Big congratulations to our Coach of the Month Wynter! Wynter coaches at a variety different KING programs ranging from recess, after-school and specialized performing arts enrichment classes. Wynter has recently accepted a position to join the Up2Us Sports Coaches program and continue to grow and develop with KING. Thank you Wynter for all your hard work and dedication to the kids you work with.

What is one word you would use to describe yourself as a child?

One word that would best describe me as a child is extremely imaginative. I used to have tons of imaginary friends that lived in different worlds and did different things. I used to make up different songs and dances and would pretend like I was auditioning for a dance competition.

What movie or novel character do you most identify with?

I most identify with the character Maddy from the novel “Everything,Everything”. Despite her illness that kept her from going outside she fought against the odds and left her home to explore the world anyway. That reminds me of myself a lot because I will always strive to come out my shell. When someone tells me that I can’t do something it only gives me the motivation to try harder to do it anyway.

Fill in the blank: If you really knew me, you’d know_____

If you really knew me you’d know that I’ve been doing musical theater since I was 5 years old. My first musical was “Annie”. I fell in love with theater at such a young age and I love theater until this day. It gives me a chance to channel my childhood imagination skills.

How do you think you’ve grown so far with KING?

While working for KING I think I have grown tremendously, not just within the job but I’ve made personal growth as well. Starting at KING six months ago as a summer camp coach not knowing much about being a youth mentor to then becoming coach of the month twice in the same month has shown me that I can do anything I put my mind to. With KING I have grown to be more confident in my abilities to teach and inspire children.

What do you like about KING so far?

What I like about KING so far is the support I receive from all of the senior staff members. I love the fact that they push me to be the best version of me that I can be. They want to see me succeed and keep reaching for the stars and it helps me realize my true potential.

It isn’t easy to summarize a year at Kids in the Game – there are so many small victories that go unseen with the children we work with. Measuring confidence, friendships, perseverance, and just plain fun are not always possible. However, we close out 2017 knowing that those are the wins that we are most proud of. Our organization’s purpose is to change the way New York City children are growing up and this year was a huge step towards reaching our goals. Reading through our 2015 and 2016 reviews, we continue to make tremendous progress and find ourselves more and more excited about what is yet to come. Here are some of the highlights from the year and what you can expect to see from KING in 2018:

1. We continue to expand and serve more schools and families across Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx – we worked with over 16,000 children this year across summer camps, school programming, and our travel teams. Our team has approached ~100 talented coaches, yet we still feel like a family in our approach.

2. We had our best summer yet! Our 4 summer camps served ~700 families from June to August as we continued to add new and creative programming for the kids. We had an emphasis on improving our swimming program, adding lessons and better facilities. There was also more interaction between our camps, as we had days that our older camps went to other sites to meet new friends and have some healthy competition. We had fun building out our theme weeks (ie Camp Olympics, Through the Decades, Spirit Week, Superhero Week, etc) and have some creative ideas for 2018 in the works. Our newest location was opened in Park Slope, and look forward to announcing our 5th location for 2018 here shortly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvGsjrPjuiI

3. Although we have a team full of active, energetic, sports lovers, we also consciously opened our mind in 2017 to how technology can enhance what we do. We grew our partnership with CodingKidz, providing after-school and summer camp programs in Robotics, Coding, and Video Game Design, as well as made November ‘Sports Technology’ month across all our schools. Our kids collectively walked to Australia in November (measured by our Fitbits), we had SportsTechie cover our Virtual Reality event at Corpus Christi School, and started meeting as a team to talk about other technology and innovation that will help engage more children and enhance our sports programs. It certainly won’t replace what we do at the core, but always looking for ways to improve!

