Personalizing Sports Bags, Headbands, Etc.~~~ Yeah!

I love the accessories you can buy for your children now for sports!  Especially girls headbands for soccer, volleyball, baseball and basketball!  I just recently had headbands embroidered with the girls' names on them! So cute, one with their name on them and the other with I Love Soccer!  They are sooooo cheap and great to be able to pin point where your child is on the field!  I had my son's baseball bags personalized since so many of them have the same bags...they love them!  You can add their number or whatever you would like them to say! 

Occassionally, I'll buy a jacket for me them have it personalized with my children's numbers or team name on them (roughly $10)! 

Here's a great website to take a look at for personalizing your children's or your sports wear!
http://www.embroidery4ustl.com/wp/

Sports Photography~ Love it!

If you love to take pictures of your children or even if you are a bad picture taker....everyone loves to see the pictures of your children playing sports!  When I take the pictures, it's usually from afar and can barely see faces.  But the past couple of years, many photographers have came to games and taken close-ups of all the kids playing.  It's awesome!  I love the action shots, seeing the sweat drop down their faces or their faces during a "glory moment"! 

I decided to look a few photographers up that do this type of work along with those who take snap shots or produce a "story" for your child of their big day! 

This past summer, while at one of children's baseball tournament, St. Louis Digital was there!  They were awesome...had a tent set up with computers to scroll through all the pic's of the weekend.  Their prices were pretty expensive but they offered so many products with your child in action!  One of my favorites was an action poster....it looked like a pro athlete's poster you would purchase in a store.  (but again...pricey!)
Here's a link to their site..... http://www.stldigital.com/stldigital/Action_Event_Photos.html
Studio Altius is a lot like them...they are the official CYC sports photographers.  Take a look at their work and compare prices, very similar. http://www.athletephotography.com/
Kowal Photography is a much smaller company but offers still photos and action photos as well.  A la carte, their prices are good! http://www.kowalphotography.com/
St. Louis Sports Photo is also a smaller company but offers still photos and action photos too.  He's pretty awesome, doesn't charge to photograph games etc...no obligation to purchase...just inform him of game time and he will be there! Wow!!! http://stlsportsphoto.com/index.html
If you're looking for an awesome high school sports photographer, look no further than Nordmann's...since 1993! Amazing pictures!  Follow their facebook page also!  http://www.nordmannsports.com/

There are a few photographers who do still photos only...for teams and individuals...fairly priced.
Gold's Photo http://www.goldsphoto.com/

The one I really like...but does not have her photos up as of yet due to construction on her site...is Jessica Ebeler Photography.  She has attended many of my children's sporting events and produced pictures for me that tell a story of my child's day from beginning to end!  She focused only on them and captured facial expressions that told me what they were thinking.  She froze time for me and when I look back at those pictures, I can see my child's character within...his determination, his perseverance, his doubt, his glory!  She's down to earth and extremely well priced!  Just take a minute to call her...you'll see why I feel this way!  Not only did she photograph our children in sports but later led to family pictures, etc...lol. :)  Check her out....http://www.jessicaebeler.com/  (Her site in under construction right now but take a look at her facebook page in the mean time)  http://www.facebook.com/playkidsports#!/jessicaebelerphotography

Hope you enjoyed my sports photography run-down! :)  I just love seeing the sports pics!!! Hope you do too!

CYC Soccer

We are into CYC soccer now with the girls!  

I was surprised at how many programs there were for toddler girls soccer.   We tried a couple different programs such as YMCA and Riverchase but have always reverted back to CYC.  Their programs is much less competitive.  Not that we don't love competition but our girls aren't quite as competitive when it comes to the actual game of soccer.  CYC offers smaller numbers per team and a much smaller field to play on, especially at age 3-5.  Now that our oldest is in CYC league soccer, the field is regular size and more members per team.  Which is nice because she is a little more competitive this year.

