitment to providing services to underprivileged and youth of color.


  • The program is a three day per week program (Sat, Mon, Wed) that last 2.5 hours per day
  • The program’s direct services includes: a health curriculum and lecture series, nutrition workshops, life-skills workshops, community outreach and a multi-level fitness program
  • The program operation cycles, both for Kids 4 Health and Youth Leaders of Change will run in 10 -week cycles annually from, January 30 until April 11 and from October 2 until Dec 11.
  • Facilities used to deliver program – YDS Center, YMCA, Creek View Park all in North Minneapolis and YWCA in South Minneapolis