CHILDREN’S FITNESS CLASS company PlayFit is to create 10 new jobs as a result of an expansion of its sports and activity services for three to eight-year-olds.
Both full and part-time positions are to be filled, with the majority of roles for exercise physiologists with third-level education in exercise or teaching along with playing and coaching experience in activities such as gymnastics, rugby, soccer, GAA, basketball and athletics.
PlayFit was formed in September 2012 by ClapHandies founder Liza Crotty and Fit For Life founder Mark Sweeney.
Both ClapHandies and Fit For Life already employ teams of healthcare professionals consisting of exercise physiologists, physiotherapists, physical therapists, pre-school teachers and early childhood educators.
“Since, we launched in September 2012, the demand for our classes and has been phenomenal,” says founder Liza Crotty. “While this expansion will initially cover the Dublin area, by September of this year we plan to move into other parts of the country. Interested candidates should visit our website to apply as we are recruiting immediately for these positions.”
The company points to Dublin City University’s The Children’s Sport Participation Study, which shows that only 19 per cent of primary school children get the 60 minutes of daily exercise recommended by the Department of Health and Children. PlayFit says this can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, and with one-in-four Irish children already either overweight or obese, this can have profound consequences for their future health and enjoyment of life.
As part of PlayFit’s services, its team of fitness experts devise an individual programme for each child to help them find an activity or sport that they enjoy for their childhood, adolescence and beyond.
“If a child does not learn how to run, jump and kick a ball adequately at an early age, their skill levels soon fail to match those of their peers, and their participation in physical activity and sport decreases,” says founder Mark Sweeney.
“Research has proven over and over again that the more physical activity a schoolchild has, the better they do academically. In PlayFit we build both physical and cognitive skills, ensuring that our classes are good for the body and the brain,” adds Mark.
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