2020 brought various programming challenges at Kids in the Game, and especially to KING Hoops, our competitive basketball team. During the height of the pandemic we needed to make sure we were still providing the same quality services for our student-athletes’ who were adjusting to attending school online and being stuck inside for months. 

We continued our typical services over the summer and into the fall through virtual check-ins with all 71 of our KING Hoops players on both academic progress, but also mental health and future planning. We were also able to host small group sessions in our office space for our players that were struggling academically and needed 1:1 tutoring. This allowed us to keep in touch with our student-athletes, offer the support needed, as well as prepare for a safe and successful spring season. 

This past Spring we were ecstatic to be able to bring our KING Hoops program back in person. We held tryouts the first week of March following the CDC’s guidelines and assembled our 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U, and 17U teams. Collectively our program was composed of 82% returners, a big accomplishment after not being able to have a season the previous year. Practices started up in March and ran smoothly into late July thanks to a partnership with Leman Manhattan Preparatory School. 

We had a very successful AAU season achieving a program best 67-25 record! We also brought home a total of seven tournament championships. It was also a special year for our 14U team who joined the Under Armour Rise Circuit. With a winning record in all UAA tournaments they definitely proved they belonged on a national stage.

The Heisman Trophy Trust

One of the fundamental goals of Kids in the Game is to reduce inequities among NYC young people in access to: youth sports, classroom and out-of-school educational opportunities, college and/or other career training. Our Heisman project is an expression of our commitment to reducing inequities. Heisman returned in person this past Spring. We provide academic support, college preparation, and career readiness programming to all 71 of our KING Hoops players. Due to health and safety protocols, we were unable to utilize in person volunteers or outside tutoring services during our Spring session, but rather staffed the program with 3 full time team members. 

Program Highlights: 

• All 71 student-athletes maintained GPA and attendance standards for the spring seasons
• 100% of our senior student-athletes graduated high school and are heading to college or universities in the fall
• 96% of our student-athletes made gains in at least one core SEL capacity (Contribution, Positive Identity, Self-Management, Academic Self-Efficacy, Social Skills)
• 91% of our student-athletes that began the year with low capacity in positive identity made gains
• 96% of our student-athletes felt they could share their thoughts and opinions and they were valued by the adults and coaches
• 89% of our student-athletes felt a sense of team and or group identity
• 88% felt that they were able to envision their future

Youth Leadership Council

Here at Kids in the Game we value program feedback, especially from the youth participating and benefitting from our programs. This summer we launched our Youth Leadership Council which was created so that all our student-athletes and program participants can express their thoughts and ideas and have a voice in program decision-making. Our council will meet routinely and will provide a feedback loop for our program directors. They also will work on various projects and initiatives having to do with programming. 

We have partnered with Athletes for Hope who will provide and match both college and professional athletes for our council meetings. For our first meeting in July we were joined by Jazmine Fray, an Under Armour professional track athlete. Jazmine discussed the challenges that come along with being a college athlete, the importance of mental health, and discussed the importance of teamwork and being a part of a team. During this specific meeting we had our Youth Council work on compromise, teamwork, and communication skills in a jersey design workshop. Our council then started on a four-month project where they will be developing a business model. Each session we will have a guest speaker whether an athlete or entrepreneur to help them create their desired business. 

Overall, it was a successful Spring for our KING Hoops program. Our players loved being back together face-to-face, and it was great for them to receive the support from our Heisman program. Currently all of our KING Hoops teams are participating in the Positive Influence Summer League. We are excited for KING Hoops to enter their fall league, as well as for school and Heisman to begin again in the fall. 

COVID-19 dramatically affected all of our lives. It still is. At Kids in the Game, we’ve remained committed to providing a safe and positive environment for communities across NYC, and kids have had the chance to grow and learn even through a year of shutdown. 

Heading into the Summer of 2021, one of our key goals was to assist our youth in recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. With our summer camps now in full effect, we are dedicated to providing a healthy transition for our youth as they return to socializing, engaging with peers at school, and of course, play. 

