82267046
Though it has fixed its attention on the Games of the XXX Olympiad, whose opening ceremony will occur tomorrow in London, the United States Olympic Committee should contact the Christian Street YMCA, 1724 Christian St., when it begins to ponder who might represent our country at the 2020 contests.
The South of South venue gathered 120 of its finest young participants Tuesday for the third annual Kiddie Olympics, which 2nd District Councilman Kenyatta Johnson devised to campaign for more physical activity and to acknowledge his history with the 98-year-old site’s commitment to fitness and health.
“How do you feel this morning?” the resident of 18th and Manton streets said.
“Fired up!” the youngsters, ranging in age from 5 to 14, responded to the rookie City Council member.
Their three-hour assembly offered a mix of levity and seriousness, as the juveniles sought to laugh while also coveting great efforts. The enrollees in the YMCA’s day camp warmed up by doing jumping jacks, jogging in place and stretching before turning their attention to Damon Hopkins and other figures from the Delaware chapter of JumpBunch, a Maryland-based organization devoted to sports and fitness for children. Using a basketball court for their endeavors, the eager athletes rotated placement at eight stations, with Ishani Harris delighting in each test of her mettle.
“The Olympics are fun and help with my health and fitness,” the 10-year-old Southwest Philadelphian said of her second time as a beneficiary of Johnson’s mission to combat increases in childhood diabetes cases.
A three-year camp presence, Ishani enjoys swimming, the YMCA’s staple activity, and numerous games. She had her heart rate elevated by executing the long jump, catching balls in a bucket, jumping rope, tossing a football, passing a massive exercise ball to her peers, handling a hula hoop, using a tennis racket to fling bean bags into containers and passing a baton during a relay, the final being her favorite and an activity Johnson’s staff also performed.
“I grew up using this YMCA,” Johnson, a graduate of George W. Childs School, formerly 1541 S. 17th St. and now 1599 Wharton St., and Edward Bok High School, 1901 S. Ninth St., said. “Therefore, today is a homecoming.”
His beloved haunt has hosted all three Kiddie Olympics, which he has timed for late July since his time as the 186th District state representative. This year’s version presented what he tabbed an “excellent coincidence,” transpiring the week of London’s third chance to host the lauded collection of athletic mastery.
“With today’s proximity to the real games, my hope is that plenty of children will find themselves inspired,” the former YMCA board member said of believing desires for sporting prestige must mesh with nutritional responsibility.
To stress nourishment’s role, he and his allies supplied water, apples, bananas and oranges, which the youngsters quickly quaffed and consumed in order to sustain their energy for the program’s second half.
“Days like this are great,” Johnson said as he watched the future stars ready for the obstacle course, “but it is important that all youngsters get out more, and I feel we need to make gym mandatory in schools so that events like this one don’t seem like rarities.”
Itching to show off their nimble nature, the children banded together in age-based teams to race as units, with anticipation reaching its apex as soon as JumpBunch, which has assisted at all three celebrations, finished laying down an agility ladder, a balance beam, hoops and hurdles. Representing the Pathfinders, Ishani, donning, like all the participants, a headband from sponsor Keystone Mercy Health Plan, whose mascot Percy offered and accepted hugs, sped across the hardwood with ease, making the obstacles a nominal hindrance in her mission to imitate her Olympic hero, Jamaican sprinter and three-time gold medalist Usain Bolt.
“That was so much fun,” she said. “I loved hearing the cheers.”
The applause intensified as her contemporaries gave the event a mini-Olympic feel. The United States will be sending more than 500 competitors to the United Kingdom, according to london2012.com, but one could argue they will not match the fire of their younger sporting companions, who after gliding their sneakers from one end of the floor to the other immediately inquired about the next challenge.
After a brief break during which they talked about many topics, including which American will have the best showing in the two-week carnival, they galloped to meet Hopkins as he gave his coworkers a rope for the tug of war finale. Johnson and a quarter of the children faced off against Ishani, who occupied the chief handling position, and another quarter in the opening duel. After a back-and-forth beginning, the latter seized momentum with a couple strong yanks and sent Johnson, who accepted playful ribbing, and his mates to defeat. Another scrum produced a similar power struggle among the youngest entrants, with one squad’s sudden burst of strength sending a few competitors to the ground in a moment that left everyone chuckling.
“Thank you for being great participants and for fostering a team vibe today,” Johnson said as the throng, perhaps yearning for more activity, chatted about the performances and what else it wanted to do to work up a sweat. “I want you to remember you have to take care of yourselves and be mindful of what you feed your bodies and your brains. Healthy kids mean strong families.”
After offering “Peace not guns” and “Hugs not drugs” as advice, he posed for a group photo and distributed mini base-, basket, foot- and soccer balls as prizes.
“Today was great,” 14-year-old Clementon, N.J., resident Veven Still said. “It helped me to connect with my peers.”
The two-year camp goer found the obstacle course the best, though it lacked basketball, his favorite sport and the one in which he hopes the United States, with his obsession LeBron James at the helm, captures the gold medal.
“Maybe I’ll be an Olympian,” he said. “Today is for thinking about tomorrow.”
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
82266746
82266756
82266766
