Teenage years can be a time of change and challenge as graduation and adulthood lie just around the bend. But it can also be a time full of endless possibilities. And for Hughesville High School freshman Levi Green, his decision to grab the bull by the horns, so to speak, grew out of a simple conversation between his father, Chris, and his uncle.

“It really just started one night last year,” said Levi’s mother, Courtney, originally from Unityville.

“We were sitting in the kitchen with my husband and his brother, Josh, and they were talking about how, when they were younger, there was a bull riding pen in Stillwater and they always wanted to try it,” she said.

That’s when 15-year-old Levi perked up and expressed his interest in riding.

“It just became a passion” following his first ride, Courtney said.

Though the family have never been directly involved in the sport, Levi had plenty of exposure to it, as his pap regularly took him to the annual Benton rodeo since he was young.

Despite being nervous about Levi’s participation, Courtney and Chris, a Hughesville native, were instantly supportive.

“My thing was, back around Memorial Day of 2023, he was in a skateboarding accident, and he was actually flown to Geisinger because he had a brain bleed,” Courtney explained.

“I was like, ‘you know what? He’s only going to be a kid once,'” she said.

“He could get hurt literally just riding a scooter, so if this is something he’s passionate about, then I’m gonna let him do what he can while he’s a kid,” Courtney said.

“To my knowledge, he is the only bull riding competitor in the East Lycoming School District, and the only one that I know from Lycoming County that does it,” she said.

The Greens are now looking for donations and sponsorships to help cover the costs associated with Levi’s venture. Costs that continue to rise in tandem with his progression.

“I just had to buy him a new bull rope because the one he started out with is too small,” Courtney said.

“He’s moving up to actual bulls this year instead of steers, so the rope he had isn’t gonna go around the bull, and that new rope was $300,” she explained.

Money raised by the family will also be used for travel expenses, entry fees and Levi’s practice sessions.

“He goes to a practice pen over in Benton, and that costs around $30 per practice,” Courtney said.

Bull riding schools exist, but can cost as much as $500 to $600 per weekend, she said.

So far, Levi has participated in the Keystone Junior Rodeo Association, and competed last year as a novice in Bulls and Barrels at the Lycoming County Fair, an event sponsored by the Bullride Mania Rodeo Co., based out of Mercer County. Bullride Mania is a rodeo stock contracting and production company that has been around since 1969, according to their website.

This year, the family hopes to enter Levi in the Leal’s Junior Bull Riding competition, representing the northeast region.

“If they qualify, then they get to go to Las Vegas for the Junior World Finals,” Courtney explained.

Levi also hopes to take part in the Pennsylvania High School Rodeo during the 2025-26 school year.

The fees for these rodeos can be quite costly as Levi continues to advance.

“KJRA, because it’s like a local kid’s rodeo, their entry fees are around $15 per day. The Bullride Mania ones are, I think, $40 for a novice, but for the bigger categories, it costs more,” Courtney said, noting that while the fees have not been posted for the Leal’s competition yet, they can tend to be on the expensive side.

At this point, Levi, who also plays defensive cornerback for the East Lycoming Spartans, is undecided if his future career is in bull riding, but is nonetheless grateful for his parents’ support, as well as that of the community.

“Above all, I want to have fun and appreciate every little accomplishment and step forward I make,” Levi said in a post shared by Courtney.

“I will promote any sponsorships on all social media platforms since I am incredibly appreciative of them,” the post said.

Anyone interested in donating to, or sponsoring Levi is asked to contact Courtney by phone at 570-560-0515, or reach out through her TikTok page, @courtneygreen827 or her Facebook profile.