We also love how cheap the CYC leagues are as well!  $25 for Pre-K and $50 for K and up! Wow!!!

Overall, I highly recommend CYC soccer leagues for non-competitive play levels!   The girls enjoy it and we love watching them!!!

To Have Your Child Play Mulitple Sports or Not?

As you may have guessed, my children all play multiple sports and at one time some times...very hard on scheduling but it does happen!  I always wondered if it was too much?  If we are wearing ourselves thin or perhaps is it a bad choice to play so many different sports and not hone in on just one!  Of course I see skills already that may signal that they are better in one sport or the other but does that mean they should only play that one sport?  I decided to do a little reading on this to make sure it wasn't hindering them to play multiple sports.

I came across this article, http://www.mnyouthsoccer.org/membership/rents/multiple_sports.pdf, which was very insightful and thought other parents may want to read it!

Currently, I think we will continue to play multiple sports and hopefully it will be beneficial for our children in the end.  I do honestly believe they learn a variety of skills and disciplines by playing different sports.  This rings true when I think of football~ it is very disciplined and time consuming.  It's gut wrenching at times, teaches true team work and teaches them to persevere through it!  I love watching them play, cheering their teammates on and working through the hard parts! 

As a parent, we want to teach our children everything...but sometimes, coaches among other leaders in our communities have a large part to do with our children learning life skills they will need in the future! 

Vetta Summer Camp~Concord

We completed our last "summer camp" this past week!  Vetta was a hit with the boys!  The staff was very into the kids, excited and fun! They participated in so many activities, soccer, swimming, programs such as an animal guy coming to Vetta with alligators, snakes and tarantulas! Wow!  They had face painting, games, and talent shows. 

They boys enjoyed this camp the most out of all of the summer camps they attended this year.  They said all the kids that attended were cool and they loved the facility!  Overall, I'm very pleased with this camp but the cost is a bit higher than most!  It cost $80 for 2 days a week, not including your registration fee of $30 for the family.  But, I will defnitely send them again next summer! Go Vetta!

Roller Hockey...Who Knew???

Roller Hockey...had no clue it was even an organized and competitive sport until we started developing our website, http://www.playkidsports.com/.   In fact, St. Louis is known as the roller hockey hot bed!    St. Louis has produced some of the top roller hockey players in the world, players such as Paul Stastny, Pat Maroon, Travis Turnbull, PJ Tallo, and JP Beilsten to list a few!


All of these guys were associated with the Missouri Inline Hockey Association (MOIHA).  MOIHA developed in 1997 and has done wonders for the world on inline roller hockey for youth.  Be sure to check their website out http://www.moiha.org/ for more information.


Roller Hockey has more popular in the nation...with well over 100 schools supporting the sport.  Bummer thing about this is that even though it's played, it is not recognized as a varsity sport as of now.  Therefore, when considering college scholarships, not many Universities offer them for roller hockey.  You can however receive college scholarships from private funding sources.... I'm excited to learn more about roller hockey and would love to get my children involved!  Our niece plays and we loved watching!  Would be fun to go watch the University of Missouri Tritons play, as they placed 2nd in the nation this year!!!  Wow!  Who knew right???
So, something to think about for sure as it is becoming a rapid growing sport played by colleges!  Go Tritons!

Design Your Own Tennis Shoes for School

School shopping is in full force in our household!  The boys were first into Reebok Zigtechs, wow what an expensive shoe!  Now we are searching for the Nike Air Max, evidently the new shoe for school lol. 

