Industry Sports Education Headquarters Spokane | Website www.skyhawks.com Founded 1979 | |
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Number of locations Programming available nationwide Key people Chris Stiles (President)
Dave Berto (Owner)
Jeff Heimbigner (Founder) Products Soccer
Baseball
Basketball
Golf
Flag Football
Multi-Sport
Cheerleading
Lacrosse
Tennis
Track & Field
Volleyball Motto Teaching life skills through sports Profiles | ||
Skyhawks Sports Academy is a youth sports camp organization based in Spokane, Washington, United States. The organization was founded by Jeff Heimbigner in 1979 to develop a sports program where children could learn sports in a fun, safe and non-competitive environment. Skyhawks offer camps in 11 different sports for children ages 3–15 in 24 states and Canada. The format includes week-long summer camps and year-round after-school programs that range from 45 minutes to 6 hours, per day.
Contents
Public-private partnerships
Skyhawks Sports offers sports camps through public-private partnerships. Partnerships with Skyhawks Sports have been made with city recreation departments, youth sport organizations, youth soccer clubs, YMCAs, boys and girls clubs, school districts, and religious institutions.
1980s
In 1980, Skyhawks Sports Academy offered its first soccer camp in partnership with Spokane Youth Sports Association. Throughout the 1980s Skyhawks Sports Academy offered soccer camps throughout the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon).
1990s
In the 1990s Skyhawks Sports Academy expanded its operations to include California, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Minnesota. In 1991 Skyhawks Sports Academy created its Mini-Hawk program, which combined soccer, baseball and basketball for children between the ages of four and seven. Skyhawks Sports also added roller hockey, golf, and flag football. After-school programs, a Skyhawks Sport Academy website and online camper registration process were also added to Skyhawks Sports Academy in the 1990s.
2000s
In the 2000s Skyhawks Sports introduced tennis, volleyball, cheerleading, skateboarding, and track and field. Skyhawks Sports expanded into New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri.
2010s
Skyhawks acquires popular young child sports company SoccerTots. Under Skyhawks SoccerTots becomes SuperTots Sports Academy and expands its sport offerings creating a single company for sport education for children ages 18 months through 14 years.
Progressive curriculum
The company applies a five-step curriculum for children, who are grouped by age:
Safety
Skyhawks most well-known safety measure is the “Gate System and Parking Lot Duty.” Coaches greet parents and campers in the parking lot on arrival, and guide them via a check-in/check-out gate system into the field or court.
Sports
Staff
Skyhawks coaches' and site directors' job is to emphasize teamwork and learning life skills through sports. All Skyhawks Sports staff complete a certification process that includes:
Franchising
Skyhawks Sports began offering franchising opportunities in 2007. Local franchisees can now own and operate their own Skyhawks Sports camp. The Skyhawks Sports Program includes marketing strategies and the technology to manage events, marketing, and staff—all of these are included in the Confidential Operations Manual.