With kids off for summer break, community rec centers are finding creative ways to supply programming for young people. Youth sports is one popular example. Increasing involvement in the summer hopefully garners more participants in the fall and other seasons. An organization taking advantage of this method and the Summer Olympics happening later this year is the YMCA of Muncie and its Youth Sports Olympics.
“This is the first time we’re running this program,” explained Paul Cigala, the sports and recreation coordinator at the YMCA of Muncie. “My plans are to spread awareness about the Paris Summer Olympics and get kids excited about that. I also hope the kids learn a new sport and spark a passion that makes them want to come back.”
The program will run from June 11 to July 16 with each week featuring a different sport. There’s a mixture of traditional games like basketball and soccer along with more unique opportunities like street hockey and kickball.
Drawing from Personal Experience
Cigala is drawing on his own expertise and love of these games in planning the program. As a child, he played kickball and hockey with his friends, and he’s passing that passion along to participants. These sports taught him values of teamwork, socialization and friendship which he wants to be ignited in kids as well.
“Hopefully, this sparks a connection within the youth in the community,” said Cigala. “A lot of them go to the same school, and I want them to ask each other if they want to play kickball during recess like me and my friends would when growing up. The impact of youth sports goes beyond the Y’s property.”
Along with the highlight of drawing from his passion and personal experiences, Cigala explained how creative thinking is helping him overcome challenges in program planning. For example, the YMCA of Muncie is currently without an aquatics center which he must work around.
Employing Creative Problem-Solving
The result is a session which replicates the movement of rowing and water polo by passing a ball with repeated, rhythmic movements. Cigala hopes this example helps kids learn how to employ problem-solving strategies to create opportunities to play.
“We’re putting our own little spin on some classic Olympic sports,” explained Cigala. “I like putting some creative thinking behind it. I have to think about what kids are going to like, and I hope my imagination can relate to their imagination.”
With a program deeply influenced by Cigala’s personal experience, creativity and effort, he’s also recognized the need to take a step back and remember to have realistic expectations. With this year being the first run of the Youth Sports Olympics, the Y is heading into unknown territory but is eager to provide a top-quality program for participants and their families.
“Creativity can only go so far,” said Cigala. “There may be things we can’t do or things we can’t execute due to budget and facility constraints. It may not turn out exactly as we wanted, but it’s still going to be a great time for the kids. Be engaged with them because some just want to talk to you. Get them moving. We keep pushing, and hopefully by the fall, we’ll have more kids involved with sports.”
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