However, in researching the new shoes for the school year, I found that Reebok lets you design your own shoe, say whaaattt?  Yep, you can choose the colors~ or should I say, your child can choose their own colors for each part of the shoe!  Love this!  Although costly, coming in at a mere $100 to design your own, this idea is quite appealing in that you or your child can create their own one-of-a-kind shoe for the new school year!  Here's the link to check it out!  http://www.reebok.com/US/custom-shoes/kids/listing

Not sure if we will design our own, seeing that the boys now think that the Nike Air Max is the coolest for school!  So, let's explore Nike a bit! Yes, you guessed it, you can also design your own shoe on Nike!!! Their shoes range from $95-$160 for your own design.  Not only can you design your every day tennis shoe, but you can also design your own cleats for football, baseball or soccer!!!  AWESOME!  Check out their link for design your own shoes as well to compare!  http://nikeid.nike.com/nikeid/index.jsp?cp=usid_KW_060309g&ef_id=C09N5Y4CB2QAAI9W:20110801224615:s#category,VIEW_ALL

When thinking about all of our choices...yes cost comes into play for me as a mom!  Seriously, $100 for a kids pair of shoes that he will wear maybe 6 months due to the growth issue....or they usually wear them out before that even happens.  When it comes to apparel, I'm not a huge spender on name brand clothing....sure, I buy Nike and Under Armour and those types of name brands but I always find a deal!!!  BUT, when it comes to shoes, I do pay the big dollars!  Especially when it comes to boys, they usually only own one pair of shoes at a time, nothing like the wardrobe of our girls!  When it comes to the girls, we buy every color of Target flat they have on the racks, along with some cute pink off brand tennis shoes, etc.  :) 

So, when it comes to the dilemma of spending top dollar for a shoe,  I'm usually the deal finder there as well.  I may end up letting them design their own for school, but if I don't,  my favorite deal right now is at Famous Footwear!  You can buy one pair of shoes and get the other pair half off!!!  If you were completely a deal finder as I am...you would have snagged the 20% off coupon in the mailer they sent out last week too and used it with this deal!  Famous Footwear has Reebok Zigs AND Nike Air Max's.  Wow!!!!  And half the cost before the deal!  Here's the link to check it out! http://www.famousfootwear.com/content.aspx?contentid=home

Regardless,  to all the mom's out there (and dad's)....GOOD LUCK SHOPPING!  Go big or go home is what I always say.....and when you get a deal~ ~ ~ GET 2 PAIR! 

Phiten Necklaces

This is the number one birthday pick for my son this year!  He's a pitcher and short stop when he plays baseball.  Well, all the MLB pitchers must wear these necklaces....the pitcher necklace is called the tornado (it looks like a twisted rope)!  These necklaces are made out of titanium, supposed to help with chronic pain and enhance the quality of life. :)

Not only do I not understand their philosophy, but I don't understand the cost...lol.  This necklace runs anywhere from $32-$55 ($45-$55 if you want the tornado).  They are very cute, very stylish, very trendy for boys which I do like, because there are not many accessories for boys that don't make them look girly. 

Here's a pic of this "special" necklace!  Up and rising trend it seems!  Go out to get them for your 10 year old to improve his quality of life...wow.  I think I need one more than him!

JCYA Football

Football season is here and the boys are hard at practice and camps!  We aren't playing for JCYA this year but I did want to write a little something about their program....

We were very lucky to have the best coaches when we played for them which really helps when it comes to my review of their program!  If not for them, we would not be going to Falcon Football this year, which is where some of the coaches went with their kids this year.  The program overall was fabulous! There are weight limits so that a 125lb running back isn't running against my little 76lb corner back.  They have weigh ins to make sure this happens!!! 

The football program at 8-10 gets very intense!  Their practices are long and frequent, we had 2 hours of practice and the first hour was training/exercise, etc.  It is strict, the boys really have to listen or don't play.  It teaches perseverance...I love that!  The games are on the weekends and the parents are such fans! We met so many people through football, such a good group! 

The price is expensive compared to baseball.  $200 to register then uniforms, etc.  We traveled all over St. Louis to play so many nights out at restaurants.  Well worth the money, as this is my favorite sport to watch my sons play.  They learned a lot about teamwork and sticking it out...kinda like boot camp in the army.  :) 

I think a lot of parents anticipate injuries and too much roughness in the game, but I was surprised as well to see that there wasn't a lot of injuries and very good sportsmanship practiced by the players.  (can't say that for some coaches and parents...lol)

Two thumbs up to JCYA's football program! 

