Sports Skills

Last Thrusday, I took Alex to a sports skills class at The Little Gym. The class focuses on several different sports...soccer, football, basketball, baseball & golf i think... each one for a couple of weeks in a row. And it also incorporates some gymnastic activities in the last 30 minutes of the class.

Alex was super excited to go. We got to The Little Gym & he high fived the instructor & took his socks & shoes off. We were waiting for the class before his to finish up & he kept asking "Can I go in now? Can I go in now?" And then when it was time, he went in with the instructor & was ready to play.

And then another little boy showed up. And another. And another.

I was sitting in the observation/waiting room & to me, he looked like he was still doing great. But then the teacher told the boys to all go sit by the wall so she could show them a few soccer kicks. The 3 other boys ran over to the wall but Alex didn't move. He just sat there.

The teacher started talking to him & then he stood up. I wasn't exactly sure what was going on. I thought maybe she was going to have him kick the ball. Until I saw the look on his face. He was holding back the tears.

I opened the door to check on him & the instructor walked him over to me. She said he was so upset that he was literally shaking & as soon as he was in my arms, he broke down & cried.

He said he didn't want to go back in to the class. So I carried him into the room & he sat in my lap against the wall.

As the other boys were kicking soccer balls, one of them rolled over near us. So I grabbed it & let Alex play with it. I got him to kick it & dribble it, but he would only do it right in front of me. He wouldn't get back on the mat.
 

 

The class does 30 minutes of group activities on the big mat & then 30 minutes of 'stations.' The boys went to the first station & Alex was very interested in watching what they were doing, but still didn't want to participate just yet.

 

When they went to the second station, we had to move closer to the boys to be able to see what they were doing. Nicki, the instructor, asked Alex if he wanted to kick his soccer ball to her. He told her "No" but that he would kick it to me.

 

And so at this point, Alex began to participate.

 

He worked on kicking the ball to me & stopping the ball with his foot when I kicked it to him.

 

 

 He crawled on the obstacle course.

 

He did some sommersaults (with assistance.)

 

He hung from the bar.

 

He walked on the balance beam.

 

And he hung on the uneven bars. (The instructor had to raise the bar for him since he's so tall.)

 

He ended up participating for about the last 20 minutes of the class. And during that time, he had a lot of fun. Even though he was "too nervous" (his words) this time, I definitely plan on bringing him back. I think it'll be good for him to be around other little boys his age & to have a little bit of time away from mommy & to find out which sport he likes the best. I think it'll probably take a couple of classes (hopefully not all 40) before he is completely okay with going, but he's already saying he wants to go back. We didn't go this week since he was sick, but you better bet he'll be there next week!