Delivered by trained coaches and special educators, Open Sports offers children with special needs a fun and nurturing environment to actively participate in sports and fitness.

 

Physical activities for children with special needs carries many benefits, including boosting self-esteem, social interaction, focus and attention. Studies have also shown that exercise helps to reduce problem behaviors, anxiety, self-stimulation disruptiveness and aggression.

 

Our sports and fitness routines are especially designed to incorporate those benefits. Open Sports understands the unique challenges kids with special needs face when they participate in physical activities, and our strength is in focusing on the positive impact and scenarios so kids feel empowered and motivated.

 

Ultimately, our goal is to teach children how to use sports to collaborate, and help them develop a lifelong love of sport and fitness so they can continue to reap these benefits!

 

Some of Our Program Highlights Include:

 

• L ow child to coach ratio so your child benefits from the attention they require.

• Specialized equipment providing a safe routine and physical outlet for them to engage in play and fitness.

• Targeted fitness routines to help build core strength, endurance, gross motor skills, motor planning skills.

• Visuals and picture schedules to help display and explain activities and progress.

• Team activities to boost socialization opportunities and language.

• Creating success scenarios so children develop the love for sport and fitness activities, helping them feel motivated and confident.

• Fun, non-competitive environment for younger children, and a gradual introduction of competitive activities for older children so they experience the rewards of athletic events.

• Sports programming for children who are not quite ready to participate in a mainstream sports program build skills and confidence to reach that goal.

• Opportunities to get together with our regular sports group so they get a chance to use their newly acquired skills in an inclusive environment! 

 

Our Open Sports program is designed to help boost physical fitness, social activity, and confidence! Most of all, it's in keeping with our philosophy at FunFit to have fun while keeping fit!

 

Our Unique Program Incorporates Three Segments

 

Fitness

 

We kick off each session with a fitness segment to help children improve their strength and conditioning, coordination skills, gross motor skills, and motor planning skills.

 

• Sensory integration and proprioception – help children get ready for the program

• Stretching and conditioning – help address problems associated with low muscle tone

• Strengthening – help build core muscles to improve balance and coordination

 

Sport-Specific and Activity Focused Segment

 

Our 15-week program is divided into periods focusing on an individual sport or activities. By introducing soccer, basketball, gymnastics and playground games, kids learn how to follow rules, collaborate in a team environment, improve  socialization, while developing concrete skills in these sports.

 

This segment is designed to help children gradually develop skills so they feel comfortable playing in the park, participating in ball games at recess, and socializing with friends.

 

We recognize that some kids are not quite ready to participate in mainstream sports programs. We aim to provide a fun and engaging environment while gradually introducing kids to friendly competitions so they can develop the skills and confidence to join a mainstream sports program where possible.

 

The key here is to set the children up for success so they can bring back positive associations with these sports and have the confidence to play with their friends and family.

 

Inclusive Play

 

We want the kids to finish each session feeling motivated and empowered!

 

Each session ends with a 5-minute group game or activity with our regular sports programmers of the same age group. This gives the children a chance to use their newly acquired skills in an inclusive environment!

 

And for their hard work, in the final 5 minutes, kids are rewarded with free play in an inclusive environment in our gym.

 

Winter Session Details

 

15 week program from Sunday January 20th to Sunday May 12th 2019

(No classes on 03/31/2019 and 4/21/2019)

 

Price $675 for 15 weeks

 

Ages 4-5

Day: Sunday

Time: 10:00 to 10:50 AM

 

Ages 6-8

Day: Sunday

Time: 11:45 to 12:35 PM

 

For details, contact: opensports@FunFitNYC.com