Advantage Kids to offer after-school programs at Laconia Middle School

GILFORD — Advantage Kids is partnering with the Laconia Office of Extended Learning so that over 200 kids from Laconia Middle School, Elm Street, Woodland Heights and Pleasant Street Elementary schools will enjoy the impact of free after-school free programs.

"The Laconia Middle School REAL Initiative program looks forward to Mondays as they welcome Advantage Kids tennis and yoga mentors as part of their exploring healthy living through sports programs," said Norman Gilbert, extended learning site coordinator at Laconia Middle School.

Free beginner tennis and yoga programs, supported by funding from the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, USTA Foundation, USTA NH, Supreme Lending, Lakes Region Rotary and Irwin Marine, are available to over 1,000 youth around the state, including the Mount Washington Valley, Lakes Region, Seacoast, Nashua and Manchester.

“Combining tennis and yoga is a recipe for resilience. There was a massive study done that showed kids who play tennis are vastly less prone to substance abuse, they do better in school, and basically excel across the board even more than kids in other sports. Other studies show us that yoga helps with self-confidence and self-regulation, among other things," said Executive Director Dawn Dragon.

Yoga and mindfulness have been shown to improve both physical and mental health in school-age children ages 6 to 12. The mental health crisis amongst youth is at an all-time high, especially following the pandemic. Harvard Health research results have shown that yoga can improve focus, memory, self-esteem, academic performance, and classroom behavior. More importantly, yoga has proven to reduce anxiety and stress in children.

For more information about Advantage Kids, visit Advantagekids.net. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact Advantagekidsnh@gmail.com.