Bernie Sanders shoots hoops with students at Rutland Middle School

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has been touring the state embarking on his first ever “Basketball with Bernie” events for youth.

The tour started in Winooski, Derby, and St. Albans,  then on Saturday, Sept. 14, he met with more young people and families in Springfield and Bennington, ending at Rutland Middle School in Rutland at 4 p.m.

Sanders held free throw shooting contests, handed out awards, and gave out free basketballs to each participant.

“Parents, teachers, and doctors that I talk to worry that too many kids are spending more time on their phones than they should, are not physically active, and are not developing the kind of peer relationships that are healthy,” said Sanders. “Given today’s world, these are not easy problems to overcome, but we’ve got to keep trying.”

“Basketball, and sports in general, require physical exertion, teamwork, discipline, and a striving for excellence. Good qualities for our kids to adopt,” he continued. “Which is why I was so glad to see over 200 young people, and their families, turn out this weekend. Thank you to everyone who joined me on Saturday to shoot some hoops and make the events possible. And by the way, it was a lot of fun.”