4. Our travel teams continued to make us oh so proud. KING Hoops had 5 teams playing this fall between middle school and high school, with kids coming from many of our schools and communities we work in throughout the year. We won our first tournament this year in Connecticut, and almost all age groups made tournament runs more regularly. Winning isn’t everything, but we’re a competitive group! KING Spikes, our volleyball program, continued to grow and is primed for a big year in 2018. We launched KING Speed, our track and field program, led by Suzie Clinchy who joined our team this year. We are so proud of the programs we’ve run in schools (PS 188M, Blessed Sacrament, Rebecca School, Leman Manhattan) and of our kids that are starting to run in competitive meets around the city. We take a lot of pride in wearing KING on our jersey and the way our players represent us and continue to grow.

5. Furthering our mission to reach all children in NYC, our non-profit KING Kids has made tremendous progress in bridging the opportunity gap. In our first full year of operation, we were humbled by the amount of support and empathy people have for making sure all schools and families have access to positive coaches and opportunities to play sports. We built a junior board of talented young professionals that have helped us drive the movement and fundraise for scholarships and new programming. Our team hosted our first large fundraising event, a 3 on 3 tournament at St Francis, with over 20 teams. We ran our first corporate volunteer day with VML Foundation, donating sports equipment to 3 public schools across Harlem and the Bronx. We’ve added life skills workshops and academic support opportunities for all our travel teams. We built a website. Tons of good work, and the best part is that we are just getting started! So much to do in 2018 in our community and we appreciate everyone’s willingness to help our cause!

6. Not always apparent to our families or schools, but we have turned inward to make staff development and training a top priority as an organization. Both personal and professional development is a big part of working at KING, which ultimately helps us grow together and run better and better programs in the community. That will continue to be the case in 2018!

Our team continues to believe in the power of sports and positive coaching to help kids grow. Although not something we typically share with our following, our internal core values are what continues to drive our decision making and what we truly believe in while we work with youth. We wanted to share them with you below to give you some insight into what we are all about and our team’s daily focus as we continue strengthening our programs.

1. Radiate positivity and a family spirit
2. Lead by example through healthy habits
3. Embrace individual strengths and diverse backgrounds
4. Present solutions, not problems
5. Be resourceful and creative – do more with less
6. Constant pursuit of personal growth and learning
7. See the big picture
8. Be a world-class communicator
9. Work as a team, play as a team, grow as a team
10. Strive to always be the best part of our kids’ day

Thank you to everyone that has made 2017 such a year to remember. The support we get from principals, parents, coaches, partners, friends, and family is what keeps us energized and healthy. More to come from KING!

The streets may be lined with holiday cheer and snow is falling outside our windows but that isn’t stopping our team from dreaming about summer camp. Today is the big day and registration is officially open for Summer 2018. Last year’s camp season was one for the books with stories we are still reliving. We know that 2018 will be even better as we welcome new and past campers.

To celebrate registration opening and to take all of your minds off the cold we wanted to share just 5 of the many reasons why you and your kids will love our summer camps.

1. There is something for everyone. Whether your child is all about sports, art or STEM, we have inclusive activities for all of them. KING Summer Camp prides itself on providing a well-rounded experience that not only caters to kids’ current likes but also expands their minds to new activities. It would take all day to name every activity that our campers participate in but to name a few:

Sports: Basketball, tennis, wiffle ball, flag football, soccer, and dozens of other unique KING games that will be the talk of the dinner table each night.
Arts and Crafts: We offer age specific projects ranging from tye-dye to bracelet making and beyond.
STEM: campers have the opportunity to learn computer coding, test their chemistry skills making play dough and slime and use their creativity in project design.

2. The opportunity to explore New York City! Each week our campers have the opportunity to go on unique field trips all over New York City. Last year our campers cheered on the Mets and the Yankees, rode the rides at Coney Island and put their scientist hats on at the Hall of Science. This year we will be bringing back field trip favorites and adding new and exciting trips for our campers to enjoy.

3. Our staff rocks! Every time someone asks us what makes our camp different we always say it is our awesome staff! We are unique to other camps because we run programs year around and our coaches work with kids throughout the year, not just in the summer. Our staff includes hundreds of wonderful coaches that are certified teachers, former college athletes, full-time KING staff and are all dedicated to making sure that all campers have the best time ever.

