Sports in Bermuda must be used as a tool to assist us to help save our next generation of children. In today's society many children turn to sports as an avenue for fun or as a means for their future. It is important that we as a country keep setting up, organising and stimulating things for our youth to do.

I was pleased to see that the Bermuda Cricket Board have revamped their summer cricket camp for this year. This camp, along with several other Government camps, will attempt to challenge the minds of our young ones during the summer.

Anthony Bascome, Jason Simons and I are also having a cricket camp at Cleveland this summer called Camp 20/20. The focus of our camp is cricket, but we will be also looking at various ways to tap into the minds of our children.

It is important that we as a country focus on the youth and give them more fun things to do so that they do not get bored. As parents we need to help our kids realise that there are bigger and better things out there for them to achieve.

Challenge, or should I say motivate, your kids to want to go college. Several children are into sports and they need to know that they can use sports as an avenue to get them through college and life.

When an adult asks a kid what do they want to be when they grow up, what do most kids say? Boys, particularly, say they want to be a professional footballer or a professional cricketer. Our kids have dreams from young and it is our responsibilities as parents and teachers to help as many of them realise their dreams.

Just remember that no child is perfect. Most times when we have a child who tends to be a bit challenging, we often throw him to the side or dismiss him altogether, but these are the kids we have to save. In some cases these are often your more talented players. Society would have it that if you are rude or have a bad history you do not deserve a chance, but everyone can change.

Bermuda, I challenge you to have an open mind with our youth today. They are reaching out to us as adults, as teachers, as leaders, as politicians etc . . . The youth of today are begging for help and we must help them. If sport is their only hope then let's find hope for them.

How many young men around today are not working but yet on a weekend are out playing football or cricket. These are the young men that when they were younger had a dream of being a professional, but no one was honest with them and told them the chances of becoming a professional were very slim.

We have to be honest with our kids and make them understand that in order to make it in the professional world you have to be exceptional. I believe we have the talent, but I question do we have the desire?

When I look at sportsmen today I do not see many going over and beyond the call of duty when it comes to training. To be a professional takes hard work and lots of hours to master your skills. One thing about sports and life in general is that you never stop learning, no matter how old you get.

To the youth of Bermuda let me make it perfectly clear. It is OK to dream and have goals. You can be whatever you want to be if you are willing to make the sacrifice and put in the necessary work. However, the reality is education at the end of the day is the key. In life there are many things people can take from you but no one can take your education from you once you have it. Being educated is an added tool you have in your arsenal in case your dreams of being a professional fails.

Motto for the week: The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination – Tommy Lasorda.