YMCA Summer Camp--South County

We just finished a great week of summer camp at YMCA South County!  It was a hit with the boys!  Very affordable camp, $125 for the week per child.  They also provided a before and after Fun Club for the parents who work at $12 for the week per child.  Two Thumbs Up!!!

The staff was very friendly, the kids made bonds with the staff, hand shakes, etc.  They had a theme each day and on Tuesday went to the Magic House.  They got to travel to Carondelet Recreation Center for swimming on Thursday and ended the week with a hot dog roast!  One of their favorite things they participated in was a You Tube Video they all made together! I thought that was very creative of them. 

Next year, we will definitely hit this camp again as the boys truly enjoyed their time there.  Considering overall cost, times, and activities, we definitely got our bang for the buck! 

Next stop this week~ Vetta Sports Camp!  Will let you know how that goes...up to this point, parents have raved about Vetta!

Have a great week and stay hydrated!

Chesterfield Sports Fusion

My oldest son is turning 11 soon and we were looking for the best sports place to have a cool birthday!  We thought about paintball so I called Meramec Bottom Road Paintball and they were kind of expensive, $25 per child.  Not that big of a deal if you were going to have a few kids but we are having over 10 due to the fact it will probably be his last "birthday party" at a place for kid's parties.  And FYI, we asked about their laser tag party...out of the question, $45 per child!  I lauged because it would cost $750 to have a birthday for laser tag...crazy.   With August being so warm, we decided to go indoors if possible.  Sad to say, but there are not many places to do this, especially if you live more south in St. Louis. 

I searched on the web and found that Chesterfield Sports Fusion was an indoor location to play laser tag.  I even found that you could have more than one event there...laser tag in a two story room, dodge ball (everyone loves dodge ball), obstacle course, video game room, rock climbing, mini golf, or jump shot basketball.  They offer a few different packages, we chose the bronze package for 1.5 hours, 10 kids, 2 events (dodge ball and laser tag), included a party room for after the events along with all paper products and soda.  They also have a deal with Dominos that you can order a large pizza at $6 per pizza for the party.  Right on!!!  Total package price:  $200!!!!  Watch out Bounce U...here comes Chesterfield Sports Fusion!  

Due to living further south, we chose the bronze package because parents would have to stay for the party basically, or atleast stay in the area for the amount of time the party last due to travel.  We hope that they move south soon!!!!

So, if any of you parents are looking for a great place to have a birthday party that isn't the traditional blow up deal or if your child is getting a little too old for those type of places, then definitely look no further and give Chesterfield Sports Fusion a call! 

The day you call to make the reservation, be prepared to pay $100 down towards the party at that time.  They will send you a confirmation by email of your party time, etc.  Very helpful staff thus far!  Follow the link below and make your child's next birthday party reservation!
http://chesterfieldsportsfusion.com/

We look forward to our party and will comment on this post once our party is over in August!!!

Swimming at Little Fishes Swim School

Outdoor public pools may be closed come September, but children still need the opportunities to practice their swimming skills they learned in the heat of the summer!  The more time children can practice new skills they've learned, the more successful they'll be in the water.  When children are out of the water for an extended period of time, they lose their water skills.  For each month out of the water, it takes 1-2 swimming classes to relearn those skills.  Children who are cautious or fearful around water may take even longer to relearn a previously taught skill. 

This is because motor skills, like swimming, are learned through repetition.  It requires patience and supervised time in the pool to become safe and proficient in the water.

It's especially important to continue to expose toddlers to water.  The fear of water often surfaces in the toddler years.  If you help your child feel comfortable in and under the water, there's a much greater chance you can prevent water anxiety.

