A place of their own
Little Gym offers fitness programs for youngsters
MALTA, N.Y. » Local kids have a new place to get active this winter — and year-round — with the opening of The Little Gym of Saratoga.
Located at 2110 Ellsworth Blvd. in Ellsworth Commons along Route 9, The Little Gym of Saratoga is an international franchise with more than 350 locations worldwide offering gymnastic and physical activity classes for kids 10 months to 12 years of age.
Now, Saratoga County has it’s very own location thanks to franchisees James and Kathryn Pellett, who live in Malta and have four boys. After seeing the benefits of the Little Gym programs through their son Chase’s experience over the last three years at the Colonie location, the Pellets decided to start The Little Gym of Saratoga in their own community.
“He’s really enjoyed himself there. We like the program,” Kathryn said. “Chase is on the spectrum. We like the way they handled him in classes. They never pushed him. The program in noncompetitive, which really spoke to us as parents.”
In making their decision to open a gym, “We just really liked the idea and thought that the kids in Saratoga County could really benefit from this experience like our son did,” Kathryn explained. “We just think it’s the best program for kids in the area. That’s why we’re doing it. It’s the best program out there for kids of all age ranges.”
Along with getting the kids moving, all Little Gym classes incorporate nurturing listening skills, concentration and decision-making, as well as teaching kids to be good citizens through promoting sharing, teamwork, cooperation and leadership.
Classes, with a maximum of 18 students and a 6-to-1 student-to-instructor ratio, are determined by age group. They typically meet twice per week.
One of the Little Gym instructors, Thomas Beaury of Saratoga Springs, said he’s looking forward to working with the kids, seeing them grow and have a fun time.
Before classes officially get underway, The Little Gym of Saratoga held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand-opening celebration Thursday with both the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and the The Chamber of Southern Saratoga County.
“We’re so excited to have another new business opening, especially in Malta,” town Supervisor Vince DeLucia said to the owners at the event. “Welcome to Malta. We wish you great success.”
Following this event, The Little Gym of Saratoga hosted an open house Sunday for families to come check out the new facility, try out some activities, enjoy refreshments and enroll in classes. Beginning Monday, classes will be running six days a week. Courses will run through June, followed by a summer session, and then a full-length course that will start with the school year in September.
Kids can participate in a free introductory class before enrolling. Summer camps and special school break programs are offered, as well, and The Little Gym of Saratoga also hosts birthday parties on weekends for groups of as many as 20 children.
In the fall, the Belletts expect to offer a pre-kindergarten curriculum for 3- and 4-year-olds.
More information about The Little Gym of Saratoga is available online at www.tlgsaratogany.com or www.facebook.com/thelittlegymsaratoga. The gym can be contacted by phone at 518-764-7726 or by email at tlgsaratogany@thelittlegym.com.