 For kids entering our camps and re-entering play after a year at home, we have really focused on creating an environment where kids have positive experiences and make new friends. And according to our counselors, the kids are bringing the energy every single day! 

“It feels great to finally be back outside, doing more activities, and having the chance to freely play with my friends again.”

East Village Camper 

 “The campers are so excited to be back outside, playing with new friends, and trying new things. They have been excited about having a space to freely express themselves and are loving the opportunity to plan some of the activities we do.” 

Cara Hudson, East Village Camp Director

Summer camp is in full swing, and it’s not too late to get in on the action. Check out our Sports & Swim Camp at Riverdale Neighborhood House! Running from August 23rd to 27th. Spots are filling up fast. Secure yours today! 

Equality through hoops.

We at Kids in the Game and KING Hoops are no stranger to the inequities in our country. New York City is home to the highest inequality gap in the nation. We see this on a daily basis in the schools and communities we work in, and we’ve made a conscious effort to help close that gap through direct service and financial aid. 

We launched The Kids in the Game Foundation in 2017 in a concentrated effort to raise money to help underserved families participate in the programming their children desperately need. Since then, we have been able to provide over $130,000  in scholarships that have allowed 185 deserving kids to participate in our programs who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do so. Although we are proud of this work, we know that this is by no means the final step. We’re just getting started. 

In light of the recent but unfortunately recurring events over the past few months and in a direct response to the BLM movement, we wanted to make sure that we are doing all we can to help make a difference. We have partnered with Jacob Forcheimer of Hoop Cereal to create the Gym Rat Scholarship that will go specifically to Black and Brown children who are in need of financial aid to participate in youth sports programming. 

The Facts

While we know that participating in sports as a whole aids in character building, strengthens peer to peer relationships, and provides positive mentorship, our kids are lacking opportunity beyond just sport participation. Many of our participants are attending failing schools and have been since elementary school. We keep extensive demographic records for our participants and geographical reach and relate this information with city, state and national research. Research shows Black or Hispanic NYC youth are nearly four times more likely to be enrolled in one of the city’s poorest high schools than an Asian or White student. 

The educational gap in New York City is widening and high school graduation rates directly correlate with the poverty level of a neighborhood. Our program participants are growing up in low-income neighborhoods where the availability of sports coaching or academic support is not comparable to what is available in high-income neighborhoods.  This is why our KING Hoops program does not solely focus on basketball but also provides each participant with academic and life skills training as part of the program model. 

Together, we can close the gap and create a more equitable New York City for all kids. Will you join us?

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Some statistics around KING Hoops and how basketball has made an impact.

1. 100% of KING Hoops Players improve in one or more of the following categories after 1 season of participation: Self-Confidence, Social Connection, and Goal Orientation.

2. 92% of players feel like they have an adult or coach in the program that believes in their ability to succeed.

3. 88% strengthened peer relationships or met someone that wouldn’t have without the program.

4. If a child grows up under the poverty line they are 30% less likely to participate in youth sports and gain the valuable life skills mentioned above. 

5. 72% of all KING Hoops players require financial aid in order to be able to participate in the program.

Gym Rat Scholly Tees. 100% of profits donated.

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Let’s be a part of the change.

KING is excited to announce that we have been awarded the 2018-2019 Heisman Trophy Trust grant through the New York Community Trust. While the name Heisman is typically synonymous with college football, the Heisman Trophy Trust is dedicated to supporting amateur athletes and their goals on and off the playing field. The trust states, “our goal through these charitable endeavors is for the Heisman Trophy to symbolize the fostering of a sense of community responsibility and service to our youth, especially those disadvantaged or with special needs.”

This fall will be the first season implementing academic and life skill programming into our competitive travel teams. Beyond our players receiving the highest quality sports coaching, we will be providing academic support, test prep courses, admissions guidance and life skill seminars that will prepare them for life outside of sport. The program will cater to each individual student-athlete and consider their personal career, sport and life goals.