For optimal learning,  Ruthie, owner and instructor at Little Fishes Swim School, recommends year round swimming lessons.  When this isn't possible, she recommends parents to take their child to a pool at least once a week because there is a clear correlation between swimming ability and the time spent in the water.

I myslef love that the water is 90 degrees all year round!  Little Fishes Swim School has small intimate classes, 5 swimmers and 2 instructors!  Their prices are higher, $250 per session,  but I always say,  You get what you pay for!
If you would like to enroll your child for the fall, be sure to give them a call or check our website under the swim icon!  Fall classes start September 12-November 20, 2011. 
http://playkidsports.com/sports/aquatics/

Falcon Football is starting!

This year we have switched from JCYA to Rockwood Falcons Junior Football.  If you've never seen 5-12 year old boys play tackle football, it is definitely intense.  Out of all of the sports my children have played, this has been the most physically demanding by far.  Not only demanding for them, but as far as time goes, demanding for parents.  (I hear hockey is pretty demanding as well)  We start practice in July...even though the season doesn't start until September..and will have a camp as well that they are required to attend around the end of July. 

The practices are very intense.  The first hour being exercising..hard ones such as laying on your back and holding your feet off the ground for as long as they can hold it.  As a mom, it's sometimes hard to watch :(.  But,  at the end of practice I always feel as if the boys grew from the experience.  Football truly separates the ones who can persevere from the one's who can't. 

I do love that they have weight limits for the positions.  You won't see a 125lb running back going up again your little 76lb son.  I do still worry though...worry that my child hasn't grown into his body enough to take hits. 

Overall, I LOVE to watch them play tackle football!  This sport really brings a group of kids together and makes them learn to be a team.  I love the team aspect of this game!  I look forward to watching them play this for years to come, just hope they will want to. :)

As I said before, this is our first year at Rockwood, but JCYA was a great program to be in!  If you're looking to get your child involved in the future, I can't speak for Rockwood but I know JCYA rocked!  It's pricey....all football is...around $300 per player.  Other than the cost, everything about it has been beneficial to my boys and their attitudes.

We will see...Go Falcons!!!!

Face Masks on Helmets for Baseball or No?

This past weekend, my sons played in a baseball tournament.  Because of the age group, they are no longer required to wear face masks across their helmet.  (the cage part that goes across their nose and mouth) So, of course they wanted to take the mask off so they can see better when they bat.  Everyone else also took their mask off so I didn't see a reason why they shouldn't.  Of course throughout the season I've been watching many games and have seen a lot of balls to the mouth, nose and eyes injuries.  However, I never put two and two together to come to the conclusion that maybe the face mask was a much better idea since it was protecting their FACE from fast pitches!

Until this game......my youngest son who plays up an age group was up to bat.  The pitcher throwing to him was a very hard and fast pitcher but not as accurate as some.  If you can envision the batting stance, his head is turned and bat is raised, completely making his face visible with no protection.  (Oh, how the face mask is becoming more my friend...)  The pitch came in about 40mph and rocked him in his eye.  My son dropped the bat and immediately placed his hands to his face in pain.  I was crazy scared and ran to the field.  Having a medical background, I knew many things could happen from this and some if not treated quickly could be very bad.  I was afraid his orbital bone, the bone surrounding the eye ball had been broken.  (If this happens, you will see a clear liquid flowing out the nose which means that could be brain fluid leaking....not good)  However, nothing like that had happened....in fact, after all was said and done, he barely had a black eye.  How this happened, I have no idea...it was hard and fast and perfectly positioned into his eye. 

Looking back, wish I would have never agreed to take the mask off.  I don't think it will be hard to convince him to let me put the mask back on considering the pain he felt, however convincing my oldest son who has never had a face injury,  to put his back on will be a challenge.  You rarely want to be the only person who has something different when you're a child and I can empathize with that, but I also don't care about the social status of protective gear and may just MAKE them play with it on.  What to do, what to do.....to be determined at a later date. :)

Protect Your Children In Sports~ Now That We Know!

