Sports Skills at The Little Gym

It’s Summer Sports Week at The Little Gym. This week, we incorporate a few activities from our Sports Skills program into our Preschool/Kindergarten and Grade School gymnastics classes.


Our Sports Skills program is designed to develop basic sports skills and create a foundation for positive athletic experiences. It’s for 3-6 years old boys and girls, broken out by age groups, and uses a variety of innovative sport exercises, lead-up games and drills to teach the basic understanding of the rules and strategies associated with specific sports.

This week in our gymnastics classes, we’ll introduce the basketball chest pass, work on soccer dribbling, trapping, and kicking, football throwing and catching, and tennis (as well as including gymnastics).

Being an instructor at The Little Gym for over 4.5 years, and leading many Sports Skills classes over those years, I’ve seen the benefits of our Sports Skills class first-hand in many of the children who have been in our sports program. One of my favorite semesters was when I had only 4 children enrolled in a summer class – Mini Jacks, for 3-4 year olds. Two of the children were boys who had an amazing amount of energy and a comparable lack of focus. The other two children were girls that were completely the opposite. From feedback after classes, I understand the parents in the lobby were getting quite a kick out of the weekly “show” of me trying to engage all four children appropriately. What seemed to work well for the boys was when I pretended that we were doing racecar baseball, or dinosaur soccer.

It was hard to see the growth in those 2 boys from week to week, but they loved the class and their parents kept them in the sports skills program for several years. Eventually they became the “rock stars” in the class, learning the skills, and (eventually), improving their focus and concentration. One of those boys joined our advanced 5-6 year old class, (and also one of those 2 girls as well!).

Parents wonder if their child should do one semester of sports skills. We do mix up the sports each semester, with the Fall concentrating on soccer, football, and basketball (with a little bowling, and volleyball added). And in the Winter/Spring we focus on hockey, golf, and baseball (with a week of track & field, and Frisbee). As with any sport, repetition builds skills and confidence. So yes, as with any of our programs, it truly is a 2-3 year timeframe to get benefits of the program, learning the skills, and building a soaring sense of confidence. And those children who do spend 1-2 years in the sports program will have an increased ability in all of those sports.

I think I’ve given the example of my son a bunch of times. He just turned 6 a few weeks ago. Blaise spent several semesters in the sports skills class. That’s the class that helped him get out of his shell and join in the first 15 minutes of the class. He really enjoyed the various sports “games” we played, from dribbling the soccer ball around the parachute and then kicking the balll towards the cones in the center of the parachute, or our “Tower of Power” game where we throw footballs to knock a cone off a tower of “hot dog” mats.

This past spring, Blaise, agreed to join T-ball. Of course, after I signed him up, he freaked out, saying that he *didn’t* want to do T-ball. I insisted that we come try the first practice and see how it goes. Blaise was by far not the strongest player on the team. He has not been very interested in playing ball with me on the weekends, so I was impressed when he followed the coach’s directions and started playing catch with the other boys on his team. And he started to love going to his (*many*) practices and games. Even though I think it rained every day this past season, he loved going and playing T-ball with his new friends.

I loved it too. My pride in Blaise grew each week. The last 3 weeks of the season, the coaches started pitching to the kids. If they didn’t get a hit after about 4 pitches, the coaches would bring out the batting T. Blaise always got the T… until the last game. His first at-bat, he hit the first pitch from the coach. And I *saw* it!

More Proud Parent Moments

We talk about how at The Little Gym you have the opportunity to feel pride in your child each week.  Well this week, I felt a ton of pride in my son.  My son, Blaise, has been in The Little Gym programs since my wife and I became owners of the gym 4.5 years ago.  Our nanny brought him to classes for the first few years, and he joined the Funny Bugs class by accident when she brought him to the wrong class time.  He was already three but with his temperment, we thought it best to keep him in a parent-participation class for a little longer.  He ended up doing great and we kept him in the Funny Bugs class.

This week was a week of the next transition.  Blaise turned 6 last month, but due to other committments, he couldn't join the grade school "Hot Shots" class until this week.  Like his sister, he was very reluctant to join the "big kid" gymnastics class.  He's probably going to do the all-boys Tuesday class, but this week, he came on Wednesday to the co-ed 4:15pm Flips & Hot Shots class.  And he did great!   He kept up with the other children in class, was beaming as he ran around the gym in the warmup, going all-out.  And the other boys welcomed him into the class. 

I loved it!  As a parent, there is nothing better than that feeling of pride in your child.  It's a very strong emotion.  This week we allowed parents into classses to watch a portion of class.  It was enough, for me, to get a good dose of pride... which translated to ice cream after class for all.  :-)  I hope you were able to get a good dose of pride in your child or children this week!

Happy handstands,
 Teacher Ron

Another fun week coming up... Guppies to Puppies!

