Sport Saturdays Program Offers Brick Kids Physical Fitness, Character Skills

BRICK, NJ — Brick Township parents are invited to register their children for the Sport Saturdays program, presented by the Brick Municipal Anti-Drug Coalition.

The program, for boys and girls ages 9 to 12 years old, offers 90-minute training sessions that combine athletic workouts with problem-solving and character development to help them improve their fitness, learn leadership qualities and increase their self-esteem.

The goal is to give kids the skills, awareness and resiliency to avoid the use of drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism.

Councilwoman Andrea Zapcic, who is the council's liaison to BMAC, said programs like this are important in the effort to keep kids healthy, safe and drug-free.

"The drive towards more professionalism in youth sports has caused an increase in overuse-related orthopedic injuries in children ages 12 and up, for which an opioid pain reliever may be prescribed," Zapcic said. "Studies show youth exposed to prescribed opioids before high school graduation have a 33 percent increased risk of using opioids recreationally in the years after graduation, including those with a previous unfavorable attitude toward drug use."

Sport Saturday sessions are available every Saturday from March 18 through June 17 at the Brick Civic Plaza. Sessions are at either 8:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. The program is free for participants and parents can register their children for one or more sessions. There is a limit of 30 children at each session. Trainers are provided by Mentor Academy of New Jersey and are certified physical education teachers as well as youth sports trainers.

Children can be registered for the program at the Recreation Office, 270 Chambers Bridge Road, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. or registration can be completed online at the CommunityPass site. Call 732-262-1053 for more information.

"This program has been an incredible asset to families throughout Brick," Mayor Lisa Crate said. "Hundreds of children have participated over the years and each child has come away with the skills that help them both on the field and in life. It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to continue to work with BMAC to bring this program to the youth of Brick Township."

Sport Saturdays is funded through a grant for BMAC provided by the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.