Sports Program for Kids with Special Needs Offers Classes in Saint James

By Emma Rausch September 23, 2014

Be the Best Sport, a nonprofit sports program for children with special needs, now offers its sports classes at Sports Arena in Saint James.

child playing soccer
Be the Best Sport’s soccer classes teach children with special needs
the skills to play the game.

Be the Best Sport, a nonprofit adaptive sports program for children with special needs ages 18 and younger, is now offering classes at Sports Arena in Saint James. Programs at this location begin Oct. 21, and run for 10-week sessions. The organization is also starting to offer birthday parties by request at the new location, as well as other locations in Nassau County.

The organization’s new class location offers Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday programs including Fitness Fun, Multi-Sport, and Soccer classes for varying ages ranging from 5-16. All programs are lead by certified instructors and cater to athletes’ individual needs. Fitness Fun classes incorporate exercise and sports-related activities in order to get children moving and strengthen functional movements. Fitness Fun also utilizes movement-based activities to help reduce behavioral issues and boost social interaction.

Multi-Sport sessions introduce a variety of sports activities, such as basketball and baseball, in order to better the child’s athletic and social skills, including coordination and peer relationships.

Be the Best Sport Soccer programs are non-competitive, small classes devoted to teaching children with special needs the basics of soccer in a 1-to-4 coach-to-child ratio.

“Our mission is to create fun, exciting programs for children with special needs ages 18 and younger,” says Michael Furino, Be the Best Sport executive director.