Athletes Helping Athletes exists to better the life of the special needs athletes. AHA provides funding to special needs organizations throughout Bucks County that help facilitate the athlete’s desires to fully participate in sports. Athletes Helping Athletes does a phenomenal job of providing awareness and community support for the special needs athletes through involvement in local school athletic functions by serving as Honorary Team Captains at the home games for our participating teams as well as hosting various sporting events for the athletes. AHA was started in 2002 and was taken over by acting president Rick Leonetti Sr. who has felt strongly about the program ever since.
“[I love it] because of the positive effect it has on everyone involved. At first we thought we were doing a great thing for the special needs kids, and we were! But what I did not anticipate was what it did for the student-athletes. It changed their perspective on life, it has helped cut down on bullying, and many of those former players and cheerleaders still come back to help and volunteer their time…it warms my heart,” said Leonetti.
Athletes Helping Athletes is a great opportunity to step away from regular patterns and routines and get involved in something larger than life. There are so many things that we take for granted, for example the little things like playing a pickup game of basketball, going for a run, having a catch, those things mean the world to a lot of the special needs athletes who cannot do those things on a regular basis.
“I don’t want to live in the kind of world where we don’t look out for each other. Not just the people that are close to us, but anybody who needs a helping hand. I can’t change the way anybody else thinks, or what they choose to do, but I can do my bit. Athletes Helping Athletes is all about love, happiness, and acceptance. When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too. You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you, and Athletes Helping Athletes will forever make the world a better place. Get involved,” commented Marisa Christensen.
Athletes Helping Athletes does Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Cheerleading, Basketball, Baseball/Softball, Ice Hockey, Field Hockey, Lacrosse and Tennis. There is always a need for more volunteers, photographers, Head Coaches and hosts for the kids.
“Schools that form an AHA Club and hold regular meetings works best. The kids vote for officers of the club among student athletes who will then run the club and help assign “off-season” athletes to host the AHA kids at “in-season” home games,” said Leonetti.
With many surrounding schools getting heavily involved, I would like to challenge every single North Penn coach, athlete and student to get active and get involved. AHA is a great program that raises awareness as well as appreciation and it would help North Penn become a better place. With our large student body and numerous sports and clubs there is no excuse for North Penn to not be a large active participant as well as host events here in our facilities for Athletes Helping Athletes.