By Catholic Partnership Schools Healthy Courier reporters | Holy Name’s physical education teacher Mr. Richards and basketball coach Mr. Taras Mack presented their views on the importance of participating in group activities.
Both men play a key role at Holy Name teaching and coaching students in sports and other group physical activities.
Mr. Mack, who likes to be called Mr. T., said, “Fourteen years ago a group of girls came to me and said, ‘if you don’t coach basketball for us, we will not have a team.’ Now I enjoy watching the girls develop as a team and advance on to the high school level.”
After graduating from Penn State, I got certified to teach gym and health,” said Mr. Richards. “I love to see the enjoyment on the students’ faces when they are participating in group activities during gym and recess.”
In interviews with Holy Name’s seventh-grade Healthy Courier reporters, both Mr. Richards and Mr. T. said they would highly recommend that kids get involved in some sort of group activity, whether it’s basketball or another sport. Mr. T. also said he would encourage other adults to coach sports.
Research has shown that doing activities with other kids can not only be fun, but they can also be good for your health, according to sciencedaily.com.
Experts from the Mayo Clinic, a research center and hospital, stress that when you’re looking forward to seeing people at an event, you’re more likely to go. This helps with motivation and following through with your commitments.
“When I was a kid, I participated in many activities, but swimming and football were my favorites,” said Mr. Richards.
“I played football and competitively ran track when I was a kid,” said Mr. T, who is a firefighter.
According to KidsHealth.org, not everyone likes organized sports or team sports. If that describes you, you might consider individual sports.
Examples of individual sports include swimming, skiing, track, gymnastics, and ice skating.
“Being the only child growing up, I enjoyed being on a team and working towards a common goal. I learned how to get along with other kids my age,” said Mr. T.
“Whether you are on a team or enjoy doing an individual sport, I strongly suggest you just get out there and get moving,” said Mr. Richards.
Illustration by Cassandra, seventh grade, Holy Name, 2025-26.
