This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/POWERADE. All thoughts remain my own.
Over the past few years, soccer has dominated our late summer and early fall. It began with our first budding athlete, Danica, who started soccer at age five. When the league lacked enough coaches, my husband stepped in to help. The next season we signed up Kurtis at age four and he coached again. A few years later we have three young athletes and my husband coaches two teams.
Danica is now nine, and watching her grow as an athlete has been a joy. Her first year was strong, but she went through a couple of slower seasons where her confidence dipped and she didn’t score. This past season was different. With a new coach and a supportive team, her confidence returned. They may have won only about half their games, but when she scored her first goal in three years, she lit up with pride. Her coach’s belief in her played a big role in restoring that confidence.
My husband and I enroll our kids in sports for several reasons: exercise, discipline, teamwork, and confidence. We don’t expect them to become professional athletes, but every star athlete starts somewhere. Participation teaches them valuable life skills even if they never play at a professional level.
Young athletes today might not be elite athletes (yet), but they love to play sports. They may feel like nobodies while dreaming of becoming somebodies. POWERADE believes that with the right motivation these everyday athletes can realize their potential and one day be the athletes they admire. There is potential in all of us. No matter what you achieve in life, you start in the same place as everyone else: as a kid full of potential and big dreams. At the end of the day, we are all “just a kid” from somewhere.
I know becoming a professional athlete is a long shot, and I don’t force my children into activities they don’t want. For the activities they are passionate about, I support them fully: buying equipment, encouraging practice, offering constructive feedback, volunteering as a coach when needed, and making sure they fuel their bodies with healthy food and drinks like POWERADE.
The ION4® Advanced Electrolyte System helps replenish four electrolytes lost in sweat: sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. POWERADE is formulated with a 6% carbohydrate solution to help provide energy to working muscles, and vitamins B3, B6 and B12.
Walmart/POWERADE Offer – Free “Just a Kid” Sports Bottle:
When shoppers purchase two 8-packs of 20 oz POWERADE at Walmart, they can go online, submit their receipt, and request a free custom “Just a Kid” reusable sports bottle. The offer runs through April 4, 2016, or while supplies last.
“Just A Kid” Apparel:
POWERADE’s “Just a Kid” campaign supports young athletes with customizable apparel that lets kids represent where they’re from. The collection includes t-shirts, fleece, hoodies, and hats that can be personalized with your city, and proceeds support youth programs.
POWERADE is sold at everyday low prices in various multipack sizes at Walmart stores and on Walmart.com.