Sean Mulvaney is in bank marketing, his wife is a teacher, and their four boys are as active as any.
They put their name on a waiting list for an after-school program at Adams Elementary School. There were 90 kids ahead of them, a two-and-a-half-year wait. So they went to an off-site program, which was fine, Mulvaney said, but they still had to get the homework done when they got home.
There just wasn't enough time to teach the boys the basics. How to bat and catch a ball, for example.
One of Mulvaney's business partners, Jayme Shelton, suggested an after-school program where kids learn to be comfortable on any sports surface: shooting a layup, catching a ball. Now they're partners with a coaching couple in FUNdamental Athletics Academy, 8400 Cody Drive, near 17th and Yankee Hill Road.Â
Open house is Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. The owners and operators say it offers boys and girls from kindergarten through fifth grade activities to build their dexterity, teach teamwork and instill the ethics, game rules and fundamentals of a variety of sports.
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Mulvaney, director of business operations, emphasizes it's not a boot camp. The kids will get a snack, designated homework time, and learn games and skills. Some boys will play volleyball, some girls will play football, he said.
The building has indoor basketball and volleyball courts and field turf. There will be a daily 30- to 45-minute designed curriculum for sports that includes baseball and softball, basketball, soccer, flag football, volleyball and track. Sports nutrition is also part of the curriculum. An affiliation with Hudl, the sports video editing software company, will help track performances.
The academy offers before- and after-school transportation for students of Adams, Humann, Cavett and Hill schools. Transportation to other schools is planned for the future.
Ann Erickson, director and general manager, has a bachelor's degree in health and sports exercise and was a four-year starter on the Texas Tech University volleyball team. She has coached volleyball at various schools, including at Lincoln Southeast. Paul Erickson, director of curriculum, earned a master of science degree in exercise and sports science and was a three-year letterman as an offensive tackle at Texas Tech University. He is a major in Nebraska’s Air National Guard and served tours in Afghanistan. The Ericksons are also partners in the business.Â
“The emphasis is on learning the rules of the games and how to repeat the basics that turn kids into athletes,†Ann Erickson said in a news release. “Parents today have less and less free time to play catch and other sports with their kids. Missing that repetition of the basics hurts kids when they try to participate in organized sports. The academy is a great alternative for parents and kids alike.â€
Students will also have opportunities to receive specialized training in a particular sport, if parents request.
The academy is now taking reservations for the 2015-2016 school year. Beginning in mid-July, parents can rent the academy’s facilities and equipment for birthday parties and similar events.
Information about tuition and tuition discounts, along with other details about the programs and staff, are available on the website at , or by calling (402) 730-3539.