Connecting Conversations with Border City Athletics

For this Connecting Conversation, we had the pleasure of speaking with Kurt Downes. Kurt is the Head Coach and Founder of Border City Athletics, a Track & Field Club that support their athletes in education, athletics, and overall life. To date, Border City Athletics has over 100 athletes representing their organization including Olympians Brandon McBride and Miah Marie Langlois among other notable athletes. The organization also has many community initiatives eager towards growing the women’s side of sports and youth engagement. 

This was an incredible interview and certainly worth the listen if you’re a parent with a child in sport or a child at the age of starting sports/hobbies. Kurt and I discuss how sports and the arts can help build character and confidence in children that stick with them for life, along with teaching them valuable life skills. We also discuss how vital parents are to the development of young athletes, as “helicopter” parenting can be just as destructive as no support at all. The impact of sport in a Black child’s life is also explained by Kurt as a hobby can teach them independence, self-esteem, self-confidence, and resilience in every area of life, including in the education system. 

We also touch on women’s sports and the evolution that has occurred in the growth of female athletes in the sports world and how athletics can keep moving forward in this regard. 

We are very happy to have this partnership with Border City Athletics and with Kurt, and we hope that you all enjoy this interview.

Be sure to tune in to our podcast and subscribe: https://anchor.fm/connectingconversations

Stay safe and have an amazing day!

Contact Border City Athletics:

WEBSITE: https://www.bordercityac.com/border-city-ac-elite.html

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Border-City-Athletics-Club-170547256981441/

INSTAGRAM: bordercity_ac

TWITTER: @BorderCity_AC