On September 4, Kids In Sports, which has been around for for twenty years, will premiere its pre-school program in their Scarsdale location. The program, which is geared towards children 2 and ½ years old to 4 years old will not only offer a structured curriculum in various sports but it will also provide an hour long session of educational enrichment where they will participate in activities ranging from seasonal based arts and crafts to story time, music, cognitive development, and introduction to letter recognition.
Kids In Sports cofounder Michael Strutt noted how the program is only new to its Scarsdale location, meaning that the curriculum is established at Kids In Sports’ Upper East Side location. Strutt also said that the program could serve either as a prerequisite to preschool by giving her her first experience of being separated from parents for a long period of time, or it could be an alternative to preschool. Children who attend the Kids n Sports preschool program will have a “multisport” experience.
“A lot of businesses just offer one sport,” Strutt said. ”We’re a multisport program and really believe in the value of offering and introducing kids to multiple sports at a young age. We think for the age groups we really center around, it’s too young to specialize [in one sport], so we want them to be introduced to everything.”
Strutt also noted how focusing too seriously on just one sport early on could lead a child to burn out and possibly grow sick of the sport when they become older.
“When [children] get to school and they’re in PhysEd classes, they’re going to play multiple sports, so you do want to gain the confidence to play all of them.” Strutt said. “There’s different seasons around here in New York obviously that focus on different sports, so we believe in ‘let’s get them introduced to all of them, and get them a real love hopefully for different sports.’”
As a previous Physical Education teacher, Strutt said he knows what is expected of children once they get to elementary school, which is why the preschool program centers around a theme of structured progression where kids learn valuable skills such as listening to directions from a teacher or a coach.
“Everything starts with fun. That’s very important, but there’s an educative curriculum behind it [as well],” says Strutt.
To sign your child up for the Kids In Sports Preschool Program, visit their website.
