Sandy Slade, Author at Skillastics

How to Motivate Staff to Lead Physical Activity in Your Program (Even if They’re Not Fitness Pros)

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Sandy Slade

Let’s be honest — most after-school and expanded learning programs aren’t staffed with certified fitness trainers or PE teachers. The wonderful people running these programs are often educators, childcare professionals,

Five ways to Boost Your Physical Activity Program Even with Limited Staff

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Sandy Slade

There are a multitude of reasons why an After School program may have staffing limitations. As cold weather approaches in the winter months, staff levels may be affected by illnesses,

Why Skillastics® Is The Best Choice for Your Physical Activity Program.

Posted on December 28, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Decades ago, education consisted of a single teacher in a one-room schoolhouse filled with kids of all ages, while After School programs didn’t exist. Physical activity programs involved simple free

Physical Activity vs. Movement: Consider Both For Your After School Program

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Words can ignite certain feelings in us. These feelings are usually connected to experiences we’ve had at some point in our lives. For instance, the word family may mean something

Seven steps to starting an Afterschool Program, even on a limited budget

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Sandy Slade

So you want to start an afterschool program. Whether it’s your lifelong dream to provide a safe space for kids to gather after school, or you’ve been voluntold by your

Quick Tips for Making Fitness Fun, Educational, and Meaningful in your Afterschool Program

Posted on August 22, 2022 by Sandy Slade

No matter what generation you identify with, if you watched TV while you were growing up, you probably had a pretty cool fitness icon to look up to. Whether it

Vision to Reality – 5 Tips To Transform Your Afterschool Program

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Sandy Slade

It’s no secret the American workforce has experienced some rocky turmoil over the past year. As if the pandemic weren’t enough, employers faced The Great Resignation and then “The Great

Seven Key Ingredients For Improving Student Motivation

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Some educators use the words motivation and engagement interchangeably, but they’re very different. Motivation, from the Latin word motivus–meaning moving–is the force or thing that prompts you to act where

Five Ways to Increase Student Movement and Engagement

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Kids today are drawn to entertainment. Brought up with iPads, tablets, smart phones and video games that switch from video to video after 30 seconds, it can be hard to

Ways to Recognize Children to Encourage More Physical Activity

Posted on March 22, 2022 by Sandy Slade

There’s a constant battle in the mind of a child these days. The pull of electronic devices seems to be stronger than any force on the planet. When iPads, iPhones,

Five Before School Fitness Ideas That Work

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Enter your text here…There’s no doubt that kids who engage in physical activity before school have a leg up on kids who don’t engage in physical activity. Studies have shown

Fun Ways To Keep Kids Active in Your Boys and Girls Club

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Since 1860, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America has been an essential part of learning and fitness for children throughout the country. The national organization’s mission is to enable

5 Fun Fitness Tips for Your YMCA Program

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Sandy Slade

It’s no easy task to engage children and teens in an active lifestyle. In recent years, as toddlers clutch tablets and keep their eyes glued to screens constantly, there has

Five Key Reasons Why Continuing Virtual Physical Activity Learning On-Site Is So Important

Posted on October 12, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Everyone looks forward to the day when students can go back to school full-time. Parents, teachers, and students alike will be elated to return to normalcy! Still, there are benefits

5 Fitness Ideas for After School Programs

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Keep Kids Moving In-Person and Virtually These days, the challenges of encouraging children to incorporate exercise into their daily lives are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Different states are at

10 Reasons Why Kids Need Exercise in Their After School Program

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Exercise and fitness are crucial to the physical well-being of kids and adults alike. However, when a child does not have adequate physical activity incorporated into their daily routine, there

10 Unfortunate Facts About Childhood Obesity

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Sandy Slade

One of the saddest conditions for a child to experience is obesity. The discomfort from excess weight and the limitations that obesity causes are difficult to bear. Unfortunately, we are

Guide to Healthy and Active Students

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Students today experience unparalleled pressure compared to previous generations. The stakes are higher for education and college entrances, a college degree likely won’t be enough preparation for a career, and

Tips And Tricks To Make Exercise Fun For Kids

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Sandy Slade

There is nothing like the feelings of elation and accomplishment after exercising, but too many people never get there because they never get started in the first place. If exercising

5 Tips for Creating Basketball Lesson that Kids Love

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Sandy Slade

It’s that time of year again! Gyms echo with the squeaks of sneakers as we kick off Basketball Season. During PE and after school this time of year, it’s all

Surprising Consequences of Physical Inactivity

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Sandy Slade

You don’t need a degree in sports medicine to know that some consequences of physical inactivity are as plain as the nose on your face. Obesity–both as a child and

Lights On After School: Highlight Physical Activity with this Step-by-Step Family Fitness Event Guide

Posted on October 1, 2019 by Sandy Slade

Did you know that 8 in 10 parents agree that After School Programs should help children become more physically active? In addition, parents who have little knowledge about physical activity

How to Deal with Reluctant Students and Refusal to Participate

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Sandy Slade

Fear in children isn’t always expressed with wide-eyes and tears, particularly with older teens. In school, fear of failure at an activity or standing out in a bad way can

The Missing Link: How Exercise & Healthy Living Can Save the Future Generations

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Sandy Slade

In bygone days, neighborhood children ran and played outdoors from dawn ‘til dusk, biking through the dirt and capering in the woods. Moms and dads whistled loudly when it was

How Sports Cultivate Healthy Lifestyles and Life Lessons

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Sandy Slade

There’s a reason that sports matter to us, and it’s not just about winning. Sports are good for the mind and body. First, playing sports feels good, win, or lose.

