Edmonds-Woodway’s Aaron Bowker Champions A Kid-Centered Vision For Youth Football

Aaron Bowker, now in his second year as president of Edmonds-Woodway Youth Football, has made it his mission to put kids first. After 13 years of coaching in Little League, Bowker, now in his second year as president, stepped into a leadership role with a clear goal — to reshape youth sports into a space centered on fun, safety and personal growth — not just wins and losses.

“Coming into this presidential role, I wanted to start from the get-go and jump into this organization and start giving youth football back to the kids and make it less about the coaches and wins or losses,” said Bowker. “And you know, a championship doesn’t define whether or not your program is good or bad, and I’ve just kind of stuck by that for the last couple of years. And brought on board members and coaches that shared the same feeling, and that has kind of been my mission.”

Bowker says his motivation to stay involved and give back through youth sports comes down to one simple reason: his love for working with kids and providing them with a safe outlet.

“Youth sports in general, not just football, are a buttload of fun. When you are working with kids, and they are having fun and smiling it is a great feeling, because sports should be a safe and fun space for kids, and that is what keeps me going,” said Bowker. “I don’t know what goes on in the outside world, but I know that as long as they’re with me in my organization, they will be safe, have fun, and feel loved and cared for.”

According to Bowker, the focus on safety, enjoyment and personal growth and development that defines Edmonds-Woodway’s approach to youth football is what sets the program apart from others in the area.

“I want parents to understand that in our organization we are not win and loss-based, we are a fun-based organization. My goal is that when you sit down with your kids on Sunday and you’re watching football, and they are able to really dissect the game because they enjoy playing and learning football,” Bowker said. “So, I can’t necessarily say ours is better than the others, but I can just say our methodology is a little bit guided towards the fun aspect of learning the sport and falling in love with the sport and more or less about the wins and losses.”

At the core of Bowker’s mission is creating a fun, positive experience for kids, which is something that brings him a deep sense of joy.

“As cliché as it sounds, watching all of the kids have fun brings me the greatest joy. When you see a kid light up or grasp an understanding of something that they are being coached, their smile is so big,” said Bowker. “You can always tell when the seasons are getting close to an end because the kids start playing really good. And that’s the thing, it takes them a whole season to kind of grasp it, but once they do, it’s magical, right?”

“Also, sports are a great blessing for life adversity and watching them conquer adversity on the field is just the kind of stuff that I live for,” he added.

As Bowker prepares to wrap up his final season as board president of Edmonds-Woodway Youth Football, he hopes the program continues to uphold the vision that first inspired his leadership — returning the game to the kids.

“You see parents screaming at referees or umpires and all that stuff. And really, that’s got to go because the kids don’t enjoy it. Honestly, I can see the embarrassment on the kids’ faces, and that aspect has to go, and that’s really what I’d like to see long term from our program,” said Bowker. “There are 1,000 eyes in the stands, and there are six on the field. They’re not going to catch everything. We just got to take it with grace and move forward and just sit back and enjoy the ride of your kids playing sports, because they can wake up tomorrow and be done with it.”

From the coaching perspective, Bowker wants players to leave with the fundamentals of football. But as president, his deeper hope is that each child walks away with memories of feeling supported and having fun.

“The coaching side of me says to know your blocks, because that quarterback or running back is going to need that extra side of blocking,” said Bowker. “My other side just hopes they had fun, they felt welcomed, and they felt cared for. Because when they’re growing up, they can look back at their youth football days and always remember them.”

“I will remember my coaches until the day I die, just because of how they treated me, believed in me, and that is so life-altering,” he added.