After-school program helps kids reach potential

"Protential" Sports helps young people from ages 5 to 14 reach their potential in sports, and with sports.

The life lessons that come from participating in athletics help kids develop a wide variety of skills from discipline to listening.

Director Tony Bland is a former NFL wide receiver. Bland hopes the hundreds of kids who participate in his after school program learn one thing: how to be coachable.

"The plan is to get every kid to learn how to be coachable. That's a big, big, big, big, big attribute that I learned coming up," he said. "As an athlete, when I was coachable, that's when I learned the most."

"Protential" Sports makes sure kids learn in the best way: by having fun. First comes the homework, then the workouts. Every drill they run, every game they play reinforces fundamentals and little things, important things, like listening and following directions.

Second grader Steven Prevaux loves football. He already knows he wants to play outside linebacker when he grows up.

"Well, if you cheer on your teammates, it makes them run faster and it makes the person you're cheering for feel good, and it makes everybody happy," he said.

Steven's dad, Steve Prevaux, appreciates the carry over at home.

"Following rules is a big part of growing up and we appreciate that reinforcement," he said.

"Protential" Sports already runs like a camp every day after school. Once school lets out, organizers expect to double attendance in their summer day camps.

For more information:
http://www.protentialsports.com/