As a mom, the last thing you worry about during a baseball game is your child dying while up to bat.  It broke my heart to hear the story of the 13 year old child, Hayden Walton, dying while attempting to bunt during his baseball game.  The article I read on http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/04/arizona-13-year-old-dies-in-freak-baseball-accident/, stated that Hayden took an inside hit to the chest while attempting to bunt, walked 2 steps and collapsed.  The next morning, Hayden passed away.

It's something I can not comprehend.  Something I am deeply saddened by.  I have two little boys, very aggressive sport's playing boys.  I can not imagine the pain another mother who has lost a child must feel. 

The one thing I do plan to do-----purchase a heart shield compression shirt, you know the ones that you see in the stores with the foamy patches on them?  I never knew why those were on there, just figured they were made to look fancy for the "real" athletes.  I never knew they were used to SAVE my child. 

With everything so much more advanced in the world now, research being done on everything then we turn around and try to guard against it, protect our families, and it seems never ending of something new we have to buy to try and save the world, our families and ourselves.  But, when it comes to my children, it becomes very hard for me to read such a freak accident that happened from such a common baseball move could end their lives, not only that but I could have prevented it. :(

So....for all you over protective mother's (and father's) out there, I will list below links of some that offer these wonderful life saving shields!!! Now that you know what could happen, I hope you will try to prevent it happening!
Our prayers go out to Hayden's family...

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10868427&cid=CSE:GoogleProductSearch

http://www.onlinesports.com/p/heart-gardreg-protective-body-shirt-teen-size--I,MW-SMHG3TNGY.html?srcid=frglcb&utm_source=frooglecb&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=MW-SMHG3TNGY&cm_mmc=Frooglecb-_-Products-_-PPC-_-MW-SMHG3TNGY

http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4253117&cp=2344524&sr=1&origkw=heart+protector&parentPage=family

Swim America Swim Classes

We just completed our session at Swim America!  The girls are 4 and 6 and the 4 year old feels safer in the water but still not swimming.  This may be due to her apprehension of water touching her face :).  The 6 year old can now swim under water!!! This is her 2nd year in swim lessons, this being the most time spent on lessons. The one thing I really liked about Swim America is that they taught our children on their ability not as a group, meaning that if my 6 year old could breath under water and the others couldn't, they would continue to teach her from that point regardless of where the others were at in their swimming abilities.

As far as cost is concerned, these classes are definitely costly, $60 per session,  for the amount of time a session is (4days).  Also considering we have taken lessons at the YMCA for 1 night per week for 10 weeks, costing $65 for that session.  Taking into the account that they received one-on-one instructions at Swim America and based solely on their ability not the group, I would give it an A-, with cost being the minus on the A.

All in all, we are truly happy our 6 year old is swimming now and our 4 year old is becoming more comfortable in the water. Thanks Swim America!!!

CYC Pre-K and K baseball/softball

So far our experience has been great with CYC baseball/softball.  They receive t-shirts, are not required to wear cleats at this age (although some do), and around 10 players per team.  While up to bat, they are pitched to (by the coach) 6 pitches and if they don't hit, they get to hit of the tee.  If they choose, they can for-go the pitching and go straight to the tee. They do not play outs or keep score.  This is typical for most associations across the board. 

The coaches are very kind and work with your children.  At this age with CYC, they do not hold practices, only games on Saturdays.  They do not make-up rain outs (and in my opinion is not a good thing due to the rainy season we have had and already out of the 3 games that were to be played, there is already one rain out)  However, for the price you pay compared to other associations, a few rain outs are no big deal.  Parents do have to participate in concessions 1 time for the season but are not required to buy/sell any raffles, etc. (as they are required to do so with other associations)

Our girls play for Assumption Parish! We give this program 2 thumbs up!!! Go CYC!

