Where did the vision for Kids in the Game come from?
After moving to New York City, I began working for a non-profit organization that ran a physical education partnership program. The program was designed to bring physical education programs to schools that could not afford full-time teachers. When funding for the program was cut, I was encouraged to start my own business and Kids in the Game was born. Through the partnership program, I consistently saw a lack of quality programming in school programs. In creating Kids in the Game, my goal was to bring fundamental-based teaching, as well as teach kids about healthy out-of-school habits.
What is the biggest difference between Kids in the Game when it was founded in 2003 and Kids in the Game today?
The program today looks almost completely different than the business model that I originally created. At conception, Kids in the Game was meant to be a simple program that helped pair part-time physical education instructors with schools in need of quality programming. Over the years, we have seen new and different needs arise and have made it our goal to meet every challenge that we see head on. One of the biggest needs that we have addressed is the recess yard. Over 50% of the schools that use Kids in the Game have brought in the SPORT recess program. Along with recess programming we have added afterschool programming, musical programs, summer camp, basketball clinics, and are taking on a new challenge of running programs prior to the start of the school day.
Along with the changes in programming, our business has expanded dramatically. We have gone from a small program, unable to operate in more than two schools at a time, to a city-wide brand with a full-time staff covering sales, marketing, human resources, finance, and program development. We’ve found that as Kids in the Game has gotten bigger, the quality of our programs has increased. We are able to spend more time searching for quality coaches and have the staff and resources to see to it that every schools’s needs are consistently taken care of.
What is the most difficult part of running a start-up company in NYC?
Branding. In a city with more than 2 million small businesses, we had to find a way to make Kids in the Game stand out. This was very difficult in the first 10 years, because I was still coaching at Columbia University and didn’t have much time to focus on marketing. Bringing Matt Murphy on as the CFO and Co-Owner in 2012 really helped push Kids in the Game in a new direction. Matt launched a successful travel company prior to joining Kids in the Game and has used that experience to help the brand grow consistently over the past 3 years.
How has bringing on Matt and the other full-time staff members helped Kids in the Game grow?
Just before bringing on Matt, I made the decision that many small business owners face: to leave my full-time job and pursue my start-up full time. I felt that Kids in the Game was ready for a major expansion and just needed to put together the team that would make it run. Matt’s college basketball coach was a good friend of mine and acquainted the two of us. Matt’s experience of starting a business and working in the corporate finance and investment sector has been paramount to the success that Kids in the Game has had in the last few years.
A few years later, Matt and I brought on an administrative team of Dr. Frances Niduaza (D. MA.) (Director of Performing Arts), Ben Schornack (Program Manager), and Katherine Higuera-McCoy (Program Coordinator). All three of them worked as coaches for Kids in the Game prior to being brought on full-time. These three are the heart and soul of Kids in the Game and take on the day-to-day challenges that come with running the programs all across the city.
Who are the coaches of the Kids in the Game programs?
We consistently tell schools and parents that the best part about our program is our coaching staff. We have coaches from across the United States, and different countries that have trained in multiple sports and performing arts. When hiring a staff, I have always tried to set our program apart by hiring extremely talented coaches. We hire at a competitive compensation in order to bring in coaches with advanced degrees in applicable areas.
Why does every NYC school need the SPORT program?
I started the SPORT program because I did not feel that kids had enough time to exercise and get their energy out during the day. Physical education classes are cut back to just a few times a week and I saw an opportunity for more exercise during recess time. Along with the health motivation, recess just didn’t appear to be fun to many of the students that I observed. Recess time often became a game of soccer with only the best athletes that would take over the entire yard, taking out any bystander in its way. The SPORT program helps to map out the yard and bring all-inclusive, non-intimidating games that teach the fundamentals of sports. Schools with the SPORT program have shown decreased trips to the nurse’s office and disciplinary referrals. Teachers have also reported gaining instruction time back because kids aren’t arguing about recess when they come back to the classroom.
Tell us some about the KinG Hoops NYC program.
KinG Hoops NYC is a non-profit entity of Kids in the Game that was started this past fall. With my background in basketball, I was tired of watching basketball clinics that would spend over half of their time running scrimmages. Although scrimmages have their place, they develop bad habits at a young age. As a high school coach in Manhattan, these bad habits are a pain to correct. I saw the potential for our program to run the right type of clinic, focused on fundamentals and footwork that will make them a better basketball player. From this idea, we put together King Hoops NYC.
What do you hope every child takes away from a Kids in the Game program?
First of all we want them to have fun. Our programs aren’t doing any good if the kids aren’t having fun and enjoying themselves. After that we really want the kids to learn something that they can put to good use in other areas of their lives. We want the children to learn the fundamentals of each sport as well as basic values in sportsmanship, hard work, and working together cooperatively. We believe that these values go well beyond the gym and into the classrooms and jobs that the children will be in.
Where do you see Kids in the Game 10 years from now?
Ideally, we would like to expand the Kids in the Game program to other cities throughout the country. We believe in our program and believe that it really makes a difference, so why limit it to NYC? We also hope to continue to create new programs and to be willing to adapt and respond as new needs present themselves. We never planned to run music, recess, afterschool, morning, or summer clinics, we just adapted to the needs of the community and we hope to continue this adaptation well into the future.
