Mentoring and sport lead to healthier, happier youth!
May 7th was World Athletics Day, and this month’s blog written by NYMAC members Nicole Mensah and David Awosoga highlight how sports have impacted their lives, valuable lessons they’ve learned from sport, and how as mentors they have used sport to connect better with their mentees.
Sports are a great opportunity to build bonds in mentoring relationships, and even though we currently cannot physically participate in sports together it is more important than ever to encourage all youth to engage in outdoor activities.
Nicole Mensah
“From as early as I can remember sports have been a part of my life. I started playing soccer when I was 6 years old and played for 10 years. I have fond memories of watching intense soccer matches with my family, playing basketball at recess with friends, and even participating in volleyball games with strangers on the beach! I have seen throughout the years that sports have always seemed to bring people together. Whether it’s your interest or not, playoff seasons, pickup games, and world championships always unite families, friends, cities and countries!
When I first became an in-school mentor in grade 10, my mentee was a young boy full of energy, and at first, it was challenging to get him to focus and communicate. However, one area where he had no difficulties communicating was in sports! We quickly bonded over soccer and basketball, and had fun playing these games during our outdoor sessions. I began sharing with him my experiences playing sports and he shared his as well. I also used our ‘sports-talk’ as an opportunity to discuss the importance of determination, dedication, and teamwork.
By the end of the school year, we both learned so much from each other through our passion for sport! The activities and games we participated in and the discussions we had allowed us to share our opinions, learn to listen to each other, engage in some friendly competition, all while having a lot of fun!”
David Awosoga
“Sports has been always been major pillar in my life. Since I started playing tennis at the age of 6 I’ve bounced around from baseball to soccer to volleyball before finally settling on track and field, which I currently compete in at my local university. Sports have taught me the value of hard work, discipline, and strategic goal setting. The community I have been able to build through sports has been integral to my self-discovery and has made me who I am today.
A focus with one of my in-school mentoring matches was getting my mentee outside more often, because he was a more “indoorsy” individual who preferred chess and science experiments over outdoor activities. One session I brought some baseball gloves and a ball, and we played catch for almost an hour, though he seemed indifferent about it. Unbeknownst to me he went home and told his mother all about how I taught him how to throw different pitches and how much fun he had! I received an email soon after from our caseworker who told me she had been contacted by my mentee’s mother who expressed gratitude for this experience.”
Sports are a great opportunity to build bonds in mentoring relationships, and even though we currently cannot physically participate in sports together it is more important than ever to encourage all youth to engage in outdoor activities.