Jelly Bean Sports Takes a “Wiggles” Approach to Unlock Children’s Potential in Sports

Sept. 27, 2009 - PRLog -- Five years ago, Jelly Bean Sports Founder and Chief Executive Bean, Brad Kayden (a.k.a. Coach Pickles) began working at Chicago’s northwest suburban park districts as a Youth Sports Instructor.  He watched his coworkers struggle to keep young children’s attention as they taught sports.  After class, Kayden observed parents apologizing for their children’s misbehaviors, and frustrated coworkers complaining about how children don’t listen, follow directions, or focus.  This is, as he put it, more the norm than the exception and cautions; it’s not just about setting poor examples for children but giving them a bad reputation.   Bob Bigelow, author of Just Let the Kids Play, agrees sharing similar sentiment through his works.  As an advocate for change in  youth sports, he sees it starting with adult attitudes and amendments to youth sports systems that more favor kids.  

Kayden concluded that many young children were bored by ordinary sports classes.  The success of children’s entertainment groups like the Wiggles inspired him to try a different approach with them.  “Knowing what works and doesn’t work for young children transcends sports,” Kayden said, “it requires thinking less like a coach and more like a performer.”  The Wiggles educate and entertain in ways children can easily follow.   Sports, according to Kayden, do not have an equal to the Wiggles.   “What if there was?” he asked, “How could coaching kids using entertainment keep sports simple and make learning fun?” Kayden believes his innovative approach will help change adult attitudes and change youth sports systems.

Jelly Bean Sports’ concept has taken nearly five years to develop.  It includes a new sports language that focuses on food, an aspect of children’s lives that is not only fun but also easy to remember.  The emphasis on entertainment is further evident through the company’s colorful cast of cartoon jelly bean characters, which helps engage and entertain children while learning about sports.  The company’s Sports Made Simple and Learning Made Fun approach incorporates high energy, fun sounds and movements, and cutting-edge equipment not typically found in ordinary youth sports classes.  

Jelly Bean Sports teaches T-ball, Soccer, Basketball and Football exclusively to children ages 2-8.  Currently Jelly Bean classes are being offered in Chicago’s northwest suburban park districts.

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Jelly Bean Sports, Inc. is a children's sports entertainment and production company. Services it offers are sports classes and camps, mascots, staged show productions and children's picture books featuring its colorful cast of jelly bean characters.