Now that Who's Your Hero camp week is over, I'm setting my sights on our Guppies to Puppies week -- the week of August 16 - 20.  During our classes that week, we invite students to bring in a pet to show to their class during the opening circle or closing circle (or lobby if it's a large animal). 

And during our camps, we arrange special guest animal visitors for each day.  In years past, we had visits from a one-legged cat, several snakes, bearded dragons, a pony and a horse.  Plus we've had visitors from several non-profits:

•  Project Pooch -- an organization that has successfully paired youths incarcerated at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn, Oregon, with homeless shelter dogs since 1993.
• PAWS - a non-profit cat adoption center in West Linn, Oregon. Their mission is to place as many homeless cats and kittens into loving, caring homes.
• Cat Adoption Team - the Pacific Northwest’s largest nonprofit, limited admission cat shelter.

The cat shelters are always a hit, especially when they bring young kittens and talk about caring for animals.  And we're hoping that Suzi from Project Pooch can make it back again.  She brings one of her dogs and shows some of the things that a highly trained dog can do. 

This year, we will have a visit by some hissing cockroaches. possibly some walking stick bugs; and we'll go next door to Cat Care Professionals and visit some cats staying at their B&B.

We're looking for other pet visitors that week. So if you have a pet you'd like to bring in to show off, we'd love to have you!  Call (503) 595-9702 and talk with Ron for arrangements.

Happy Handstands!

Who's Your Hero Week at The Little Gym - July 12 - 16

Next week is "Who's Your Hero?" week at The Little Gym of Lake Oswego.  This week is always a huge hit for the children who attend camp.  Each day we talk about and pretend to be the various heros of our community -- police, fire fighters, paramedics and more!  On several days we'll actually be visited by some real community heros.  

Last year, paramedics from Metro West Ambulance gave a tour of their ambulance, showing the campers all of the gear they keep and how they use it to keep people safe when they're injured.  One child got hooked up to a heart-rate monitor and another got their arm stabilized with an air-based cast.   This year, will be visited by two different ambulance companies on Monday July, 12th and Tuesday, July 13th.

We also got visits from both the Lake Oswego and Tualatin police last year.  Officers Girardi and Phillips talked about safety and how the police help families in the community.  Of course, the highlight was a tour of their police cars.

But the highlight of the week was when Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue came for their visit.  Three fire fighters spent quite a bit of time talking about their gear in our lobby, and showed how their infrared detecters are used to find people in smoke-filled rooms, or to find out which areas of a building are hot (on fire and dangerous).  Then they took us outside for a tour of their fire engine, including allowing each camper a turn to shoot water from a live fire hose. 

The police are visiting on Friday next week, with the fire fighters coming on Wednesday the 14th.  Since each crew will be "on call," if an emergency arises, they may be called away.  But hopefully, we'll have some super-fun visits with our local heros.

Space is available in camp for every day next week.  Call us at (503) 595-9702 to reserve your spaces for your potty-independent 3-8 year olds before they're full!

Opportunity to expose your children to another culture -- Compass USA is looking for host families

I recently got an email from Shelby Davison of Compass USA, asking that I forward her request to our members.  I have not worked with Compass USA and The Little Gym does not endorse their organization.  If you're interested in learning more, please contact Annette (Clackamas) at 503.481.4125, Becky (Clackamas) at 360.892.4212, or Lana (Oregon City) at 503.709.6108.  The Compass USA website can be seen at: http://www.compass-usa.net/.

Compass USA is an organization that facilitates home-stays for American and International students to further the growth of international understanding.  They currently have a group of 25 Okinawan high school boys and girls coming to Clackamas and Oregon City July 21-August 18 and are looking for host families who would be willing to open their hearts and homes to these students.

From Shelby: 

"This is a rewarding opportunity for families of all ages to have an international experience without even leaving home. Many of the families that have participated in this program have developed life long friendships with their students and have even visited their students in Japan."

"From July 21st to August 18th, Oregon City and Clackamas will play host to nearly 25 Okinawan students eager to improve their English and learn about American culture. This group of young girls and boys (ages 13-17) will spend their four weeks in the Oregon City and Clackamas area both participating in academic classes and enjoying weekday field trips around the community, including excursions to the Oregon Coast, Fort Vancouver, Seattle for a Mariners game, and the Columbia River."

"What makes this stay truly special for the students is the opportunity to live with a local family. Host families throughout the community open their homes to these international visitors, and by doing so open themselves up to a singularly enlightening cultural experience. While the Japanese students get a chance to learn about life in an American family, their host families are given a similarly special chance to learn more about life in Okinawa."

"This cultural exchange is a life-changing opportunity for everyone involved. If you’re interested in hosting a bright and inquisitive student from Okinawa, please contact Annette (Clackamas) at 503.481.4125, Becky (Clackamas) at 360.892.4212, or Lana (Oregon City) at 503.709.6108."

