Parent to Parent: After-School

WSVN -- Karate Instructor: "Respect your class. Respect your instructor, and class begins with a thank you sir."

At this after-school program, class isn't just about learning all the right karate moves. It's also about teaching important lessons for kids to apply in every day life.

Instructor: "Confidence, remember? Confidence, discipline and respect you got to look confident."

This class is one of many offered by South Florida Youth Sports owner. Adam Lipkin says it's all about taking coaching to a whole new level.

Adam Lipkin South Florida Youth Sports: "We teach them about confidence, about doing things with integrity honoring your word. Doing what you said you were going to do. Really being responsible for your life not blaming other people for what's happening."

Whether it's karate or dance or a number of other activities, coaches are trained to motivate and encourage.

Instructor: "Open your hands high like a flower. Very good."

And the kids say it's having a positive effect in other parts of their lives. Ten-year-old Gianna loves to dance and loves her grades, which have improved since she started class here.

Gianna Caminero: "I feel like I'm a better student because I can concentrate more and I'm not doing other things that I don't need to be doing."

Nine-year-old Farid says he's also doing better in school.

Farid Cano: "I just did FCAT practice. I just finished and I was the only one who got a B, everyone else got C's, D's and F's."

Folks here chalk it up to their simple life skills formula of confidence, discipline and respect.

Adam Lipkin: "When you just think about what you're able to do with a child, who just has this clean slate, you just know what kind of difference it makes for the rest of their life."

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

South Florida Youth Sports
www.southfloridayouthsports.com