 |
 |
Friday Fun: Youth Sports Getting Too Youthful? Youth sports organizations are reaching deeper into the preschool years, urging parents to sign kids up for soccer or rugby as early as age 3. But just because you can sign your preschooler up for a team, does that mean you should? The chorus of criticism of competitive youth sports is growing louder, as more young sports stars wind up on the bench because of overuse injuries. But youth sports also hold benefits for kids. Research links participation to better grades and self-esteem and lower obesity rates. And some kids simply seem to want to play sports early – grabbing balls, running and jumping at every opportunity. A recent article in Parenting magazine provides some guidelines for deciding whether and when to enroll your preschooler in organized sports. First, experts quoted in the article advise avoiding competition, which can be stressful for kids before the age of 7 or 8. Keep the focus on fun. Second, don’t make a child specialize in one sport at an early age. Sports researchers say young players have more fun and develop better as athletes if they are encouraged to play many sports. Well-rounded kids are also far less likely to lose interest and burn out when they reach their teens. Third, take at least one or two seasons off each year, so kids can rest their bodies. If you enjoy enrolling your child in classes, have them take art or music for a change, says Allston Stubbs, an orthopedist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, N.C.. Finally, don’t allow yourself to feel pressured by other parents who enroll their kids in lots of organized programs. Many parents I have interviewed experience this, saying they are often asked when they are signing their 2- and 3-year-olds up for a team. But children who take sports and exercise classes as preschoolers are no more likely to be involved in high school sports than those who don’t, according to Brook de Lench, founder of MomsTeam.com, a website for sports parents. In fact, free play may encourage young athletes even more. Readers, how early do you think kids should start sports teams? Have you seen children flourish and advance quickly while playing on preschool teams? Or do you think early sign-ups just burn kids out? Do you feel pressure from other parents to get your child involved early?
Lil’ Ruggers Back in Prospect Park for Spring Kids Classes Springtime in Brooklyn means warmer weather, higher spirits, and a plethora of new activities to sign your child up for. And if you haven’t heard of Lil Ruggers, tag rugby for kids, you may want to check it out. The program takes place at the Prospect Park Tennis House South for a a mini session of 7 weeks starting this Sunday, 8 May. Children aged 3 to 4 play from 10am to 10:45am and 5 to 7 year olds go from 10:50am to 11:45am. The class size is limited to 15 students and Devorah Bumberger (CEO and Founder of Lil Ruggers) says, especially at this age, rugby is the perfect sport to help with listening, coordination, sharing and communication. The activity is controlled and non-contact, so there’s no worries about broken collarbones or cauliflower ears. The cost is $280 and you can sign up here.
lil’ ruggers Ever wish you’d learned how to play rugby as a kid? Well, the ship may have sailed for you, but it can still be achieved for your little ones. At Lil’ Ruggers, which has locations throughout the city and in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, kids ages 3 through 7 can learn how to play rugby in a safe, fun, environment that is also a great source of physical activity. Classes are generally for 3-4 years old, 4-5 and 5-7, but the website notes that if your child’s age is not listed you can contact the Commander In Chief or Go To Guy to set up special classes. Rugby, in case you were wondering, is similar in some ways to soccer–meaning, there’s a ball involved–but you can touch it with your hands, which kinda makes it perfect for little kids, no? Also of note is that the company is dog friendly, so you may be able to pair getting your kid some exercise with Sparky as a spectator!
4 Cool Enrichment Classes for Kids in New York City Kids today get to do way better stuff than I ever did when I was a child. When I was a kid after school programs consisted of sports or scouts with maybe a piano lesson thrown in for good measure, a far cry from the opportunities available to my son. Unique and enriching classes abound in New York City. Rugby, veterinary school and stand up comedy are just a few of the classes available nowadays and what is even better – they are all starting soon and still have room. How lucky are our kids? Lil’ Ruggers: No-contact rugby classes for the preschool or elementary school aged set. Little kids will learn the basics of the sport along with other important lessons- like listening to instruction and working as a team. All classes include drills and even a short-scrimmage. Classes run in Manhattan and Brooklyn and include an authentic (albeit tiny) rugby jersey to wear to class. Registration is open and classes are starting now. Mommy Poppins readers can receive 10% off the Li’l Ruggers class price for Fall 2010 registration. Just tell them Mommy sent you
Lil Ruggers is Scrum-ptious Fall Fun In March, we talked about Lil Ruggers, rugby for kids. Though spring classes were only for ages 3/4 and 5/6, the age groups have now been lifted to 5 to 7 and 8 to 12 (though the latter is only in Manhattan). You can check out the schedule and sign up at the website–and if you can’t find a time that works but have a group of kids ready and willing to play, founder Dev Brumberger will be happy to create a private class specifically for you.
Josh Brumberger Josh Brumberger was on his way to accepting a soulless job working for Lehman Brothers in Boston when his public policy professor and thesis advisor at Northeastern University convinced him to give politics a try instead. “That’s too bad, I thought I had one,” Brumberger recalled that professor, former Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis, saying to him, “someone who would go into public service.” After a heart-to-heart with the former Democratic presidential nominee, Brumberger decided to take a job working government relations at Amtrak. A short time on the Hill was all it took for him to “catch the buzz,” he said. Amtrak led to a staff position in Rep. Nita Lowey’s office. And then there was John Edwards’ presidential campaign. Brumberger’s volatile stint working for the disgraced pol—a period he calls “the ugly stuff”—has been well documented in Game Change, the best-selling chronicle of the 2008 election. Working for Edwards, and the subsequent publicizing of their heated conversations about whether
Edwards should drop out of the race, took a lot out of Brumberger. He took some time off. Got married. Went on a honeymoon. A friend of a friend introduced him to Eric Dinallo. Impressed by the Insurance Superintendent’s political acumen, Brumberger got on board. Several years later, he is deeply immersed in Dinallo’s run for attorney general. “It took a leap of faith on his part,” he said. “I didn’t have that statewide experience that others might have looked for.” Now, with a baby on the way and a spirited, five-way Democratic primary well underway, Brumberger said he is excited about this year, but always tries to keep things in perspective. “My career has been a lot of accidents that have worked out,” he said. How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “Part hard work and a lot of luck. I just throw myself into everything I do.” If you were not in politics, what would you be doing? “My sister has this company she just started called Lil’ Ruggers. I would love to help my sister help grow her company.” Five years from now, what will it say on your business card? “I’m positive it’s going to say ‘Josh Brumberger.’ If I were ever to have answered that question, I would not have been right, so I’m not going to start now.” Who would play you in the movie? “Zach Galifianakis”
Time Out New York Kids – Sports
Lil Ruggers-Rugby for Lil Ones Springtime in Brooklyn means warmer weather, higher spirits, and a plethora of new activities to sign your child up for. And if you haven’t heard of Lil Ruggers, tag rugby for kids, you may want to check it out. The program, which takes place in Prospect Park (and areas in Manhattan if you want to pass along the info), is for ages 3/4 and 5/6 though they intend to expand to older children by next season. The class size is limited to 15 students and each session is 45 minutes long. If you’ve ever seen an adult rugby match, you may wonder why you’d want your child running around without a helmet, getting all aggressive and stuff. But Devorah Bumberger (CEO and Founder of Lil Ruggers) says, especially at this age, rugby is the perfect sport to help with listening, coordination, sharing and communication. The activity is controlled and non-contact, so there’s no worries about broken collarbones or cauliflower ears. Want to check it out? You can apply online for the Spring session, which starts 11 April on Sundays, or email Devorah at info@lilruggers.com for any additional information. |
