Fitness, Leadership And Fun For Youngsters At Brick Sport Saturday

BRICK, NJ — If you are looking for a program that will teach your child leadership skills and problem-solving while giving them a place to be physically active, check out the Sport Saturday program in Brick.

Sport Saturday, offered through the Brick Municipal Alliance Coalition, is for Brick Township residents ages 9 through 12. It provides 90-minute training sessions for young athletes "designed to help them achieve their personal best physically, mentally and emotionally in both sports and life," the organization said.

Sport Saturday is free and there are two sessions offered each Saturday, at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. from March 16 through June 15 at Civic Plaza, 270 Chambers Bridge Road.

Parents can register their children for one or more sessions. There is a limit of 30 children at each session.

Each Sport Saturday training session "provides enhancement of general fitness levels, sports specific training, and the importance of leadership qualities, problem-solving and character development designed to help youth increase self-esteem, awareness and resiliency as substance use prevention strategies," BMAC officials said.

Hundreds of children have participated in the program, which has been offered for more than six years.

"Each child has come away with the skills that help them both on the field and in life," Mayor Lisa Crate said. "It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to continue to work with BMAC to bring this program to the youth of Brick Township."

Trainers are provided by Mentor Academy of New Jersey and are certified physical education teachers as well as youth sports trainers.

Teaching children skills that enhance their problem-solving abilities and resilience is important in efforts to keep them safe and away from the dangers of substance abuse, a trickier challenge at a time where youth sports increasingly mimic professional sports.

That has caused an increase in overuse-driven sports injuries in children ages 12 and up, where an opioid pain reliever might be prescribed.

"Studies show youth exposed to prescribed opioids before high school graduation have a 33 percent increased risk of using opioids recreationally in the years after graduation, including those (youth) with a previous unfavorable attitude toward drug use," said Andrea Zapcic, chair of BMAC.

Register for Sport Saturday in the Recreation Office, 270 Chambers Bridge Road, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. or online at register.communitypass.net/bricktownship. Call 732-262-1053 for more information.

Sport Saturday is funded through the BMAC grant provided by the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.