KING is lucky to have a network of volunteers that include former Division I, II and III athletes and coaches that understand the dedication it takes to be a successful student athlete. As their own athletic careers came to an end, our volunteers and mentors have transitioned to successful careers in fields ranging from finance, advertising, entrepreneurship, education, etc. Paired with our volunteers, the grant will also allow us to hire a professional tutoring service that will provide the highest quality services to our kids.

KING as a whole organization continues to evolve and grow, our dedication to support each and every one of our kids to reach their goals is unwavering. Thanks to our new partnership with the Heisman Trophy and New York Community Trusts we will be able to continue and enhance our mission.

Our KING Hoops basketball program had the opportunity to participate in the UBS NextGen Leaders program through our good friends over at Laureus USA. The NextGen Leaders program aims to increase college and career success for first-generation students and advance intergenerational economic mobility through bachelor’s degree attainment.

Our kids were put through the Hire Power curriculum that guided them through the power of storytelling, particularly in the interview process. By using this curriculum, our kids with the UBS volunteers practiced their communication skills and developed a strong portfolio of stories appropriate for a workplace setting. The players then got the chance to practice their storytelling in both a group setting and in mock interviews.

KING Hoops and all our Kids in the Game programs value inclusivity and diversity amongst our kids. By nature of growing up in New York City, all our kids have unique stories to tell, and as they are beginning their college and first job application processes, this event was the perfect exercise to refine their communication skills without losing their unique story.

Big thank you to Laureus for allowing our guys to participate in the great event put on by UBS. These are the types of events that help our basketball program stand out from the others in the NYC scene.

It may be April now but we can’t help reminiscing on March and all the fantastic basketball we were able to watch during this year’s March Madness tournament. 136 teams represented their colleges and universities represented in the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament. This premier collegiate basketball event provides a platform to each educational institution to showcase both their athletic achievements as well as broadcast their brand across the country. As college basketball games dominate cable networks and streaming platforms during the month of March, we decided to bring March Madness into our own daily programming in order to increase college awareness among our students! At Bedford Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter School (BSNBCS) and Corpus Christi School. Kids in the Game celebrated March Madness by hosting a “College and Career Week.”

During the week of March 19th, eight guest speakers from various academic and career backgrounds spoke to the students of BSNBCS and Corpus Christi. Each speaker discussed their collegiate experience and career journey, leading them to offer their best advice and tips to the curious and ambitions young scholars. Check out a few highlights from the speakers below!

Hon. Richard Clinchy- Westchester Town Councilman, High School Teacher, College Basketball Coach, High School Basketball Coach, Motivational Speaker.

Coach Clinchy spoke of his time playing baseball both at Hobart University and professionally. He discussed the supreme importance of education, his role as a teacher and coach, and offered advice on how to get recruited by a college coach. After asking students to think of their intrinsic motivation, he stressed each scholar to truly believe in their ability to succeed in whatever they may be passionate about – sports, art, theater, science. Finally, all students were gifted with a t-shirt with a quote from Duke University coach, Coach K, “Always Do Your Best!”

Tatum Boehnke – Director of Community and Impact for Kids in the Game. NCAA Division One Swimmer and Swimming Coach.

Tatum spoke of her development as a swimmer and her determination to set the for swimming across the English Channel! Connecting her swimming with her education, she credits her success in both endeavors to positive goal-setting, having a strong support system, and her internal determination and belief in herself. A graduate of Northern Colorado State University, Tatum transitioned to collegiate swimming coach and working in athletic admissions at her Alma matter. As she loved to help her athletes, Tatum pursued her passion of helping those around her by joining KING as the Director of Community and Impact!

