There’s a general characterization for start-up founders, me being one of them, that they typically have a keen awareness of certain pain points that, when solved, present value for an individual/society.
The description of this pain can and should come from the individual client perspective, but for this specific blog post, I want to dive into what is happening at a macro level: The Youth of USA. By pulling in current conversations happening in mainstream media, what we will see is that we have gone well beyond just pain, but a full-blown crisis that is massively impacting the health of our kids.
My mentor once told me to identify a pain that is experienced NOW and the greater the pain, the more valuable your product. Essentially, he continued, “you want your solution to be a painkiller, not a vitamin.” Given the way media outlets have depicted the problem outlined below, I think my mentor would agree that we have sufficiently, checked the box on this one.
The Daily recently aired a podcast on the aggressive lengths to which the American Academy of Pediatrics is going to address childhood obesity in the U.S. While this comprehensive approach includes what many would call sensible measures (i.e. screening, counseling), they went on to include never before seen measures like recommending weight loss drugs for children as young as 12 years old and bariatric surgery for those as young as 13 years old. Regardless of your stance on this, these changes are a big jump from prior recommendations, and significantly more aggressive than any other country.
Not even a month later, the NY Times published the article “The Income Gap is becoming a Physical-Activity Divide” highlighting the pressing issue of declining physical education programs in schools and the lack of opportunities for children to engage in sports and physical activities. The consequences of this crisis are far-reaching, from increased rates of childhood obesity and chronic diseases to the negative impact on mental health and academic performance. As the headline suggests, ‘across the country, poor children and adolescents are participating far less in sports and fitness activities than more affluent youngsters are.’
So essentially, the TLDR is that childhood obesity has reached levels that have warranted never before seen measures while socio-economic barriers are the likely culprit to the drop in access to physical activity for millions of kids.
For each of us at Hiveclass, many of us parents, we firmly believe that all families should and must have access to quality physical activity. We also believe that the education system has a great responsibility in preparing our kids with the foundation for healthy living and what we call ‘physical literacy.’ This simply and boldly means that every child should have opportunities to find joy in moving their body and to be shown the importance of building healthy habits.
For this reason, we partner with public institutions in the education sector as our conduit to help enact change and build a better tomorrow. Educators, along side families, are at the front lines so to speak and so our challenge as a company is to equip them with the tools to get the job done. And let’s face it: the job is not easy. It takes well-resourced schools, experienced and motivated teachers, and the list goes on. After countless interviews, meetings, and focus groups, we ‘move the needle’ by serving our partners in the following ways:
- Meet kids where they’re at: Kids gravitate towards video-learning and we use this medium as a tool for healthy pursuits and exploration.
- Representation Matters: We provide modern content where kids can see themselves on screen.
- Research-based Approach: Based on sound principles supported by reputable organizations like SHAPE America that have shown how standards lead to impactful results.
- Inclusivity and Accessibility: Our platform addresses differently-abled kids and varied learning styles.
- Simplicity: Ultimately, Hiveclass helps to save time and increases teacher and student engagement.
It takes a village so they say. And combating this crisis we are faced with is no exception. If you, your community, or your organization want to join Hiveclass in raising awareness and providing solutions, please join us in our conversation and pursuit of democratizing youth sports training.