In my anecdotal experience, kids love gaga–a sport that has the energy and survivor spirit of a dodge-ball game but is less threatening and more fun. What exactly is gaga, what ages is it good
for, and where can you find it? Well, Alissa
Schmelkin and Marcy Singer are just the
people to tell you all about it. After
two years of dreaming, planning, searching, and executing, this pair of NYC moms
has recently opened up The Gaga Center, the city’s first facility devoted exclusively to gaga. —
Though many kids have heard of gaga, many have not. So
let’s start with the basics. What is gaga, and what’s so appealing
about it?
Alissa: Gaga is a
fast-paced, high-energy sport played in an octagonal pit. The goal of the game
is to try to touch opponents with a soft foam ball below the knees. If the ball
touches you below the knees you are out and the last remaining player is the
winner of that round.
You two are NYC moms, right? How did you discover gaga?
Marcy: Yes, we
are both NYC moms. Our sons introduced
us to the game. They learned the game at summer camp—two different camps—on Long
Island.
Briefly, can you elaborate on what the game is like to play? Are
there recommended ages? Developmentally, what kinds of skills
do you have to have to enjoy yourself?
Marcy: Gaga is a high-energy, fun game. It involves running, jumping and dodging. Typically, kids start to enjoy the sport when
they are in kindergarten.
Alissa: The nice thing about gaga is you don’t need
to come in with a lot of skills in order to enjoy the game. The older kids get,
the more they enjoy it. There really
isn’t an age cut-off, as adults love to play the game.
How long is a typical game or competition?
Alissa: Each
round lasts about 5 minutes.
Tell us about the facility you just opened. It’s the first place
in NYC exclusively devoted to gaga, right? Was this a difficult space to
build or–since this is Manhattan–difficult to find?
Marcy: We weren’t anticipating it would take us as
long as it did. We set off on a mission
to find the space almost two years ago, and after seeing dozens of spaces, we
realized it wasn’t an easy find. There
are a lot of spaces out there, but you can’t have a column in the middle of a
pit!
Alissa: We were also very specific about what we
wanted. We needed high ceilings and
sunshine to even consider a space. The
colors are cheerful, and bring life and energy into the space. We are so thrilled that it turned out exactly
as we envisioned it.
What are the main ways kids can use the
facilities? Classes and birthday parties? Is there drop-in free
play? 
Alissa: We have
semester-long classes where people can commit to a certain day and time to
play. We also offer open gaga sessions a couple of afternoons a week and on
weekend mornings for anyone who wants to drop in. And of course birthday
parties are a huge hit! We are booking well
into June.
Do teens play gaga? What about adults? Have you two gotten in the ring yet? Who’s better?
Marcy: Contrary
to what most believe, teens and adults love the game. We have been booking corporate events, and
plan to incorporate teen gaga into our schedule this fall. We both enjoy a good game of gaga, but if you
asked our sons I am quite confident they would name Alissa the better player!
Now that you’ve told us all about the The Gaga Center,
please tell us a bit more about yourselves. What else have you done in
your working lives? Anything else like this?
Alissa: I have Masters in journalism, and Marcy
worked in the corporate world for a few years before she received her Masters
in teaching. We both stopped working
when we had children, and had no intention of returning to the work force while
our kids were young. When we conceived
of the idea and realized we had come across an untapped market, we knew we had
to go after it. Neither one of us has
ever started our own business, but both of our husbands are entrepreneurs so we
felt comfortable going for it.
By the way, are your kids impressed by your efforts?
Marcy: Our sons are our biggest fans. We are so excited that by example we have
showed them how important it is to go after your dreams.
Alissa: I will never forget when word got out that a gaga center was opening, a
kid came running over to my son to announce the exciting news. He beamed with pride and said “My mom created
that!”
You’re probably going to attract a lot of newcomers, can
you offer a few tips on getting started?
Marcy: The best advice we can give is to come in
with a lot of energy and ready to sweat. Gaga is a serious work out!
The Gaga Center is located at 230 East 93rd Street, between Second and Third
Avenues. For more info, call 212-920-7884, or visit gagacenter.com.
Gaga founders Alissa Schmelkin and Marcy Singer
