SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott Recreation Department has several new programs in the works to offer children a healthy outlet for exercise to help get them through the winter lull, with everything from soccer and tennis to its new “Inclyousion Sports” program.
The first program to run will be Swampscott Recreation’s “Super Soccer Stars” winter session. The program will be for both boys and girls that are between the ages of two and five, and will start Jan. 4, where it will run Saturdays until Feb. 8, from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. at Swampscott High School Gymnasium.
“Our class format is developed to give our budding soccer stars a familiar framework in which they can excel from class to class,” the Swampscott Recreation Department website stated. “The bulk of each class focuses on skill development activities and games which include progression, pressure and direction with an ending point (such as a goal or endline).”
There is no need for special gear, according to the website.
Up next is “Saturday Youth Tennis” presented by Marcy’s Tennis Academy (MTA). According to the website, MTA’s goal has been to provide the fundamentals of tennis to more than 50 schools and community organizations since 1995. The program also runs on Saturdays from Jan. 4 to Feb. 8, from 3-4:00 p.m. for grades K-4. For grades 5-8, the program runs from 4-5:00 p.m. The event will also be held in Swampscott High School’s Gymnasium.
According to Danielle Strauss, recreation director for Swampscott Recreation, the organization recently finalized a deal with Salem State University to use its south campus gymnasium for its “Inclyousion Sports” program. It will run from Jan. 4 to Feb. 8, for ages 2-10.
“Inclyousion Sports provides inclusive sports enrichment programs to children, using innovative behavioral methods to teach sports, fitness and social skills,” Swampscott Recreation website said. “Programs are designed by physical education, behavioral, and inclusion experts to introduce children to a variety of sports.
