Coach Douglas Dolan. Coach of the Morris Hills Girls Lacrosse Team. Denville, NJ.
I love being the Girls Lacrosse Coach at Morris Hills HS. Coaching is special! Sports are such a positive influence on life. Having the ability to work with the girls at Hills and teach them the game and helping them to develop a passion for the game is a gift. I never take that gift for granted and treasure the time I have over a HS students 4 years to try to help influence them in a positive way to believe in themselves and strive to be their best.
Robbie Bond. Founder of Kids Speaks for Parks. Arizona.
Visiting National Parks and Monuments has had a positive impact on my life. All children, especially at risk and underprivileged children deserve to have equal access to the outdoors and our Public Lands. Spending time in nature makes me happier and healthier. In Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods, he discusses the benefits such as ” boosting mental acuity and creativity to reducing obesity and depression” that kids get from having a strong connection with Nature. I have had so much fun exploring the outdoors with my family and friends and I want all children to be able to experience nature. My generation spends more time behind screens than we do outdoors and this needs to change.
Daniella Diaz. Colombian Elite Gymnast. Colombia.
I have been in the gymnastics world since I was jut 3 years old and I remember loving every minute of it just as much as I do now. I also cannot deny that it has taught me most of my patience, determination, respect and discipline I own today. This sport is a passion to me that I will continue to love and sacrifice anything I need to to accomplish as much as I can. I am forever grateful to the sport for shaping me into the person I am today, I don’t know where I’ll be without it!
Robert Haraka. Athletic Director at Morris Hills Regional District. Rockaway, NJ.
‘I consider myself extremely fortunate and blessed to be able to have a career in interscholastic athletics. My appreciation and passion for sports are based on the foundation that was built through my participation in youth and high school sports over 40 years ago. The lessons that I learned from outstanding coaches and teammates still resonate with me to this day. Leadership, teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship are just a few of the traits that I not only learned but preach to the student-athletes and coaches that I work with on a daily basis.‘
Gillian Kemmerer. Correspondent for Sports Express. Moscow, Russia.
“Sport has the power to change many things, but my favorite stories revolve around how it changes our perceptions of one another. In the 1990s, the fall of the Soviet Union ushered in a new wave of Russian hockey players to the NHL. Once perceived as political and sporting enemies, the Russians received a frosty reception from fellow players and commentators alike—some of whom called for their removal from the league. Five Russians in particular found a great deal of success with the Detroit Red Wings, a battered franchise in an equally battered city. On the backs of these talented and humble foreigners, a quintessentially American team went on to claim back-to-back Stanley Cups. Detroit was economically devastated in part due to the internationalization of the auto industry, so the irony of foreigners conspiring to bring a Stanley Cup home, and integrating so profoundly into the fabric of that community, is an example of how sport can help us to recognize one another’s humanity.’
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