BOSTON--Hot off the campaign trail for her husband, presidential candidate Al Gore '69, Tipper Gore visited Boston on Friday and spoke at two events where she encouraged students to become involved in athletics and service.

Warming up a crowd of about 300 Boston elementary and junior high school students for a day of sports instruction at U. Mass Boston, Gore spread her enthusiasm for athletics as a positive alternative to drugs and violence.

The students were participating in a sports festival sponsored by the Boston police department and five Boston-area colleges, including Harvard.

Gore and the other speakers at the event said they hoped the older students would be role models for the younger ones.

"Teamwork, doing the very best you can do in whatever it is you play--it can be a lifeline for you," Gore said.

She encouraged the kids to "keep at it" and tell their peers about what sports brought to their lives.

She added that girls, especially, should look to athletics.

"It is important for girls, in particular, to get involved in team sports," she said.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who spoke before Gore, also emphasized the part athletics play in preventing crime and drug use among young people.

"If you're involved in sports, you haven't got time for that," he said.

Discussing ways to keep students on track, Gore turned to the Littleton, Colo. shooting on April 20.

"Take a minute. Think about the shootings in Colorado. Could this happen in my school?" she asked, suggesting that the children turn to adults for advice, and that they get involved in pastimes like athletics.

In an interview with The Crimson after the speech, Gore emphasized the importance of showing children healthy alternatives while they are still young.

"I think that part of preventing risky behavior...is to offer alternatives to kids," Gore said. "We do need to start with young kids."

She also praised the college students involved in the sports festival for being mentors to their younger counterparts.