4. Parents, this one is for you: we are super affordable! A quick Google search will tell you that we are well below our competitors. We are dedicated to keeping our prices affordable to give all kids the opportunity to experience the joys of summer camp. We are also offering early bird specials to make camp even more affordable. Sign up before March 1st and enjoy $50 off per week! We also offer pay-in-full and sibling discounts.

5. Swimming! A highlight of last summer was the addition of swim lessons. We are bringing them back this year and are very excited to continue to promote and teach safe swimming. Campers last year not only improved their swimming ability but also had a ton of fun doing so. Lessons are taught in a group setting by professional instructors and are catered to the groups’ existing ability. Lessons are an additional $50 per week.

To be honest, choosing only 5 reasons was tough because there are so many reasons to love KING Summer Camp! Find out more by visiting our website or shooting an email to info@kidsinthegame.com See you this summer!

Anytime a parent, school or organization asks us what makes us different than other companies in our field, the same answer always comes to mind first: our awesome staff. Each month we take the time to honor a Coach of the Month and we want to share a few fun facts about November’s pick.

Hector was awarded November coach of the month by a landslide vote by his peers and our senior team. Hector began his KING journey through the Young Adult Internship Program (YAIP). This program provides job-ready 16-24 year-old young adults who are currently not employed or in school, placement into a short-term internship opportunity. Funded through the Mayor’s Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO), the program offers 14 weeks of paid orientation, training and work followed by 9 months of follow-up services and assistance for placement in permanent jobs, training programs and educational opportunities. Hector successfully completed his internship and has been with KING ever since taking on various roles and levels of responsibility including summer camp counselor, after-school leader and basketball coach. In January Hector will continue to grow with KING through the Up2Us Sports Coaches program.

As good a person as he is coach, let’s learn some more about Coach Hector!

What is one word you would use to describe yourself as a child?
A. Easy, adventurous.

If you were to tell one person “Thank You” for helping you become the person you are today, who would it be and why?
A. Also easy, Coach Tracey. He has mentored me over the past year and has taught me how to be a better leader, teammate and coach.

What movie or novel character do you most identify with?
I identify with the character “Zero” from the novel and film Holes. What I find the most interesting about Zero is how he is always underestimated. He has never been to school, but has great mathematical intelligence. I, like Zero, like to prove to people that where you come from doesn’t have to determine where you are going.

Fill in the blank: If you really knew me, you’d know_____

My favorite football team is the New York Jets. I am a very passionate fan of my football team even though sometimes it is not easy being at Jets fan! I practically watched my team lose in every embarrassing way possible week after week. However, I still choose to be loyal and root for them every Sunday. J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!

If you were to start a company from scratch, what values would you build it on?
I believe core values for any business to succeed is solid teamwork and strong leadership. Good communications skills are another value that is very important to satisfy the customers.

What is one memory do you treasure the most?
Going to my very first NBA game with my father! He surprised me with tickets, and it was a game that I will never forget!

What super power would you like to have?
The super power I would like to have is teleportation. I would be able to travel the world in the snap of a finger.

Big congratulations to Coach Hector and stay tuned for next month’s Coach of the Month!

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!

Let’s talk green.

Take a look at a KING coach’s T-shirt, our website, our logo: we operate in blue and yellow. Blue for strength, stability and trust. Yellow for joy, energy and positivity. What is easily overlooked (by us too) is the result when we combine these colors. We get green. For KING, this means freshness, growth and life – three themes we are passionate about developing in the lives of our youth.

Holding our first annual Spring Break Camp this past week, our arts and STEAM projects were rooted in the theme: Growing Up KING in the Spring. We talked about the components needed to make life happen and growth happen, then brought those components into each day of programming:

Monday saw us with seeds; we gave them a place to put down roots – a pot for a home – and we gave them food, or soil.

Tuesday we focused on water, demonstrating the way water collects in the clouds by making shaving cream and food coloring rain clouds, then reusing the ingredients from the project and some white crayons to make rainy cards.