Will McKinney – Associate Director of Marketing, Urban Catalog at Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment

Will is an extremely successful marketing director in the music production industry tasked with working with top artists to select hit singles and figure out how to properly market each song to reach a widespread audience using a variety of platforms. Will enthralled the students of BSNBCS with his stories of working with SZA, Wyclef John, Whitney Houston, Tribe Called Quest, Beyonce’s marketing team, Travis Scott, and Bryson Tiller. A graduate of Belmont University, he offered advice to our students on the benefit of growing up in NYC – a cultural music hub with a multitude of music industry resources available to all students.

Dan Bradley – Senior Producer, Director of Video, Sports at VICE.

Produced sports documentaries with Steph Curry, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Marshawn Lynch
Dan, a Syracuse University alumni, gave a multi-media presentation that interwove his various sports documentaries with each part of his professional development. Starting off with a Steph Curry and Under Armour commercial he directed, he spoke of starting his own production company with two friends as they combined their resources and worked day and night to find success. Next was a series produced with Carmelo Anthony, highlighting a high school soccer team in Manhattan. Dan spoke about creating VICE Sports and his continued focus on finding the cross-section of sports and culture, all packaged in a unique story. After a clip of the world’s best female rock climber, a teenager from NYC, Dan offered tangible advice for those interested in creating videos and digital storytelling. iPhones, YouTube, creativity, and finding a unique angle will lead young creators down a path of success.

What: Jr. NBA Skills Challenge
Who: Boys and Girls, age 13 and under
Where: Leman Manhattan – 41 Broad St. 9th Floor
Cost: FREE
Sign-up: Email Paul@kidsinthegame.com or come to event 30 minutes prior to start

Do you have the moves like Steph Curry? Can you handle the ball like Maya Moore? Good. Come show us! KING Hoops is excited to host their Jr. NBA Skills Challenge Event February 17th at The Franciscan Community Center. The event will take place from 1:30pm to 3:00pm and is open to boys and girls 13 years and younger. Oh, and did I mention it was free? Yes, free! Boys and girls will compete is separate divisions (14U and 12U) and showcase their ball handling and shooting skills.

To see the official rules click here

From this local competition the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will advance to the regional competition with a chance to advance to the national competition in June.

Finalists for the national competition win an all-expense paid trip to New York City, receive gift bags, attend special events, interact with NBA/WNBA/D-League Players, Legends, & Draftees, and attend the 2017 NBA Draft.

Questions? Email KING Hoops Basketball Director at Paul@kidsinthegame.com

This month at the Olympic Games, the world’s attention will be on athletes from all across the globe. With names like Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn, Chloe Kim and Aja Evans the United States’ women athletes are prepped to make some major noise. On this National Women in Sports Day, we want to celebrate all women in sports from the 3 year old girl signing up for her first soccer class to those Olympians we idolize on TV.

KING’s newly formed non-profit KING Kids has teamed up with the National Women in Sports Foundation to provide a 12 week sports-based program based on their GoGirlGo! curriculum. The program will allow us to introduce our core sports (Basketball, Track, Volleyball and Soccer) to girls without access to affordable sports programming as well as teach lessons on leadership, self confidence and living healthy lifestyles.

If you would like to donate to KING Kids GoGirlGo project click here!

Behind every athlete is a team of coaches and supporters that have molded them into not only strong athletes but also strong women. Our goal at KING is to empower all our kids to be trailblazers in their own right. We are lucky to have a team full on women that have been positively impacted by sports and are currently returning the favor. Here are a few of their stories.

Rachel Bender, KING Spikes Head Coach

“I would argue that sports and athletics, for all genders, help to foster a sense of empowerment, body and self awareness, self confidence, self esteem, and purpose.  Sports can also greatly increase one’s sense of belonging and ability to relate with their teammates or peers.  Girls are not always given the same opportunities in the classroom and extracurricular activities when compared to male peers.  Additionally, societal gender norms may subtly (or not so subtly) push girls to conform to the way others want them to behave or act.  Being involved in girls sports is one way for girls to develop the skills at a young age to take on various dynamic environments in their futures.

