According to the American Heart Association, children over six should get at least an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day. Organized sports are a terrific way for Missouri’s parents to meet those guidelines. Your kids will also forge new friendships and have fun on the field. Here are six places where your kids can sign up for sports around Ellisville.

The City of Ellisville

Ellisville’s Parks and Recreation Department offers tee ball and tiny tot soccer programs. The baseball experts at LittleLeague.org say that many children’s first introduction to the diamond is through an outstanding introductory program like you’ll find here.

Coaches designed this entry-level sport for players between four and six years of age, and the rules have your little ones in mind. Batters use a tee at home plate and run 50-feet to the bases. Games are usually three or four innings instead of the traditional nine, and umpires impose overall time limits to keep games manageable for parents.

Your kids will learn game basics, like hand-eye coordination, how to hold the bat, and which direction to run after hitting the ball. These fundamentals are key to growing a child’s love for the game in an instructional, non-competitive format. You’ll find the main office on Kiefer Creek Road.

Ellisville Athletic Association

The Ellisville Athletic Association (EEA) is a non-profit organization that directors incorporated in 1949. For more than 70 years, its volunteer-based staff has dedicated their time promoting youth sports. The program offers several baseball and softball leagues which cater to different age groups, skills, and your family’s interest level in competing locally.

The training league is the perfect place to start your little one. Coaches introduce your child to the sport and help build a lifelong passion for the game. Once your kids are comfortable with the fundamentals, they can advance to the Youth League. The EAA offers a wide range of competitive opportunities for elementary and middle school-aged children at this more advanced level. If you love baseball too, the organization also provides adult leagues.

i9 Sports

i9 Sports is Missouri’s largest kid’s sports league provider. The company focuses on providing high-quality, community-based multi-sport programs, including leagues, camps, and clinics. You kids can enroll in all of today’s most popular sports, and i9’s instructors provide age-appropriate training that’s fun and convenient for Ellisville’s busy families. 

Crestview Middle School on Clayton Road in Ballwin is the local spot for many games and practices. Program Director Vicky Bright leads coed summer and fall leagues, including:

• Flag football (ages 4 to 12).
• Soccer (ages 3 to 12).
• Baseball (ages 3 to 6).

Olympia Gymnastics

The trainers at SportsRec.com offer a list of youth gymnastics benefits from improved overall health to better social skills. If your little tumbler has shown an interest in taking playtime to the mat, sign them up at Olympia. Its imaginative instructors are well-trained and bring years of knowledge, energy, and fun to every class.

Olympia Gymnastics designed its curriculum to stimulate your child with exciting props and colorful equipment. Weekly classes make learning fun for every child by exciting their young minds and bodies. Consider the preschool program called Tumble Bees. Teachers created it for girls and boys from ages walking through kindergarten. Your child will jump, climb, and bounce their way through fundamental skills and primary forms.

Older kids ages five and six will love moving up to Kinder Bees. They’ll develop a broader understanding of gymnastics and continue developing strength, balance, and self-confidence. The Ninja Kids program for kids ages four to six is a great way for little ninjas to learn skills of the trade, including safety rolls and landings, strength, coordination, and agility.

Peter Mathew’s Memorial Skate Park

Peter Mathew’s Memorial Skate Park represents a touching story of old and new. Located on Morgan Ford Road in St. Louis, the site was once a gas station and auto repair center. The operation closed in 1988, and the city took over ownership of the dilapidated 14,000-square-foot property. The Kingshighway Vigilante Transitions (KHVT), a nonprofit group, leased the park from the city and named the park and garden after Peter Mathews, a gifted St. Louis skater who tragically died in a car accident.

With the help of volunteers, donations, and grants, it became the first free legal, public skate park in the Ellisville area. Sports pioneer Tony Hawk’s foundation contributed to the project, and the superstar even made an appearance on opening day. Sign up for lessons with Goskate.com’s qualified instructors. They’ll meet your family at Peter Mathew’s Memorial Skate Park for a seven-day one-on-one course.

St. Louis Rockets Hockey

Hockey gives high-energy kids an engaging, fast-paced alternative to other sports like baseball. According to the coaches at St. Louis Rockets Hockey, there’s nothing like ice to teach kids how to stand on their own two feet. There really is nothing quite like the feeling of gliding across the surface.

Directors established this hockey organization in 1967. It’s the perfect chance for children to learn to play this cool sport, whether or not they have any prior skating experience. The family will meet the team at the Wentzville Ice Arena. Start with the Learn-to-Play program if your little ones are under 8 or new to the ice. Its four seasons run fall, winter, spring, and summer.

After completing that program, beginners in Learn to Play I will continue with essential skill development for 60 minutes once a week. Learn to Play II’s returning participants focus on skill and game development. Remember that hockey comes with a long list of equipment, including those on this checklist:

• Certified helmet and face mask.
• Shoulder pads.
• Elbow pads.
• Uniform (jersey, pants, socks, and gloves).
• Shin and knee pads
• Mouthguard.
• Stick.
• Skates.

Well, there you go. Crème de la Crème of Ellisville put together this list of your kids’ best places to play sports. What do you think of our suggestions? Let us know if we forgot your family’s favorite place to burn some energy. Send us a note so we can add your ideas to our next guide.