Wednesday was all about the sun. We made two forms of sun catchers to hang in our windows and help our plants grow with “extra light”.

Thursday, we got to see what springs up when all of the components work together: life forming out of the ground and into something stable, strong and vibrant. We used recycled Trader Joe’s bags and painted on them (after mixing our own hues of green from blue and yellow), cut out tree shapes, cut out leaves and flowers, making a varied and beautiful forest of creativity.

Finally, on Friday, we got to see how one strong and stable life can support the growth of other life; our strong trees are able to hold bird nests and provide baby birds a safe place to grow, and from which they can spread their wings and take flight.

All of these lessons about growth and life apply directly to our youth. As coaches, we’re committed to building ourselves and the kids we serve to reflect blue (stability and trust), yellow, (positivity and joy); and from these, seeing growth and life! More still, we – coaches and kids alike – strive to reflect strong, rooted trees that support and help spur one another to take off as leaders, dreamers and creators.

So as the week and our talks about seeing life came to a close, we asked some of our campers: What is your favorite thing about the Earth?

Here’s what we found…

Lena: The flowers, that’s what I love. Because they look pretty.

Simone: It makes trees. Because without the trees, the Earth would die because the car stinks and without the trees the Earth would stink.

Veronika: The grass. Because it’s green and it grows back and when it does it’s a shiny bright green.

Liam: Nature, because it grows and it turns beautiful.

Ryan: The sea, the Natural History Museum and the dinosaurs that are called fossils.

Graham: The ocean because we get to play in it and there are sea animals under it and I think that’s all.

Let’s face it being a good dancer just makes life easier. It allows you to walk confidently onto the dance floor at your cousins wedding and shake it off, electric slide, and nae-nae all night long. You don’t sweat it when your friends want to go out dancing and you feel no anxiety joining that salsa class going on at the studio down the street. I can confidently say that is not me…my life is not easy. Not that I want to blame my parents for this but one hundred percent… its all their fault. Growing up I played every sport offered but was never enrolled in a dance class. I never learned the grace of a ballerina, the rhythm of a jazz dancer or the creative movement that modern dancers possess. Lucky for the kids in our Kids in the Game programs they don’t need to live their adult lives resenting their parents for never letting them dance! In 2017, we are upping the ante and are offering more movement and dance classes then ever before!

Thanks to KING staff member Frances Niduaza-Murphy, KING has always implemented movement and dance into our curriculum. Frances is a professionally certified Zumba instructor and also teaches step and hip-hop classes to many of our after school programs. She also led the way to have Kids in the Game be accredited by Zumba Kids. Her desire to combined music and movement has paved the way for our newest KING dance coaches to expand upon our current offerings.

Hailey Kemp joined the KING staff just this month and is bringing immense talent and experience to our staff. Dancing from the age of 3 (good job parents!) she has experience in ballet, jazz and lyrical performance dance styles. She studied somatic and improvisation practices in college and has a passion for teaching fitness dance, Zumba and musical theater. So basically, she is pretty darn qualified. Hailey said it best when she told me why she loved to pass her experience on through teaching, “Teaching is important to me because it allows all children regardless of their history, ethnicity, and social status to move equally”. Hailey says her favorite type of dance to teach is improvisation and creative movement because it allows the children to shine and put their influences into movement.

Joining Hailey is an array of other talented dancers and coaches. With new programming starting this New Year such as ballet classes at the School of the Blessed Sacrament, and a constant desire to widen our range of offerings, our coaches will stay busy teaching their best moves. Maybe even it’s not too late for me to stop resenting my (wonderful!) parents and have them teach me to be a dancing KING too!

From New York to California and everywhere in between we asked coaches of all levels to share what it means to be a coachable athlete. This compilation is a unique insight into what coaches want to see from their athletes beyond goals, points, and fast times. As an athlete, ask yourself… are you doing these things? What can you improve upon? And as a parent… are you encouraging these traits? Are you allowing your child to be coached?

