Standing on the bright green turf inside Kids In Sports’ new Upper East Side location is as close as it gets to the great outdoors. One wall features a panoramic photograph of Central Park—where lush greenery meets cityscape—and the room is filled with brilliant, primary colors and plenty of sunlight. But the energetic young athletes learning the value of practice and teamwork as they run, jump and play are what really bring the newly designed space to life.
During its decade-plus of operation, Kids In Sports has greatly expanded and now runs programs at multiple locations in Manhattan, on Long Island and Greenwich, Connecticut, as well as the D.C./Maryland area. Of course, this year’s big change has been the opening of their very first dedicated facility on Second Avenue, which will provide increased independence and visibility for the program.
Founded in 1999 by Kenneth Colon and Michael Strutt, Kids In Sports aims to instill a lifelong appreciation of athletics while teaching the fundamentals to children from 12 months to 12 years old. The pair first met as personal trainers at New York Sports Club, but it wasn’t until a few years later when Strutt was working as a physical education instructor and Colon as a coach that they realized they had a chance to create something special.
Recognizing that not every child will have the natural talent and innate interest of a star athlete, Strutt and Colon have made a significant aspect of Kids In Sports’ mission to reach out to younger children who typically stand on the sidelines and need only a welcoming pull to join in on the fun.
“That’s [our] specialty—we reach the kid who’s over there in the corner sitting on Mommy’s lap because we understand how important it is to learn sports at a very young age,” Colon says. To
this end, the coach to student ratio is very low in all of their programs, between 1:4 and 1:5, ensuring that every child gets the attention they deserve.
For older kids who may already know what they like, Kids In Sports offers single-sport programs throughout the city, although the availability of any particular sport depends on sufficient interest to fill a class. With respect to lacrosse, Strutt says, “That’s a sport which is increasing in popularity here in the city, so we are trying to increase our programming.”
Structuring each class around what skills and teaching styles are appropriate for a particular age group, Kids In Sports also takes into account what the children have already learned. “So what we do in a three-year-old class is maybe teaching the foundation of something, where we make it a little more challenging and build upon that as a four-year-old and then again as a five-year-old,” explains Strutt. Teamwork, cooperation and sportsmanship are the focus for the early years, whereas more detailed skills and competition are taught in later years.
Age-appropriate equipment is another unique offering for growing athletes. “Our equipment is child-friendly,” points out Colon. “A lot of it is made out of foam and some is handmade by ourselves.” One-year-olds especially love the custom foam bats, which are light enough that they can practice hitting balls independently.
Once they get a bit older, toddlers between two and a half and three and a half years old can participate in Creative Athletes. The first half of each two-hour class is similar to the multi-sport classes, with children learning gross motor skills through a succession of different sports. During the second half, the children focus on acquiring fine motor skills through various arts and crafts projects that keep with the sports theme. Creative Athletes is a drop-off program, where, according to Colon, “a lot of parents try this out to get their kids ready for separation.”
Fans of the programs also have the opportunity to host their birthdays at Kids In Sports. The celebration is much like a regular class but the birthday boy or girl gets to choose two
sports for their guests to play.
In another variation on the multi-sport classes, Kids In Sports summer camps provide the same array of sports as their seasonal classes, but switch between offerings each day. An indoor camp for two- and-a-half-to three-year-olds is available, as are both indoor and outdoor camps for older kids. In addition to learning to play each sport, children participate in arts and crafts and other activities. And since summer is when families are looking for more flexibility, enrollment is by week.
Sports programs can be particularly beneficial in an era when electronic devices are as common as scooters and for those who live in apartments where space to play is often tight. In addition to providing a place—rain or shine—for kids to run and burn off energy in a constructive and structured environment, Strutt enthuses that the new space also helps them “plant the seed that physical activity is good.”
For city families interested in the many benefits of athletics, the new Kids In Sports venue provides room for their kids to grow and excel. See you on the turf!
Kids In Sports is located at 1420 Second Avenue. For more information, visit kisnyc.com.
Elisabeth Frankel Reed blogs regularly at www.newyorkfamily.com. She was born and raised in New York and loves exploring the city with her husband and two children, Brandon and Julia.
