I’m really excited for fall.  Not so much for the husband going back to school, school for the kids, and the overall insanity of our schedule.  But one of our little ones is going to start playing sports.  We’ve done the plastic t-ball in the living room thing, and slam dunked with our Little Tikes basketball hoop all day, but this is different.  This is organized.  This is with other kids.  This is going to be great.

Or it’s going to be a total disaster.  I don’t know how my child will do on a team.  I don’t know if they’ll stay focused enough to do what’s required to actually play by the rules for an entire game.  But that’s why we put our kids in sports, right?  To learn how to be a good teammate, to work at something even when it’s hard, and to be a good sport.  All skills we need in order to be successful in life, even if we’re not the next Michael Jordan.

We’re going with Jump Start Sports.  (If you decide you want to get your kid enrolled too, tell them Femme Frugality sent you.  I don’t make any money, but it helps them track where parents are hearing about them.) It’s a pretty cool, and decently affordable, program.  In our area, prices start at $60 for a 6 week course, and that includes a t-shirt/jersey.  They are taught by trained staff coaches (with all the appropriate clearances,) which I think is awesome compared to what a lot of programs do at this age and have kids’ parents come in full of favoritism, and sometimes, unfortunately, ineptitude.  Right now they have programs across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and North Carolina, and open registration for the fall.  Here’s a sampling of some of them:

Flag Football  Children entering grades 1 – 6 have a blast learning the basics of football.  Players are grouped by age, coached at their level of understanding, and play fun, low competition games under adult supervision. All instruction will be conducted by Jump Start Sports staff coaches. Players will learn the basic fundamentals of offense and defense, and will be introduced to speed and agility training. Parent coaches can assist in the instruction and will call the plays for their teams. Jump Start Sports staff will also supervise all games to ensure equal playing time, a rotation of players in various positions, and they will help teach within the context of the game.

Hoop Stars Basketball  Instructional and recreational basketball program for children in grades   1 – 2. Players are taught the basics of dribbling, passing, shooting, positioning, defense, and rebounding in a fun-oriented program. Then they apply what they’ve learned in low competition games.

Hummingbirds Soccer  3 through 6 year olds have fun and learn the basics of soccer: dribbling, passing, trapping, shooting, defense, and positioning. Each session consists of instruction in all aspects of the game, participation in fun drills that are designed to teach fundamental skills to young children, and low-key, non-competitive games. All coaching will be conducted by Jump Start Sports staff, but parents may assist.

Little Hoop Stars Basketball  Instructional and recreational basketball program for children in preschool and grade K. Players are taught the basics of dribbling, passing, shooting, positioning, defense, and rebounding in a fun-oriented program. Then they apply what they’ve learned in low competition games.

Rookie League Baseball  A fun baseball experience for 5 and 6 year old boys and girls. Players will receive instruction in all basics of the sport, and will apply what they have learned in fun games. All players begin the season playing T-Ball and are slowly introduced to Coach Pitch Baseball over the course of the season. The program includes both instruction and game play. The games will be non-competitive and no score will be kept, but hits and outs will be recorded as they are in older coach pitch programs. Players who are not able to hit a pitched ball will be able to use a tee while learning. Rookie League classes are 1 hour and 15 minutes long. Jump Start Sports staff members conduct the instruction and oversee the game play while volunteer team coaches participate in a detailed coaches training program provided by Jump Start Sports.

T- Birds T-Ball  A fun and highly instructional introduction to baseball for 3 and 4 year old boys and girls. Players learn the basics of throwing, catching, fielding, batting, and base running, and then apply what they have learned in fun, non-competitive games. Sessions are one hour long, one day per week, and include all instruction and game play in one outing. Instruction is conducted by Jump Start Sports staff coaches. Players receive a Major League Baseball hat, team tee shirt, and baseball medal. Volunteer coaches may also participate in a detailed coaches training program provided by Jump Start Sports.

What skills has your child learned from organized sports?