On the sand near lifeguard tower 29, a league of parents and their children assembled for Bat Out Kids Superhero Academy. As of Saturday April 28, the monthly meet up has been in existence for more than a year, teaching a variety of superhero inspired jumps, crawls, kicks and team-building exercises in the process. Children (and some parents) put on superhero suits for the training sessions.
Husband and wife Brett and Greta Beck started the session off with a series of warm ups before leading the group through solo and team exercises.
“We get the kids active and entertained” stated Brett, who demonstrated the various exercise drills. Greta held up a hoop as Brett explained how everyone was going to practice their superhero jumps; he then jumped through the hoop and rolled onto the sand as the kids lined up to imitate the maneuver.
“Our son is huge into movement and heroes,” said parents Tim and Casandra. Their son Liam was dressed as Spiderman. The consensus was that parents had heard about the academy from one another through school and from each other. The academy is “well rounded, teaching patience, but is also competitive,” added Casandra. After a hydration break, the training shifted gears from individual exercises to group relays.
Brett said that children’s attention can be short and so the activities are quick paced, adding that “we do this on the beach as well as at the park.” He also noted that while they’re doing this, “the kids really believe that they’re superheroes.”
