Kids learning leadership through sport

Jayden Kowaider is a 25-year-old dynamo whose passion for sports and dedication to nurturing young minds could one day see him play a major role in reshaping the landscape of Muslim leadership in Australia.

Raised in Sydney’s Muslim community, Jayden’s upbringing was imbued with the values of faith, education and community service.

“I remember going through school, most of us were learning and absorbing knowledge from our elders, and that helped us grow into the best Muslims we can be,” Jayden reflected on his formative years at Al Noori and Malek Fahd Islamic Schools.

It was during his adolescence that Jayden’s love of sports and his natural leadership qualities began to flourish.

Co-coaching his younger brother’s rugby league team with his dad, Jayden recognised the power that sports have in shaping young lives.

“I saw the impact that rugby league had on kids with their fitness and how much they loved the sport,” he recalled.

This pivotal experience laid the groundwork for Jayden’s vision to empower children through sports, culminating in his founding Build Alpha Kids.

In just 18 months, Jayden and his team have gained a great reputation, collaborating with  Islamic schools and childcare centres to provide interesting sports programs for children.

“At Build Alpha Kids, our mission is to mould the next generation into leaders through sports,” Jayden explained.

“We believe that true leadership is cultivated not only in the classroom but also on the playing field, where values like teamwork, resilience and integrity are forged.”

Central to Build Alpha Kids’ ethos is the integration of Islamic teachings into their programs, instilling values of respect, honesty and community engagement.

Through sports, Jayden aims to impart invaluable life lessons while fostering a strong sense of Muslim identity.

However, his journey has not been without its challenges.

From navigating the intricacies of school partnerships to overcoming logistical hurdles, Jayden’s role in establishing Build Alpha Kids has been marked by perseverance and determination.

Beyond his professional endeavours, Jayden finds great support in his loving wife, Saja, whose unwavering encouragement always bolsters his spirits.

Together, they envision a future where Build Alpha Kids expands its reach, eventually offering free community programs to underserved areas like Liverpool, Campbelltown and Blacktown.

“Some kids don’t fit into the social skills system so working more closely with those kids is very satisfying as their teacher will tell you, ‘you won’t get anything out of him/her’, but when it comes to sport, the student finds that they love it, so they will sit, listen and pay attention – things they won’t do in the classroom.”

“If I can encourage them to show me manners, they should then show their parents, their teachers and their community the same manners.”

“Helping those kids and seeing them improve even one percent at a time and watching them change dramatically over 12 months has been the most rewarding thing.”

“I truly understand the challenges that parents face in this day and age; some are blessed with money but many aren’t.”

“So I aim to help support the community by providing free programs so that kids will have that ‘third place’. “

“They’ve got home, they’ve got school but not many kids play competitive sport nowadays so if we can provide a non-competitive environment for them to have an hour to run around and be kids again, that’s what I want.”

Whilst many successful young leaders these days could give you a long list of role models, Jayden stops at just one. “Obviously the Prophet Muhammad (s) is a huge inspiration, he says.

“The way he lived his life, the way he acted throughout his life, he’s the only role model I need.”

Looking ahead, Jayden sees himself as a catalyst for change within our Muslim community, working alongside leaders and organisations to create a brighter future for coming generations.

“I look forward to working with community leaders, people with ‘boots on the ground’ day to day, like the LMA, the UMA and Dean Mousad; Yousef Alkarnaz is another great brother, and working with these people who have a direct access to the youth where they are touching them on a social and an emotional level.”

“ If we can impact the kids on a physical level, imagine the Muslim youth we will be developing in years to come!”

Jayden completed a Law degree at UTS but decided against pursuing Corporate Law, due to concerns about working with non-Muslims who may not share his values.

“As Muslims we should be creating our own corporations to hire more Muslims,” he says.

“Why aren’t there top-tier Muslim law, building and engineering firms, hiring fellow Muslims?”

“We need to provide pathways for young Muslims to stay connected to their Deen and become better Muslims beyond school.”

“They don’t have to be perfect, but they should strive to support the community.”

“My goal is to help empower the Muslim community, fostering leaders who will build Muslim-owned businesses and support our community at all levels.”