Back 2 Sports Kicks Off Another Year for Saturday Sports League
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National Heritage Academies (NHA®) students in the Canton, Michigan, area are ready to compete in another year of the Saturday Sports League and celebrated with Back 2 Sports, a kickoff event for student-athletes.
The day was full of fun for scholars as they participated in a variety of sports including basketball, flag football, baseball, softball, soccer, and cheer. With this mix of sports, participants were able to try different things and discover passions they might not have known they had. Students were eager to try something new, according to Canton Preparatory High School Achievement/Behavior Specialist Laurence Gray.
“We wanted to hold this event and encourage kids to try something new,” Gray said. “We wanted to get all students involved, so we had high school students volunteer. We wanted to have a whole collaboration with businesses, families, and schools just coming together at one and it turned out really great.”
About 300 students and family members came out to the event, thanks in part to support from Director of School Quality Kim Bondy and NHA Principals Rachael Moore (Achieve), Jennifer Conley (Canton), Dana Gurganus (South Canton), and Carlos Hall (Canton Prep).
This year, high school students were involved, volunteering their time to help run activities and encourage students to collaborate with each other. The support from older students helped younger kids try playing sports they might usually skip. South Canton Fifth-grade Teacher Mae Jean said she saw nothing but excitement.
“Some of those older kids were also using it as an opportunity to help those younger kids build confidence,” Jean said. “They were just being encouraging, saying ‘I know this is hard, but just try it.’ I saw a few girls nervous to try football, but they tried it, and it was a huge deal for them to go out there and throw a football.”
One Canton Prep scholar came out dressed in the school’s Charger mascot, giving plenty of high fives to students. This connection point made for a friendly and fun environment that inspired students to try something new.
Students also felt the encouragement from their community. Local partners including Meijer, Big Frog, SkyZone, Tim Horton’s, Michigan First Financial, and The Super Patch Company all contributed to students’ high-quality experience. These community partners provided resources for families and plan to help throughout the year with custom t-shirts and incentives.
With the collaboration of community partners, coaches, high-school volunteers, parents, and students, Back 2 Sports helped inspire young students, connecting directly to NHA’s mission of transforming lives.
“Especially as teachers and educators, I think it takes a village,” Jean said. “We have a ton of opportunity to guide these kids in the right direction. We have the ability to provide a structured environment, and when we can do that, we continue to support NHA’s values and keep the consistency going for what they learn in school.”
About National Heritage Academies
National Heritage Academies (NHA®) is a network of more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find a charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.
The day was full of fun for scholars as they participated in a variety of sports including basketball, flag football, baseball, softball, soccer, and cheer. With this mix of sports, participants were able to try different things and discover passions they might not have known they had. Students were eager to try something new, according to Canton Preparatory High School Achievement/Behavior Specialist Laurence Gray.
“We wanted to hold this event and encourage kids to try something new,” Gray said. “We wanted to get all students involved, so we had high school students volunteer. We wanted to have a whole collaboration with businesses, families, and schools just coming together at one and it turned out really great.”
About 300 students and family members came out to the event, thanks in part to support from Director of School Quality Kim Bondy and NHA Principals Rachael Moore (Achieve), Jennifer Conley (Canton), Dana Gurganus (South Canton), and Carlos Hall (Canton Prep).
This year, high school students were involved, volunteering their time to help run activities and encourage students to collaborate with each other. The support from older students helped younger kids try playing sports they might usually skip. South Canton Fifth-grade Teacher Mae Jean said she saw nothing but excitement.
“Some of those older kids were also using it as an opportunity to help those younger kids build confidence,” Jean said. “They were just being encouraging, saying ‘I know this is hard, but just try it.’ I saw a few girls nervous to try football, but they tried it, and it was a huge deal for them to go out there and throw a football.”
One Canton Prep scholar came out dressed in the school’s Charger mascot, giving plenty of high fives to students. This connection point made for a friendly and fun environment that inspired students to try something new.
Students also felt the encouragement from their community. Local partners including Meijer, Big Frog, SkyZone, Tim Horton’s, Michigan First Financial, and The Super Patch Company all contributed to students’ high-quality experience. These community partners provided resources for families and plan to help throughout the year with custom t-shirts and incentives.
With the collaboration of community partners, coaches, high-school volunteers, parents, and students, Back 2 Sports helped inspire young students, connecting directly to NHA’s mission of transforming lives.
“Especially as teachers and educators, I think it takes a village,” Jean said. “We have a ton of opportunity to guide these kids in the right direction. We have the ability to provide a structured environment, and when we can do that, we continue to support NHA’s values and keep the consistency going for what they learn in school.”
About National Heritage Academies
National Heritage Academies (NHA®) is a network of more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find a charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.