Kirkwood Athletic Association Baseball vs. Fenton Athletic Association Baseball

My boys have been playing baseball since they were 3 at Fenton Athletic Association.  (They are 9 and 10 now) We have always enjoyed the fields there.  The games were always on the weekend, which was good for us since the work week was so hectic.  They were very affordable, I believe around $100 per player. (then the cost of the uniform~roughly $80)  The ball field is spread out and clean.  One of the things I did not like at Fenton was the raffle ticket buying was a must and concession stand duty a must.  (Concessions are usually a must but sometimes there are alternatives such as a buyout or having one of their "students" work it for you~as Kirkwood does)  I also did not like the "make-up game" process as when it rained, the game would be canceled but the likely hood of it being made up was 50/50.  Considering the amount of children who play baseball, Fenton did not seem to have as many teams and of those teams, the competition was slightly lower than other areas.  The coaches were decent and the families were nice as far as "sportsmanship" goes.  Overall, we truly enjoyed the fields, atmosphere and the teams we were apart of.  Compared to Kirkwood, Fenton's field are much nicer though!

Kirkwood thus far has been a nice place to play as well.  Their pitching mounds are 47 feet vs. Fenton's pitching mounds at 42 feet.  (Makes pitching for a 9 year old a little more difficult)  As I said before the teams are more competitive at Kirkwood vs. Fenton and the game is definitely more fast paced.  The fields are close together, making it easy to watch multiple games for those of you who have more than one child playing on different teams at the same time (as I do).  The league is a little more expensive, roughly $225 (some include uniforms and practices at various fields that have to be rented).  There are no raffles to be bought and no concessions....let me repeat....NO concessions! :)  Rainouts are always made up and very quickly scheduled during the season..not at the end, as Fenton sometimes does.

For those of you who enjoy an adult beverage now and again or a good ol' hot dog, Kirkwood has Shock-Top on draft (32 oz for $5.50) ...not to disregard Fenton in anyway, as they have all your AB beers available.  Both concessions are abundant with food, however I would have to give Kirkwood props on the different types of food sold there ranging from chicken fingers to Brats! 

Last but not least, I would recommend both fields but for the better competition, Kirkwood would be the place based on that info alone!

CYC Soccer (pre-k and k)

We are excited to be back with CYC this year for soccer!  When this age..4 and 6, CYC offers such a great and inexpensive program.  Amazingly enough, it only cost us $25 per child WOW! MAJOR WOW!  That alone is reason enough for us to participate :) 
Their are around 10 girls/boys on each team.  They play 5 on 5 and no goalies.  Makes scoring pretty easy but you  would be suprised at how much "back and forth" play happens before a goal is scored.  The games are 1 hour and everyone plays.  There are no positions and the kids tend to swarm the ball.  I didn't mind that considering when they were at Vetta, there were 20 on a team and 10 of them played the whole time. 
The field is much smaller and we love that!  They get to the goals a lot quicker and usually a high scoring game! :) Makes watching 4 and 6 year old play soccer, exciting!
We highly recommend CYC Soccer!

Vetta Indoor Soccer

Just finished our session for the girls indoor soccer up at Vetta-Concord!  It was a 10 week session, indoor so no rainouts which is a plus! 
We enjoy Vetta's Kickaroo program because of the instruction they receive and how good the "coaches" are~ (the coaches are the same for every team).   Two teams do 30 minutes of practice all together, then split off and play each other for the next 30 minutes.  It's very cute to watch...swarm ball is what we call it.  All the kids just run around trying to score!   No positions, but do have goalies.
It's also nice for the parents, it's been our Friday night hangout now for a while.  They serve food and drinks (including beer) there! 
As far as cost for the league, I think it's pricey!  It's $35 to register then $100 for the session.  Like most sports, $100 isn't bad but it's only 10 weeks and it cost more than my aerobics class cost.  And with two kids participating, it gets very pricey.  You get a t-shirt with the cost but the rest (shorts, shoes, shin guards, socks) are on you! 
I do think the size of the field is decent..not too big, not too small.  Unlike when you play for Fenton's outdoor league ~ huge and way too big for little ones just running around chasing a ball.  We love the CYC's league for soccer outdoors...it's small and 5v5 and no goalies which is appropriate for this age (4-5).
My reveiw:  Great atmosphere, more on the pricey side for what you get, but we have fun and so do the girls~so overall, WE DIG IT! Will definitely play there again when the weather doesn't permit for outdoor soccer!