Girls in Sports Week is important because it highlights female achievements in the sports world that may get brushed off or not as often highlighted as compared with their male counterpart achievements.  Girls Athletics is also one safe and welcoming area of their lives that allows and encourages them to foster their competitive spirit and strong personal voices.

Tatum Boehnke – Director of Community and Impact

“I couldn’t imagine my childhood without sports. Every spare moment was filled with soccer, swim, and ski practice for as long as I can remember. Beyond fostering my work ethic, time management skills, and giving me some of my best friends for life, I gained skills that I didn’t even realize I had until my adult years. All those years of jumping into a pool at 5 in the morning have molded me into the person I am today and for that I am forever grateful for having the opportunity to be a “girl in sport”.”

Alexandra Cosme – KING Coach
“Coaching helps me feel like I’m making a difference in young lives. In a few years, when they’re doing something or accomplishing something, they’ll be able to think back and say “oh, I know how to do this because coach Alexandra showed me or taught me”.

Amy Dahmen, Coach Across America Coach with Kids in the Game

“When I entered school, I epitomized the term “girly girl”. The worst punishment my parents could give me was to tell me I couldn’t wear a dress or a skirt to school. I’m not joking – I would beg for them to take away my barbies, take away time playing outside. My resolve about adhering to all of the girly-girl cliches you can imagine coincided with a strong distaste for traditional sports. Anything game that involved a ball or hand-eye coordination wasn’t for me. I did, though, love dance and cheerleading – these just didn’t factor into the PE that I learned in school. My distaste for sport – or my limited scope of “sport” – only intensified as I got older – I just didn’t know what was right for me. It wasn’t until college when I was able to take yoga and pilates electives that the fitness game radically changed for me. I had the most incredible teacher, Kelly, who helped me and my peers to find joy in movement; in knowing, stretching and strengthening our bodies. A foundation was laid there that made me re approach sport and fitness. I found a comfort and confidence through exercise that I hadn’t known before. Also, having Kelly as a coach inspired me to approach my yoga practice with a new kind of dedication, one that allowed me to laugh at myself and welcome the epic fails of attempted poses. These traits of confidence and gentle, forgiving dedication have been integral in the shaping of my faith, my adult character, and my approach now as a coach. It motivates me so much each day that am instilling these traits in young people who will lead us tomorrow.”

Kids in the Game is excited to announce the launch of our brand new podcast “Behind the Game”! The podcast will cover the intersection of youth development, sports, education, and technology in the New York City landscape. You will be hearing from the likes of principals, executive directors, coaches, teachers, and other change makers that are all working towards building a better city for our youth. With more than 1 million students in New York City, we want to help families, schools, and organizations learn to navigate the complex ecosystem we live and breath.

Last week we recorded our very first podcast with guest Ben Schornack. Ben got his start on the world of NYC youth development with Kids in the Game as our very first program coordinator. Since then he has been with Up2Us Sports and is currently a program manager with the Laureus Sport for Good USA Foundation. Laureus recently launched it’s Sport for Good NYC initiative — a long-term commitment to improving the lives of underserved youth in the five boroughs of New York City through the power of sport. The initiative will bring together nonprofit leaders by providing resources and facilitating collaboration. Ben mentions in the podcast that New York is full of organizations doing great work, but it is also full of funders and by working together we can tap into more funding sources to improve and provide even more programming. KING’s Wilson Rose is sitting on the leadership team for the initiative and we are excited to work with Laureus and Ben on this project.

Throughout the podcast, led by KING Hoops Director Paul O’Connor and KING Founder Michael Murphy, Ben details the changes he has seen in funding youth sport programs and the direction the industry is headed. The group also spends time talking about coaches that have impacted them and how important the role of a coach is. The podcast ends with a lightening round of questions and more Iowa basketball trivia than you ever thought you would need to know! Check out the link to listen and subscribe as we continue to bring leaders in the community onto “Behind the Game”!

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.

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!