Sports Saturdays: Free Weekend Fun for Grade-School Kids

For better or worse, kids’ sports have taken on a different meaning these days. Not long ago, the action used to be at the park or the local gym, but now it seems those venues have been replaced by the couch or “gaming chair.”

While PlayStation, X-Box and Wii certainly have their place in terms of fun and entertainment, rapid-fire button-pressing doesn’t quite equate with active sports, no matter what’s happening on the TV screen.

Fortunately, there are still plenty opportunities for kids to engage in physical exercise beyond a thumb workout. Thanks to the Fox Valley Park District and a lineup of six schools throughout Aurora and North Aurora, wintertime Saturdays can still be a day of thrills and drama and athletic competition.

Sports Saturdays will return next month. Each Saturday from Jan. 7 through Feb. 25, the Park District will oversee a frenzy of fun at school gyms around the area. This popular program has run for decades, all the way back to when the only video game available was “Pong.”

“The whole idea behind Sports Saturdays is to provide an opportunity for kids to get out of the house and do what they love most: play,” said recreation supervisor Rafael Martinez. “They get a chance to burn some energy and interact with their peers.

“And it also gives parents a couple hours of free time while knowing the kids are enjoying themselves.”

Speaking of free, that would apply to Sports Saturdays. All Park District resident children in grades 1 to 5 may partake in the program at no cost, with the morning hours (9 a.m. to noon) reserved for grades 1 to 2 and the afternoon (noon to 3 p.m.) for grades 3 to 5.

Sports Saturdays are run concurrently at six different elementary schools around the area: Bardwell, Hermes, Oak Park, Hall and McCleery in Aurora, along with Schneider in North Aurora. Resident children can participate in the activities at any school, and they can even choose a different school each week.

Another great thing about Sports Saturdays, besides the opportunity for kids to have a blast with their peers, is that it provides the structure, organization and camaraderie of organized sports without the regimen. Kids can register any time at any site during the eight weekends, but there are no attendance requirements or practice schedules.

But it’s definitely a step up from open gym. Park District instructors are on hand to teach kids the ins and outs of each sport through drills and practice, with organized teams and games that are supervised.  It’s a great opportunity—especially for those who may not play a sport in school—to enjoy the pure fun of playing sports while experiencing a little friendly competition.

Sports include baseball, basketball, floor hockey, soccer and other high-octane activities.

Times have changed, but the wide world of sports—whether down the street or across the globe—never loses its fun.

Jeff Long is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District. Contact him at jlong@fvpd.net