Summer is closing out as is summer camp so we wanted to share our Kids Fitness Program Wrap Up Notes from Urban Promise.
“These 6 weeks were more amazing then any coach could ask for. The opportunity to invest in young people’s lives was bar none! I saw two high school students grow into phenomenal leaders on the fitness level and also phenomenal leaders in general! They came from kids who didn’t know how to manage a class, to men who intentionally led with a purpose. This experience with them and Urban Promise kids has been amazing and I hope this is one of many!” – Coach Corey
If you remember, earlier this summer we partnered with Urban Promise Charlotte this season for a kids Christian fitness summer camp. Dozens of kids this summer learned the value of fitness and wellness as well as how to move their bodies safely in space. Additionally, we had the opportunity to develop 5 high schoolers into coaches through a mini version of our Coaches Academy! Throughout the 6 weeks, we ran (at each location) 3 two-week beginner kids programs. We played games, got to know the kids, taught them how to properly move their body in space as well as healthy nutrition and best wellness practices like SLEEP! You’re welcome parents. 😉 We had kids as young as 5 and as old as the pre-teen years but everyone was able to participate as a collective group regardless of age or skill level thanks to the programming. While one kid excelled at jumping over the rope, another excelled at crawling under. While one kid ran faster, another squatted faster. We all have strengths and we all have weaknesses. That’s one reason why God desires community for us.
Urban Promise is a non-profit in Charlotte that provides children and youth with the spiritual, academic, and social development they need to become Christian leaders determined to restore their communities. “Our ultimate goal is to raise a new generation of indigenous Christian leaders that is determined to make Charlotte a fully integrated city where social, spiritual, and economic capital flow between neighborhoods.”
U.P. achieves this through a few different programs, one being their SUMMER CAMPS. Summer Camp fills the learning-gap between semesters and provides elementary school students with six-weeks of focused academic instruction, spiritual support, and abiding relationships. Literacy instruction during camp is specifically designed to combat the “summer slide,” whereby students from low-income families experience an average summer learning loss in reading achievement of over two months.
And this year, when MissionFiT met with the U.P. Charlotte Director, it was decided a christian fitness piece would be a great addition to this year’s camps.
Kids Fitness Program Notes Urban Promise
After 6 weeks at 2 locations (West Charlotte and South End), these kids walked away with learning:
- Value of fitness
- What fitness looks like
- How to move their body in space safely with functional movement
- Good Wellness and Nutritional Habits
- Healthy Communal Relationship
- How Jesus fits into Fitness
“God has really shone His light through MissionFiT. Fitness has been a fantastic platform to share the Gospel to the kids of Urban Promise who chose to do MissionFit for their “choice” portion of camp. At the end of the week, I did not want to go away without pointing the whole experience back to Jesus and the Gospel. So Friday came, and at the end of our session we huddled up to do our regular “1..2..3…FiT” cheer, and I asked them a question on ‘Why Fitness’. After hearing their answers, I pointed this back to treating our bodies as a holy temple made for Jesus, because He made a way for us to do this through His life, death, and resurrection. Through sharing this, the high school coaches helping out were able to listen in to. Low and behold God was giving me the ability to plant seeds in them as well.”
“God will only do the growth, we just have to go and plant the seed of the Gospel. All by His grace.”
We’d also like to give one final shoutout of thanks to Iron Tribe Charlotte for making this possible! The leaders at ITF Charlotte are solid believers that knew about the cause and saw the need, so poured in financially to make all this happen for these youngsters this summer. Thank you ITF Charlotte team!!!
