(Image via rockytopsportsworld.com) 

Volunteer Writer: Jason Rodriguez Taveras

Email: jrodrigueztaveras@umassd.edu

I remember being a disruptive C-average student in middle school before I joined the Esek Hopkins wrestling team which would change my life forever.

I grew up in Providence, a diverse little city in Rhode Island which is where I went to school and met my wrestling coach Kevin Hernandez, the man who spoke life into me by drilling into my head that I have the power to take control of my life and become someone my parents can be proud of.

“I started coaching in high school, from 2009-2017 at my old middle school. I always chose to coach at Esek because that’s where I came from and I know that those kids didn’t have anyone to be on top of them. I chose Esek because that was a hard place to be and where it was most needed. Being a product of that environment, I wanted to make a difference.” says Kevin.

Kevin understood that coming from an underprivileged community, people like us often grow up without role models and sports was a way to give these students a role model and leader.

Kevin was my first role model; he was this ambitious and respectable young man who was in nursing school and volunteering as a wrestling coach in his free time.

This is why enrolling children in sports at a young age is not just a way for energetic children to let out their extra energy.

According to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (PCSFN), youth sports programs develop participants’ teamwork, social skills, and social responsibility, making for more accountable, resilient, and disciplined adults.

Samoh James, a Boston native, ran track from ages 13 to 16 and reflects, “My coach played a very big role in my development as a person. Our coach taught us structure, organization, and goal setting. She taught us about good habitual behaviors and their importance when it comes to succeeding.”

Some may say that youth sports can contribute to anxiety and high expectations that end up making children feel like they are not enough or incapable.

However, this is far from the truth, as participation in youth sports is also linked to an increase in leadership skills and self-esteem, as well as lower rates of anxiety and depression for young athletes.

The purpose of youth sports is not just to win games but instead to teach participants how to work towards their own goals and how to improve despite failure or victory.

Kevin speaks of one particular athlete who “would cry about her grades, her weight, and everything; she was the child with the most lack of confidence and throughout our time together, I was able to see her grow in so many ways. Her confidence skyrocketed just like her grades. I was so proud of her.”

We can see that for this student, youth sports changed their life for the better.

Youth sports are beneficial because they challenge kids to be extraordinary and resilient while having fun. Ultimately, these kids learn what they are capable of when they apply themselves and push themselves.

“One thing I learned that I’ll never forget is that your 100% is never really your 100%. It is just your current 100%. I learned that I can push those limits to increase what my 100% is.” says Samoh.

The common theme here is that sports develop one’s physical and psychological self.

The lessons in resilience and accountability that sports coaches instill in their athletes are directly applicable to life. As athletes begin to see the long-term benefits of resiliency when they get better at their sport, they begin to hold themselves accountable after getting used to their coaches doing it.

In his eight years of youth sports coaching, Kevin learned:

“You can’t dictate a kid’s path, but you can give them all the love and guidance, and sometimes that’s enough to save the kids who might have otherwise slipped through the cracks and ended up on the wrong path. You don’t realize how impactful you being there for them is. You can make a big difference in a child’s life even though you might not realize it.”

After years of not speaking with Kevin, it was a joy to hear that his passion for helping underprivileged youth is still burning strong. I could have been one of those young kids who fell through the cracks and didn’t live up to my potential if it wasn’t for wrestling and Kevin pushing me to be better every day.