Kids are easily influenced by many things at a young age. One of the most important, sports. Sports are very impactful and instill good life skills into everyone that can be used throughout life. There are too many positives to not put kids into athletics. Kids need shaping and there are good mental and physical aspects for those who participate in athletics.

Athletic Director and Basketball coach at Goffstown High School, Ryan Cowette, says, “I started coaching to help kids enjoy and learn the sport. Sports keeps kids active and strong while also teaching them to face adverse situations on the fly and handling hard things.” The sport itself is important, but the acquiring of life skills outweigh everything. In life, you will work with many different types of people and teams that you will have to work with to survive and keep your job. Starting your kids in sports will prepare kids for the real world. Cowette says, “I one hundred percent recommend playing more than one sport, they provide lifelong friendship and expose you to new people.”

You have obligations as an athlete. Teacher by day and coach by night, science teacher Mrs. Tanguay coaches Field Hockey at Southern New Hampshire University. She declares, “athletics are extremely important and teaches kids how to contribute to something bigger than yourself.” One team has a higher power than just the one player on the team. Ms. Tanguay also shares insight at the collegiate level. She says, “If I could give advice to athletes I would say if you find yourself being a player with more skills than the rest of the team, your job now becomes to help the other players and bring them up rather than focusing on the skill differentially between you two.” 

Sports helps kids learn new life skills, meet new people, stay in shape and prepare them for the real world. AAU can help kids experience new things, new ideas, travel and improve their game. Sports are an important  part of life, especially young kids. Cowette says, “There is no negative to playing sports, even if you get overwhelmed or pulled in too many directions, you will have to learn time management skills. If you miss a free throw or let the ball drop, it’s all an opportunity to learn.”