The Best Physical Activity Programs to Organize a Group of Mixed Age Students with Limited Staff

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Most people would recognize the famous movie line, “Life is like a box of chocolates… you never know what you’re going to get.” The same line could easily represent the

How Group Exercise Benefits Students (Secrets to Success)

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Exercise takes many forms, but for students, the best option is a group exercise. There is no argument against solo activities and lone forms of exercise, like weightlifting or exercise

Challenge Traditional Learning With Digital Specialty Programming

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Sandy Slade

If the past couple of years has taught us anything it’s how very critical flexibility in the educational setting is. Yes, we weathered the COVID storm together. Educators and school

Physical Activity and Sport-Skill Development Activities Afterschool Programs Provide

Posted on September 27, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Sports and activities are ever-evolving, taking on surprising forms over the recent years that help encourage kids to not only get and stay active, but to consider their whole body

How a Mid-Year Progress Report Enhances Your Efforts

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Congratulations on reaching the half-way mark of the school year! Not only is January a new year, but it’s mid-year through the academic calendar. This mile-marker is a good spot

Social and Emotional Learning Through Physical Activity

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Social and emotional learning (SEL) enhances students’ capacity to integrate skills, attitudes, and behaviors to deal effectively and ethically with daily tasks and challenges. A physical active environment is the

Technology and Interactive Media as Tools to Get Children Moving

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Sandy Slade

There’s no denying the pandemic changed the way we communicated, learned, and even exercised. Faced with the unique obstacle of continuing physical activity and movement while living and learning remotely,

Reasons Movement Teaches Kids to Think and Learn Differently

Posted on June 23, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Can science really confirm that physical activity affects the way we learn? Absolutely. Studies have proven that physical movement helps kids improve their memory, increase their motivation, and improve motor

Getting Your Students to Fall in Love with Physical Activity

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Love is in the air! Valentine’s Day celebrates love, and it doesn’t always have to be romantic. Love boils down to a passion for something (or someone!), and so we

20 Hard Facts About Childhood Fitness

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Sandy Slade

As children engage in activities that get them moving, there are significant side effects that participating has on their lives. From better health overall to long-term benefits into adulthood, childhood

The Benefits of Student-Led Activities

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Sandy Slade

It may come as a surprise to learn that leadership doesn’t begin at the high school level. In fact, educators are creating opportunities for young leaders at the primary age

How Budget Cuts Have Created a Health Epidemic in Students

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Sandy Slade

It’s no big secret that physical fitness is essential to living a long and healthy life, yet Physical Education is only mandatory in 8 of the 50 states. In the

How Exercise Affects Mental Health

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Our bodies really are a machine; an amazing and organized system that works hard to keep us going. Every function of our circulatory, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and other systems work in

Skillastics® Speed Stacking: The Physical Activity Your Program is Missing

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Over twenty years ago, Speed Stacks® founder Bob Fox watched Sport Stacking for the first time on a late night tv show. An elementary school teacher by trade, he quickly

The Best Advice to Spend Left-Over Money

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Sandy Slade

It’s hard to imagine life returning to normal as we’re just coming to grips with the effects of a pandemic, but someday we will get back to our lives. In

Organize, Motivate, Engage!

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Sandy Slade

Recently, NAA sat down with Sandy Slade, president of Skillastics, to talk about how the pandemic has affected how she serves her clients. No stranger to the afterschool market, you may

Reasons Why Skillastics® Will Make Your Program Great

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Sandy Slade

Can you imagine your job getting easier, and more productive?What if you could maximize participation without wasting the limited time you have?Wouldn’t it be great to have a resource at

An Era of Inactivity: Why Children Need to Move

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Sandy Slade

In the age of technology, it’s easy for adults, and especially children, to feel the temptation of tech, screens, and social media. All of the developments in new technology have

A Guide to STEM Academics (And How You Can Improve Student Retention)

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Sandy Slade

It’s in a child’s nature to be curious, ask questions, explore new things, and expand their interests. These days, it’s unsurprising that so many kids show interest in science and

Boys and Girls Clubs Across the Country Can Benefit From Skillastics

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Sandy Slade

Afterschool programs like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America are an integral part of keeping kids active. In an era where technology and screens and practically taking over, it’s

Why Skillastics® Is A Resource for Physical Activity AND Fun

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Sandy Slade

Adults often remark about all the energy that children possess, so why would a child equipped with all that energy simply prefer to avoid using it? We see kids sitting

The History of Physical Education in the United States

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Sandy Slade

Physical education history traces back to ancient Greece, but it exists all over the world today. Starting from a young age, children need to engage in regular physical activity to

Why After School Physical Activity Is a Must

Posted on October 29, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Months ago, the entire nation started making adjustments to everyday life to accommodate the newly arising challenges caused by the coronavirus. Unfortunately, this means that thousands of schools and after

Active Children and Development

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Sandy Slade

The job of children is to play, and it’s a significant job for a reason. While it may seem frivolous to make-believe and drive a toy truck, pretending and playing

Why Children Should Move (Staying Active)

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Probably every parent will tell their children at some point to “move it or lose it!” Whether dawdling on the way out the door or just reluctant to give up