YMCA Basketball Program

Well the boys just finished their basketball league at YMCA! A little review on that: Good, solid, non-competitive program as far as I'm concerned.  If your child is a beginner at basketball, this is a great program to start in, no matter what age.  We have played there for 4 years now and each year has gotten a little more competitive.  We have had the pleasure of being on a great team with a great coach and with improvement, the boys have ventured out and played in tournaments on their own~not affiliated with YMCA.  The program is 10 weeks and they practiced one night per week with one game per week.  We went undefeated, often out scoring the other teams by 20+ points (which is why I say it's a great beginning place to start...and we have developed as a team over the past 4 years where we could now venture out and play competitively)
I give this one two thumbs up as it has completely taught my boys the fundamentals they need to now play competitive basketball! The price is great, around $75 for a non-member, $55 for a member I believe. (these prices are not accurate as I am guesstimating the cost since it was last season) You also don't receive uniforms but you do receive a jersey to wear for games. You don't receive a trophy or award unless you go to the end of the season banquet (which we have never done for one reason or another).
Thanks YMCA (South County) for making it a great 4 years! I would definitely recommend this program to my friends and family!

Choosing Your Summer Camp

Summer Camp 2011~ Wow, so many to choose from that involve sports as its core.  I am a mother of 4 children...my boys are 9 and 10 and the girls are 4 and 6.  It's amazing how involved this selection becomes. I can tell you due to experience, that Arnold Recreation offers a summer program that is held at Ferd B. Lang Park in Arnold.  My children attended this last year! It was so wonderful as far as cost was concerned~I believe it was $135 for a two week session and that is absolutely cheap for a summer camp. The only problem I had with it was that it was held outside a majority of the time and mid-summer is VERY hot! The nice thing about that is when heat is above the charts, they take the kids to Arnold Rec where they can swim and play inside. There is a creek at the park that the boys loved playing in, odd they were allowed to do that, but supervised so I allowed it.  Overall a good camp for the price for sure. Probably won't send them back though due to the heat and some conflicts the boys had with other boys.  Due to the age difference that is allowed at the camp (all ages in school), my children felt some issues from the older boys. :(

This year, we have decided to split our time with different summer camps to get a feel of other camps. I need full day camp because of my work schedule so I usually can't participate in the half day camps, etc.  So, we are checking out....drum roll...Vetta this year 2 days per week and YMCA South County for a couple of weeks as of now. Vetta was on the top of my list only due to the "sports" concentration.  There cost for the week is expensive in my opinion only because I work from 8-5 so need before and after care as well, where the cost becomes a little much. ($36 for before and after care per child, per week)  The cost for the camp per day is $36 so we chose 2 days per week on days where we wouldn't need before and after care. They get to play sports (different ones) all day and that means learning new ones as well, along with the traditional swim time.  Now the YMCA seems to be a great deal...$142 for the week for each child but if you register early (before April 16th) you get 10% off, plus their before and after Kids club is $12 for the week~WOW! During that time, they will be playing different sports, crafts, field trips, and swimming. The only thing I don't like is swimming is indoors.

I would love to hear others opinions on summer camps they attended in the past or plan to attend this year! Keeping other moms and dads informed and giving advice to others in the same boat will help I'm sure! So feel free to post some advice for all of us moms (or dads) that are trying to locate that perfect camp for the summer!