Paul O’Connor- KING Hoops Coach/Director and Former DI Coach

“Being coachable to me is all about two things: not taking correction personally and the ability to take critical feedback and then directly applying that feedback into the game. It means being an extension of the coach on the court, being even keeled, never getting too high and never getting too low. To me being coachable is a simple as this Doc Rivers quote, “Good players want to be coached, great players want to be told the truth”.”

Wilson Rose- Kids in the Game Coach of Physical Literacy and School of the Blessed Sacrament Middle School Basketball Team

“Coach-ability at its core is the desire to learn. Working with youth in sports is most rewarding when an athlete learns how to take works and put then into actions. When young athletes show the innate passion for learning how their bodies work and accept the challenge of how to put coaching feedback into movements, coaches jobs are easy. The more malleable and curious the mind, the more coachable the athlete!”

Connor Gandossy- Current DI Baseball Coach – St. Louis University

“A coachable baseball is someone open to advice or criticism in order to develop their craft/skills. Sports are a forever adapting game, players must be sponges in order to better their careers.”

Tatum Boehnke – Former DI Swim Coach- Northern Colorado

“To me being a coachable athlete means no eye rolls, pouty lips or crossed arms. You may think that your coach can’t see these mannerisms or that they don’t matter, but believe me, they do. Body language is one of the easiest indications of which athletes are ready to listen, ready to learn, and ultimately ready to become a better athlete. Be careful of what your expressions and posture are saying because they often say more than words. Coachable athletes make eye contact and react with positive stance.”

Katherine Higuera-Mccoy- KING Spikes Head Volleyball Coach

“There is a big difference when you are “forced” to do a sport and don’t have the drive or passion for it. For my girls playing volleyball, coaching them is a pleasure and easier because they want to be there. They continue to ask questions and look for feedback. Most importantly these athletes try to find ways to improve in the sport. They are coachable athletes because of their positive attitudes and how they work actively together.”

Mats Boehnke – FIS Coach – Mammoth Mountain and USA Western Region Development Coach

“Ski racing, arguably, has the most peaks and valleys of any sport. Athletes can go from the top of the podium one day to literally crashing into a net the next. Some race runs feel fast but turn out to be slow while others feel awful and turn out to be super fast. It’s a mental roller-coaster that can discourage even the most mentally tough. Being a coachable athlete mens someone that can stay positive and even keeled despite the frustrations. An athlete works hard during the low times but harder during the high times. Most importantly, a coachable athlete means respecting the sports, dreaming of success and working as hard as you can to get “there.”

Alicen Fair – Elementary and Middle School Coach – ACES Swim Team

“So much of competitive swimming is centered around perfect technique. If you can commit to perfect technique during a hard practice, it will translate to more effective strokes. This ultimately leads to faster times at meets. To me, being a coachable athlete in the pool is putting effort into bettering your craft. It’s easy to get corrections from a coach but it is much harder to actually apply those corrections. When I see athletes putting in effort to better technique, I know they are a coachable athlete.”

We’re excited to announce our Spring Semester basketball programs! Clinics will include skill development, competitive drills, and games.

School of the Blessed Sacrament (147 W. 70th Street, New York, NY 10023)

Saturdays, March 12th – April 30th (7 weeks, no basketball on March 26th)

10:00am-10:50am – Pre-K to 1st Grade

11:00am-11:50am – 2nd Grade to 4th Grade

Lower Manhattan Basketball

Leman Manhattan Preparatory School (25 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10004

Saturdays, March 5th – April 30th (8 weeks, no basketball on March 26th)

9:30am-10:15am – Pre-K to 1st Grade

10:00am-12:00pm – 4th Grade to 8th Grade

East Harlem Basketball

Our Lady Queen of Angels (229 E. 112th Street, New York, NY 10029)
Sundays, March 13th – May 1st (7 weeks, no basketball on March 27th)
12:00pm-1:30pm – Girls 4th to 8th Grade
1:30pm-3:00pm – Boys 4th to 8th Grade

Register online at www.kidsinthegame.com/registration