Ashley Ntansah is on a mission to bring children’s fitness to a new level with a program he launched this summer called Play Fitness, currently being offered at the Secaucus Recreation Center and Hoboken’s Club H.
Play Fitness is a youth fitness strength and conditioning program that Ntansah custom designed to decrease obesity, prevent injury, build confidence amongst children, and improve strength, coordination, and skill development.
Complementing sports activity
“The games the [kids] play complement their sports,” said Ntansah, founder and director of Play Fitness. Ntansah said that his work with children isn’t to get them to do a lunge perfectly but to get them moving, having fun, and engaging in repetition that improves their skills.
“I set up hurdles. We do a lot of jumps. We set up obstacle courses…relay races,” said Ntansah. “It is important to be good at any sport that [kids] work on their strength, on their stabilizers—the muscles you don’t see.”
He added, “It helps the kids run better, especially for girls. Girls tend to have a lot of knee issues when they run. I have little bands that we use to help strengthen their hips, which helps them perform better and prevent injury so they can play better.”
“Play Fitness helps kids prevent injury to allow them to play better, perform better, and stay in the game.” – Ashley Ntansah
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“Nobody taught them how to produce force and absorb force so they can be deliberate in the way they play,” said Ntansah.
He said that such factors make a difference between a really good athlete and a mediocre athlete.
Ntansah said Play Fitness helps kids prevent injury to allow them to play better, perform better, and stay in the game.
Taking action with passion
Born in London, Ntansah is of Ghanaian background, has 20 years of experience as a personal trainer, and has worked with adults in New York and New Jersey. He said he has exercised since he was a child by playing sports like soccer, track, and rugby. His father was also very athletic and an inspiration.
Fitness is Ntansah’s passion, which he discovered when he heard a motivational speaker on a panel tell the audience to turn their hobby into a living over 20 years ago.
He discovered a new side of his passion when he stepped in to help his son’s track team during practice a couple of years ago.
“It was very different from training adults,” said Ntansah. “The kids had so much joy…The kids loved it. I enjoyed it so much….That is when the light bulb went off for me.”
A year and half ago he received his certification as a youth fitness specialist.
Expanding the program throughout Hudson County
Ntansah launched the Play Fitness program in Hoboken earlier this summer. He has also reached out to schools in the area to introduce the program as an after school activity. He moved to Secaucus a year ago and has a 10-year-old stepson who plays football for the school. He approached John Schwartz, recreation facility director, after hearing about the facility from his wife.
“John was wonderful,” said Ntansah. Schwartz was fully behind the program and said in an interview that he is committed to making it work. He did warn Ntansah that it would be a challenge to get kids involved due to competing activities in town like soccer.
“I see what he is talking about,” said Ntansah. The program was off to a small start with five to six youth involved but he has hope for the program and plans to run another series of classes and sports clinics in January.
In the meantime, he is helping his son with soccer and football and getting to know parents in Secaucus.
“We are working with a small group but they are having a blast,” said Ntansah.
“I think it is a great program for the little ones. I really do,” said Mary Miller, office manager at the Recreation Center. “He is giving them a good workout. The kids all enjoy it. They laugh. They play. If I had a little one I would put them in the program. I wish my nieces and nephews lived in the area. I would get them involved.”
Play Fitness resumes in January in Secaucus. The program is $20 per 45-minute class or $150 for 10 classes. For more information call (201) 330-3299. To learn more about the program, call Ashley Ntansah (201) 220-1326 or visit: http://www.playfitness.me/.
Adriana Rambay Fernández may be reached at afernandez@hudsonreporter.com.