School Principal
Ken DiBenedetto
“I am excited to be a part of this outstanding initiative!!! We are very lucky to be one of the first elementary programs in the city to have our Fourth Grade students involved in the Value of Sport Program. I am looking forward to seeing the special relationships these students will build with their Life Coaches. The mentorship and the varied opportunities to participate in various sports will be a life changing experience for all involved.”
School Coaches
Paula Alexander
SOCIAL WORKER
“I am so proud and excited to embark on this amazing adventure with the Value of Sport and the outstanding team of individuals that represent it. We will be working with children and be role models and mentors for them within our community through sports, arts and many other connections to help these children grow into successful leaders. This program is like no other and will help kids that may not have had these opportunities in life experience something new and build on it with support, connections and role models. What an amazing program.”
Matt Lemieux
SPECIAL EDUCATION CASE MANAGER
“I am currently the fourth-grade special education case manager at McDonough Elementary. I grew up extremely active in the Manchester sports community, playing a variety of sports from baseball, soccer, basketball, track and cross country. In high school I was lucky enough to play on a state championship winning team at Central and went on to play basketball at Colby-Sawyer College. Playing sports have taught me so many things, and many life lessons. They have helped me to understand what hard work, practice, and teamwork can do to accomplish goals. Sports have taught me how to be a leader, but also how to be led, and be a part of a team working towards the same goal. In high school and in college, I had to balance sports and my education, which has helped me throughout my life. I have made most of my lifelong friends through sports and would not be the person I am today without the support system of coaches and friends I had throughout sports.”
Life Coaches
Carlos Capano
CHIEF OF POLICE, MANCHESTER NH
“I truly believe that any time we have the opportunity to be interactive with our youth it’s a win for our community. Being part of the Value of Sport allows us the great opportunity to help mentor and form our future leaders. If we don’t take an active role working with and educating our youth, we are simply failing them.”
Jim Terrero
FIREFIGHTER MANCHESTER, NH
“Sports taught me discipline, honor and gratitude. Discipline to continue to stay in school, succeed in the classroom and then pass that success onto a Sports Field. Honor those who are willing to teach and guide you along the way. Finally, gratitude, for being able to play a sport that many were not given the opportunity to. As a Life Coach for Value of Sport, I look forward to instilling these life lessons into a young student – athlete and ensure they have all the chance for success that I’ve been given.”
Adrianne Davenport
POLICE DETECTIVE MANCHESTER, NH
“Sports were an undeniable influencer in my youth. Sports provided me with something positive to be a part of, and taught me about teamwork, leadership, and believing in myself. For me, participating in sports was what held me accountable for the effort I put into my education. This was my first lesson on how my actions and choices directly affected a goal that I had. Along the way I’ve had a few people that helped to keep me on that path and I am grateful to them for instilling in me honesty, integrity and grit. I look forward to giving some of that back to our community.”
Brian Karoul
COMMUNITY POLICING DIVISION, MANCHESTER, NH
“Playing sports as a kid was key to all of the success I have had as an adult. The discipline, dedication and relationships I developed over the years turned out to be crucial life skills. The Value of Sport Program is an opportunity to provide kids in our community some of these same basic life skills needed to be successful members of our community, and I am happy to be a part of it.”
Justin Maguire
COMMUNITY POLICING DIVISION, MANCHESTER, NH
Sports was and still is everything for me. Sports instilled in me character, teamwork, integrity, and hard work. I didn’t always win, but even with losing, the lessons were invaluable. All these character traits have carried on into my adult life and I’ve now implemented them into my own children’s lives. Personally, Sports has and will always be, a huge part in my life!! I hope I might be able to share some of these life lessons through the Value of Sports Program into our community”