Winter/Spring 2010 Show Week

We're about half-way through our end-of-year Show Week.  It's a very emotional time for us at The Little Gym.  I am *always* impressed with the performance of the children doing their routines in front of a large audience of parents.  Here's some of the neat things that have happened so far this week:

Our Monday classes always impress me with how well they do, even though they miss one practice due to Memorial Day coming a few weeks before Show Week.  Even our 3 year old Funny Bugs did amazing with only one class prior in which they practiced the full routine.  (Two weeks ago was Memorial Day, and prior to that we had been working on just parts of the routines in class.)

On Tuesday, one of our Hot Shots (6-12 year old boys), did his pull-over on the bars for the very first time by himself, *and* in front of his family.  He had been coming to classes here for about 2.5 years now.  I wish we had a video of the progress he's made since he started here.  His self-esteem has skyrocketed as he's been able to master skills recently.

Also on Tuesday, two parents realized they had a special bond.  They realized that they had both adopted their children from the same children's home in Guatemala.  They had been attending the same class for about 10+ weeks before realizing they had that connection.  That was probably one of the most interesting connections The Little Gym has ever facilitated.

Today, one of our 5 year olds who has been coming since she was 2, finally felt comfortable standing up and performing her gymnastics routines in front of an audience.  For the last several years, she would skip the performance part of Show Week, preferring to sit with her parents.  Today she decided to do them, performed all three routines, and performed a few "future skills" (advanced skills done with a heavy spot) too!

My favorite part was seeing my 5 year old son doing his cartwheels over and over during the group activity on Monday.  He's been coming for 4 years and has always been a little bit of a goofball, preferring to goof around with his friends versus really focusing on learning skills.  But over the years, he's been slowly (stealthily) building up strength and the coordination to do these skills.  I love it that I can feel parental pride for my own son at The Little Gym too!   We love all of the kids and love seeing their growth year over year.  This is such a great job!  :-) 

The Little Gym of Lake Oswego Receives Presidents Circle Honor

Every year, The Little Gym owners from around the world get together for their annual conference. We actually call it The Little Gym Reunion because it’s really a time for gym owners to get together and reunite with other gym owners and our “corporate” friends at The Little Gym International.

This past weekend, was my sixth Reunion. It was held in Hot Springs, Virginia, at The Homestead, an historic resort that dates back to 1766. The location was gorgeous, and I was even able to take a guided hike of a local gorge.

Each year, at Reunion, we get an update about what’s in store for us in the year to come. Sometimes it’s a big splash, like 2 years ago, when we found out that The Little Gym was going to do a tie-in with Disney’s movie Enchanted. (We had a Disney/TLG commercial on TV, plus a raffle in which one The Little Gym member got the chance to walk down the red carpet to see the Enchanted premier in Los Angeles.)

Last year’s focus was on social networking and what Facebook, Twitter, and blogs were all about and how they could play a role in building community with our customers.

The Little Gym also brings in guest speakers each year. Last year Jeffrey Gitomer spoke about customer service. This year, Boaz Rauchwerger spoke about building relationships. I’m always energized after hearing great speakers such as Gitomer and Boaz.

Additionally, each year, we have various breakout sessions to learn more specifics about The Little Gym International initiatives and to learn best practices from other The Little Gyms. I always have pages and pages of tips and suggestions to bring back to our gym.

But the best part of Reunion is seeing the gym owners that I’ve gotten to know over the past 6 years. I love seeing gym owners who went through “Boot Camp” with my wife and me and comparing notes about how things are going in the various parts of the country. I love seeing Mitch from Miami who’s always *so* positive. And Katie from New Jersey who’s gym has just rocketed in the past few years. And my prior advisors Stephen and Joel who are so excited about our recent success here in Lake Oswego. This year I also got to spend some time picking the brain of Adam from Chicago, the most successful The Little Gym. And I had a really nice chat with Jodi, the wife of Robin Wes, the founder of The Little Gym.

My goal each year is make it into President’s Circle, the recognition of the top performing gyms. The whole team here in Lake Oswego has worked incredibly hard to ensure we follow The Little Gym’s axioms of always teaching the best classes, telling everyone about them, and building long-lasting relationships. We spend 2 hours each week in our staff meetings, training, drilling, and practicing gym skills, and how to ensure you and your children are getting the absolute best value out of our programs.

This year we were honored in President’s Circle for the fourth straight year with a bronze-level award. President’s Circle honors are given based on gym performance and quality. Although I was the only person from the Lake Oswego gym there, it really was all of the instructors here that made that award possible. We’ve got a great team for which I am grateful.

Next time you’re at the gym, please congratulate your favorite instructors for achieving President’s Circle!

Here's a photo of me receiving our President's Circle Award.  To the left (my right) is Robin Wes, the founder of The Little Gym, still teaching after 34 years!  To the right is Bob Bingham, the President and CEO of The Little Gym International.