A PCA-Phoenix Board Member, Mike Nealy (@mjnealy) is the Executive Director of the Fiesta Bowl, serving Phoenix and its surrounding communities with college football bowl games since 1971. The Fiesta Bowl was part of the Bowl Championship Series for years and is now a part of the College Football Playoff. Before guiding the Fiesta Bowl efforts, Nealy spent 8 years with the Phoenix Coyotes, leading the organization to record breaking sales and operating successes as President and COO of the team.

Nealy shares why he thinks sports are such a valuable experience for youth: they can do well, make mistakes, and gain invaluable instruction for sports and life. Sports are a "hotbed of teachable moments" for kids to learn from without consequences. While coaches are forced to concern themselves with improving performance, Nealy explains that parents are lucky enough to only have to focus on the second and more important goal of teaching life lessons, an invaluable opportunity he thinks more parents should embrace.