Start Smart: innovative program a hit in communities across the nation.

Thousands of children have been reaping the benefits of an innovative skill-building program that is offered through parks and recreation departments nationwide. START SMART Sports Development Program--a fun-filled and educational approach to teaching children as young as three motor skills like throwing, catching and kicking before they step on the playing field--is sweeping the country. Since its inception two years ago, more than 150 of the six-week programs have been staged from California to Connecticut and just about everywhere in between.

"It's been a real big hit," said Mark Nelson, recreation supervisor for the Springfield/Greene County (MO) Park Board. "There is finally an appropriate sports program we can offer three to five year olds." Nearly 70 youngsters and their parents participated in four programs that were conducted in Springfield last year. The programs were so successful, that five more have been added for 1997. START SMART is now one of the many programs available year round in Springfield, as it is in many other parks and recreation departments across the country.

"If you are a parks and recreation department, this program is a perfect fit," said Keith Larson, program supervisor for the Golden Gate Community Center in Naples (FL), which offers the program on a regular basis. "We really like it and it's something we're trying to start at all of our community centers."

START SMART is also getting high marks from parents who savor the bonding time the program promotes through one-on-one work between parents and kids in a supervised setting. As these parents learn how to teach youngsters proper techniques, they become better candidates to fill future volunteer coaching positions.

"The response I hear from parents is that they loved the opportunity to work in a structured program that will help their kids learn and grow," Larson said. "Kids love to learn and they love seeing results. And most importantly they love the interaction with their parents. They can't wait to say to mom or dad, `look what I can do now.'"

It's what kids weren't able to do when it came to skills like throwing and catching that led the National Alliance for Youth: Sports to build START SMART. The Alliance is a nonprofit organization that works to provide safe and meaningful sports for America's youth. The program was created following a national study conducted at Northern Kentucky University which found that an alarming 49% of children ages five through eight lacked the minimum skills necessary to play organized sports. Its no secret that children who have success in sports are going to stay involved longer and develop higher levels of confidence than those whose experience turns sour when they're unable to meet the expectations of coaches, parents, friends, or even of themselves.

"We run a lot of youth sports programs and there are so many kids you see who do not have the basic fundamentals," Nelson said. "We had been looking for a program to fit into our goal of teaching the younger-aged kids basic fundamentals and when I came across START SMART it was exactly what I was looking for."

"It's perfect to develop fundamental skills and coordination for children when they are starting to become active around the age of three, until they are ready to start an organized program at five or six." In Minnesota, parents have been echoing those same sentiments following three highly successful programs conducted through the Roseville (MN) Parks and Recreation Department which is running START SMART this year as part of its regular schedule of programs.

"There was definitely a need in the community since our population has been asking for a sports-oriented program for that three to five age group," said Susie Colter-Munyer, recreation supervisor for the Roseville Parks and Recreation Department. "A lot of departments have been calling me for information about START SMART and I definitely recommended it." Parks and recreation professionals across the country certainly agree after witnessing the results first hand.

In Wisconsin, approximately 100 parent-child groups participated in a pair of programs held through the City of Verona Parks and Recreation Department. The Kingman (KS) Recreation Commission and the Norwich (CT) Recreation Department have held four Start Smart programs. Meanwhile, more than 300 parent-child groups have been included in programs offered by: Ft. Eustis (VA) Youth Services, Glastonbury (CT) Parks and Recreation Department, Valparaiso (IN) Department of Recreation, and Haddam-Killingworth (CT) Recreation.

The program is comprised of a wide range of skill stations that have been specially designed to develop and enhance a child's throwing, catching, kicking, and striking skills. The stations are altered each week to account for the child's progress. "At least three or four of the five- to seven-year olds showed unbelievable progress throughout the program," said Craig McLeod, who conducted a program at the Burlington (VT) Parks and Recreation Department late last year and is holding another one that began last month. "The skill and confidence they acquired was very rewarding and alone made the whole program worthwhile."

The program uses the popular line of Koosh equipment, which has proven an exceptional help in motor skill development in children. This colorful equipment is not only fun to use, but also safe so the children won't get hurt or be fearful of getting hurt.

"I think it was a great program," said Alycia Sabrowski, a youth outreach worker for the City of Norwich (CT) Department of Recreation. "Toward the end of the program, we started asking them questions about which way they were supposed to stand and which foot they were supposed to be stepping with when throwing and they answered the right way, which tells me they really caught on."

The program has caught on not just across the U.S., but oversees as well. Koosh balls are being tossed, kicked and caught in Japan, Guam, Korea, England, Canada, and the Netherlands.

"I think the reason that it's been so successful is that the parents and kids can do this together and that bond between them is there," Larson said. "The kids are having a great deal of fun and we've had a couple of very successful programs." So have countless other parks and recreation departments, who have embraced the Start Smart program, which meets the needs of parents and children and helps set the stage for smooth transitions into the competitive world of organized sports. "It's a wonderful program," Larson said.

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