Kids the Game often uses the tagline #GrowingUpKing when talking about how we want to positively affect the way kids are growing up in New York City, but the tagline also applies to how we want to grow as an organization. We are dedicated to challenging ourselves, embracing diverse backgrounds and experiences, and always striving for personal and professional growth.

As of today, Kids in the Game (KING) is excited to announce that we have recently acquired and will join forces with Fit 4 Life NYC, a youth organization focused on sports, creative movement, and physical education programs for charter schools in underserved communities. Together, the organizations serve over 20,000 NYC youth annually across 50+ schools.

Along with growing our network of schools, Fit 4 Life NYC will add over 40 talented and dedicated coaches to our current staff. The combined organization will now employ over 125 youth development instructors working in NYC schools on a daily basis across Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. Among those 40+ coaches, Maurelhena Walles will be coming on board to our Sr. team as Sr. Vice President of Program and Initiatives. Maurelhena brings both a wealth of knowledge and a fresh perspective to Kids in the Game and we are thrilled to be working together to bring the very best programming to all kids growing up in New York City.

“By joining forces with KING, the possibilities and opportunities are limitless, said Maurelhena Walles, Execute Director of Fit 4 Life NYC. “Through our programs, services and genuine love for the work we do, day in and out, I am confident we will have a greater impact on the youth, families and communities we serve. Together, we can keep kids in the game while making NYC fit for life. We’re looking forward to this next chapter and building a tremendous organization.”

“Our acquisition of Fit 4 Life NYC allows us to further our mission to make a real, measurable impact on the health and future of NYC youth,” said Matt Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of Kids in the Game. “We found through our discovery process that our teams had a tremendous amount in common, and the acquisition will make it possible for us to reach new neighborhoods, expand our programming, and deepen our leadership team. We look forward to working with Maurelhena and her team to give all New York City kids the opportunity to be active, healthy, and have access to positive coaches. ”
As we officially join forces with Fit 4 Life NYC today, we want to encourage you to reach out to info@kidsinthegame.com with any questions that you may have!

Read the full press release here!

About Fit 4 Life NYC:
Fit 4 Life NYC is committed to supporting schools, non-profit organizations and under-served communities in creating healthy and active environments. Based in NYC, Fit 4 Life NYC provides comprehensive school day and enrichment programs, professional development workshops, and traditional and non-traditional sports. Fit 4 Life NYC works with over 20 schools, non-profits, and other community based partners across 4 boroughs of NYC, reaching over 4,000 youth annually.

The day has finally arrived. Your lunch box is packed full. Your outfit is ready. Your sunscreen is prepped (thanks mom and dad!). Today is the day that you don’t mind that your alarm clock (do kids still use alarm clocks?) is ringing for the first time since school got out. You have excited butterflies in your stomach anticipating the new friends you will meet and the new experiences you will have. Today is the day. Today is the first day of Kids in the Game SUMMER CAMP!

By design, a day at a summer camp run by Kids in the Game looks a little bit different everyday of the week. The general structure, of course, has consistency and fluidity to ensure that our campers and counselors alike know the general routine of camp. However, we want our campers to wake up every morning with the same excitement they feel on day one of camp as they do on day 27 of camp. To insure this we have made it a priority to put detailed thought into activities, themes, projects, and field-trips.

Here is what a one day at KING Summer Camp looks like:

8:00-9:00 Early dropoff begins with main camp festivities beginning at 9am. The most prepared camper will come with a refillable water bottle, a lunch with extra snacks for throughout the day and a ready-to-go attitude!

9:00-9:15- Camp Rally! This an important time of the day to welcome all the kids and give them a run down of what the day will look like.

9:15-10:30- First sports/movement activity of the day. This section could be tennis, basketball, soccer, baseball… you name it we probably do it. We keep our instructional blocks to small groups so our campers will have fun but also learn the fundamentals of that day’s sport. Our staff includes sport specialists that have the highest knowledge in their particular sport.

10:30-10:45- Snack time! With our campers being active for most of the day, it is key to stay hydrated (water bottles are a MUST!) and fueled up on snacks. We will have a snack shop full of nutritious snacks if you want to send your camper with a couple extra bucks or pack some extras into their lunch box.

10:45-11:45- Each of our camps is located next to a beautiful outdoor park. We get special permits at each location to use these parks to their fullest extent. At this time during the day, we will be playing special, larger grouped activities. These activities will be geared towards the weekly theme.

11:45-12:30- For this time frame, we will split the groups into a couple different stations. This could be arts and crafts, a STEM project, or a specialized movement group. We have specialists working with each of these groups and again the activities will directly correlate to the weekly theme. Let’s think about through the decades theme for a second… the kids will travel back in time and learn different dance movements (sock hop, the twist, etc) and explore decade-old, classic craft activities (flower crowns, pet rocks, making play-dough etc). Our activities in these sections are design to cater to specific age groups, so every camper will get the most out their camp experience.

12:30-1:00 – Lunch! Time to sit back, relax and refuel. All our campsites have refrigerators to store lunches from home.

1:00-1:30 – Camps days are go-go-go so it is important to have a little downtime. Our youngest campers might use this time to nap, older kids to read a book or work with a counselor on some academic work.

1:30-2:30- If you were in the arts group in the morning then it is your time to do STEM or creative movement and vice versa. No need to fret, all campers will get to participate in all planned activities.

2:30-3:30- This will be our second stop for a large group activity. This activity will be different than the morning, but no less fun! We have 100+ games in our pockets, so we promise no kid will get bored playing the same thing over and over again.

3:30-4:00- End of day rally with a special treat to boot! Don’t fret that the day has come to an end. There is always tomorrow for more camp adventures. The best questions we get asked at the end of the day are the “what are we doing tomorrow….Can we do this tomorrow?” type of questions. And we can confidently answer… tomorrow will bring new adventures, new friends and new experiences.

4:30-6:00- For those needing a little extra time to come pick up your camper we do offer extended after care from 4:30-6. This is an additional $15 per day and can be added at an at-need basis.

A couple of extra notes: Like we said, we like to keep everyday a little bit different and this schedule will change here and there to accommodate special trips, activities and projects.

Wednesdays will always be our field trip days. Whether you are a Mets fan or a Yankees fan, don’t worry, we got you covered and go to a game of each. We will also be going to Luna park, museums, and a Liberty basketball game.

This year we are also offering swim lessons. Lessons are an additional $45 per week for a 40-minute lesson. Highly trained swim specific instructors teach our lessons.
Already know how to swim? No problem, we take the 1st grade and up campers to the pool for open swim once a week as well!

We truly believe that communication is key to our success. Camp families will receive weekly communication on how camp is going, what to expect and if there is any special items that your camper need to bring (i.e. White t-shirt for tye-dye, swim suit for lessons, wear your camp t-shirt for field trip etc…)

For more detailed information on our summer camps please visit https://www.kidsinthegame.com/summer-camps/ and let’s all get pumped for the BEST SUMMER EVER WITH KING!