In partnership with 99% Sports, we launched a new sports program in the fall to expand our current offerings — 99% Sports at EMS! Director of Auxiliary Programs Liza Hards recognized the perfect alignment between EMS and 99% Sports, sharing a philosophy of personal growth and non-competitive sportsmanship. “In this program, students will challenge themselves to the best of their ability and improve their skills in a nurturing, supportive environment,” she says.
Winter session offerings are now open for registration and include basketball, flag football, volleyball, and more. Check out our 99% Sports at EMS website to learn more about these programs and to register!
To gain further insight into this exciting partnership, we recently spoke with A’Jahn Huggins, co-founder of 99% Sports.
EMS: What have been the best things about the 99% Sports and EMS partnership?
Huggins: The best thing about our partnership has been getting to know a new group of kids. We are starting to build a connection with the community, and it’s exciting to show families how we can help their kids develop their confidence and athletic ability. We pride ourselves on creating an inclusive environment where kids don’t have to fear failure because everyone’s goal is continuous improvement. I feel that EMS prides itself on the same values, making the fit seamless for both parties.
EMS: Can you share any stories that show the growth in students from the start of the fall session to the end?
Huggins: We saw a lot of growth athletically throughout the fall session but were more proud of the personal growth. Kids can struggle with learning how to compete in a healthy way. As a coach, you want maximum effort from athletes, and with that comes a strong feeling of disappointment when your best effort comes up short. A good coach needs to be able to help lead their athletes through this disappointment and guide them towards growth.
We had some of these instances in our flag football class this fall session. Football, even when it’s flag football, tends to bring out stronger emotions when the kids compete. Kids can easily get discouraged for a multitude of reasons. When the session starts, you have kids who are ready to compete and kids who are a little unsure of how to play, whether it be fundamentals or rules. We preach patience and uplifting of one another, but kids will be kids, so they sometimes hurt each other’s feelings intentionally and unintentionally. As coaches, it’s up to us to identify the issues and communicate with the kids. As our sessions progressed, we saw fewer kids putting each other down and more kids just having fun playing with their friends. It’s pretty cool to see kids apply the values we try so hard to teach them. Kids holding themselves accountable and treating each other with respect creates an environment for unlimited growth, which we’re excited about.
EMS: How did you decide what new programs to add for the winter session?
Huggins: We agreed on the new programs for the winter with the help of EMS’ Director of Auxiliary Programs Liza Hards. Liza has been amazing to work with, and we’re extremely grateful for her guidance.
Speaking with families throughout the fall session, we better understood the demand for sports options at the school. This partnership works best with an open line of communication. I want parents and kids to speak to us about things they are interested in so we can continue growing together.
The 99 Club is one offering that I want to continue to build at the school. I want it to be a space for kids to feel comfortable and have fun with their peers. With it being a smaller group, we can get to know the kids better individually. We play two or three different sports each week, and everyone remains active. We’re opening it up for the winter to a younger group on Wednesdays with the 99 Jr. Club. We’re excited about all of these classes for the winter, along with our continued basketball development.
EMS: What do you want students to take away from participating in 99% Sports classes?
Huggins: I would like students to walk away from 99% Sports classes feeling good about themselves. It sounds simple, but these kids are growing up in unique times. In the age of social media, sometimes kids don’t understand the weight of their words. We try our best to help them better understand the significance of treating their peers with respect. Sometimes, kids won’t give their best effort out of fear of ridicule from their peers. If we can teach them to respect and uplift each other, that fear will disappear. Kids will begin helping each other improve and create an environment most conducive to growth. We want every kid to leave our classes happy. We want them to look forward to coming to our classes and leave with improved confidence. This partnership came to be because of a unified goal of uplifting every kid we work with.
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