Our services are group focused and geared toward students ages 8-18. Our programs enhance social skills, increase performance and develop positive self esteem. We offer training and skill development in Basketball, Baseball, Golf, Soccer, Football and Tennis at various locations throughout Hillsborough County. We work in collaboration with parents, AAU teams, schools, coaches and community organizations to offer after school programs, summer camps, leagues, clinics and an AAU team.

Parents

Often students are prepared for the physical demand of athletics however; they are often overwhelmed with the many life management issues faced as students. We teach students how to transfer the life lessons learned through sports to everyday life. Our programs are age appropriate, fun and taught by trained staff.

Coaches and AAU teams

Teams are faced with multiple challenges that hinder their ability to perform effectively such as low morale, poor attitude and behavior, lack of team cohesiveness, and negative images. The services we provide can have a dramatic effect in the success of a team's ability to maximize performance. We enrich the dynamics of the team to focus solely on positive results.

Schools

Our academic component lessens the anxiety and develops a favorable attitude/aptitude for students towards mathematics and reading comprehension. In addition, investing in leadership development and personal growth of your students will positively impact their social and emotional learning.

Community Organizations

Enhance your current services by adding non competitive sports that increases character development.

Academics

The Skills Center provides academic instruction in mathematics and language arts that corresponds with the Florida Department of Education's Sunshine State Standards for middle school. Language skills development is incorporated into all program components and activities and the math instruction is logical and focused on important mathematics concepts and skills in which students are currently engaged inside the classroom.

Life Skills

Life skills are the necessary knowledge, values, behaviors, attitudes and skills young people need to succeed in life. In our programs, we teach young people how to apply and transfer the principles of life skills learned through athletics to other areas in their life. Relevant life skills are infused in a creative matter repetitively throughout all aspects of the program.

Key Leadership Attributes:

Behavior Character Integrity Responsibility Respect Sportsmanship Teamwork

Discipline Work Ethics Goal Setting Decision Making

Accountability Self-Esteem Relationship Building Self-Confidence Self-Motivation

Strategic Thinking Problem Solving Conflict Resolution Communication

Programs

Nurturing Young Rising Athletes (NYRA) ages 8-11

NYRA is a program that introduces the first stage of youth development through sports. Most success stories began with a dream, NYRA will provide youth an opportunity to make their dream a reality by discovering their abilities and strengths within athletics. Through fundamental drills 8 – 11 year old boys and girls will be able to enjoy the positive attributes that sports can provide to an individual. Trustworthiness, responsibility, caring, fairness, communication and respect are a few of the characteristics young athletes will acquire.

Brains for Athletics ages 12-15

Brains for Athletics is a developmental program that enhances theory and fundamentals as well as conditioning through hands on training for middle school students ages 12-15. This program ties education, athletics, and life-skills together in order to create the perfect student, athlete, or student-athlete. Brains for Athletics was created to equip students with the skills needed to carry them through life, focusing on excellence in the classroom and positive competition on the court.

College Education through Athletics (CETA) ages 16-18

CETA exposes and prepares student-athletes for a college education. CETA incorporates Brains for Athletics with College Preparation. Our goal is to help students prepare for college with college prep workshops, college tours, and athletic career exploration. In addition, students participate in camps and tournaments that prepare them mentally and physically for recruitment and scholarship opportunities.

Leagues & Clinics

The Skills Center offers leagues and clinics to youth ages 3 to 17. Please visit www.skillscenterleagues.org for more information.

The Difference

The Skills Center's programs are distinctively developed:

• Modeling two national best practices:
• C.S. Mott Foundation After-School Research and Practices Moving Toward Success: Framework for After-School Programs led by the Harvard Family Research Project.
• Sports PLUS (Positive Learning Using Sports) Model.
• Focus areas complement each other
• Core values are infused throughout all aspects of services
• Real world application of knowledge based academic concepts
• Non-recreational skill development training in six sports
• Highly skilled professionals and trainers