Children-Only Clubs Could Serve as Role Models for Adult Clubs

Some club operators looking to add children's fitness programming to their clubs would be wise to look at the children-only club model for ideas.

Michael Chalovich, chief operating officer of My Gym, Sherman Oaks, CA, says his company has discussed designing a child-friendly program for a number of larger fitness clubs.

“A lot of them have the babysitting, but we feel we provide an activity program that can benefit younger children with our expertise,” Chalovich says.

Club operators that want to add children's fitness programming should make sure they work with an expert and a staff with knowledge about children's activities, Chalovich says. A club operator should put a plan or program in place and spend a few months developing it before implementing it into the club.

“So you're not just throwing something up just to throw something up,” Chalovich says. If a program is rushed, Chalovich adds, people may not get the enjoyment out of it, and club operators may not attempt to implement it again.

Paul Dickison, vice president of marketing and brand management for The Little Gym, Scottsdale, AZ, says his company has considered pursuing a co-development idea for operators of adult clubs in which they could develop or license The Little Gym alongside their clubs.

“We view what we do along with what an adult club does as being very complementary,” Dickison says. “If an adult fitness club is trying to implement their own children's development program, they might want to determine if a babysitting service is all that is wanted by their customer base. On the other hand, if there is a dedicated customer profile that wants their child to develop a lifelong habit of being physically active, the club should consider co-developing or licensing a The Little Gym and positioning it next to their club.”

Boys and Girls Fitness USA

Some family-oriented clubs are incorporating unique children's programs into their mix. The Country Club of Fitness Inc., Orangeburg, SC, has a Boys and Girls Fitness USA after-school program at its Muscle Beach Athletic Club in which kids aged 5 to 15 in neighboring school districts are taken by bus to the center. There, they participate in a variety of activities, including basketball, racquetball, swimming, martial arts, miniature golf, aerobics, cardiovascular exercises, and health and nutrition seminars.

The star of the program is a superhero named Captain Fitness, who fights poor nutrition and unhealthy habits in the form of characters dressed as pizza, a hot dog, French fries and bologna. Kids are weighed and measured every 30 days, and the goal for them is to lose a pound a week, says co-owner Andrea Rodriguez. If the results are not met, their parents are contacted.

The fee is about $50 per week for the after-school program, which lasts from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and consists of 20 to 30 kids. Children who cannot afford the fee can qualify for a voucher. In the summer, the program has attracted up to 200 kids, Rodriguez says.

“This is a new program, but it is growing, and we are having some wonderful outcomes,” says Rodriguez, who owns the club with her husband, Ramon, aka Captain Fitness. “Kids are losing weight, self-esteem is going up, energy levels are channeled in the right direction, and parents have told us that their child is doing much better in school.”

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