In a recent article, The New York Times called Baby Goes Pro "the sporting version of Baby Mozart." That's exactly the feeling I got when watching it with Jack, who just recently turned three. I thought it might be too "young" for him, but he laughed continually at EMKEI the monkey, and asked questions about the sports being demonstrated on the video.
“Inspiring a generation to move” is the mission of Baby Goes Pro, a first-of-its-kind DVD series created by a former professional athlete. The DVD introduces children to sports using an engaging animated character who “coaches” children on the building blocks of sports. Baby Goes Pro encourages children to lead active lifestyles and begin a lifelong love of sports.
Baby Goes Pro was founded by two mothers, Hall of Fame tennis player Gigi Fernandez and Valerie Stern, a self-proclaimed “soccer mom,” whose mission it was to create a vehicle to introduce movement through sports, at time when a child’s brain development is at its peak. The fundamentals, from simple movements to the rules, of five non-contact sports -- baseball, tennis, basketball, golf and soccer -- are outlined in a DVD series designed for young children. The first 25-minute DVD, created for children under age 4, is set to original music by award-winning composer Dani Donaldi that will appeal to even the youngest child.
Baby Goes Pro is available online at http://www.babygoespro.com/ for $14.95 (free shipping and handling). It will also be available later this year from a variety of mainstream video and DVD outlets. The company is committed to giving 10% of profits to charitable organizations that promote active lifestyles for youth.
A lovable animated character, EMKEI the Monkey (pronounced “M.K.”) plays the role of both host and “coach” throughout the video series. The acronym E.M.K.E.I. represents: Equipment, Movement, Know-How, Externals and Instruction. EMKEI introduces the basics of sports and the value of movement through an inspiring and clever combination of music and instructive activities. The goal of the series is not to “create” professional athletes, but to introduce children at a young age to sports in order to enhance their motion development and encourage physical fitness.
Upcoming DVD’s planned for 24 to 48 month-olds will expand upon the movements and offer a general introduction to the rules of each sport. Sport specific DVDs (i.e. Baby Goes Pro – Tennis) will be developed for four-year-olds and older, and will cover fundamentals such as grips, stance, techniques and strategies. These skills will be taught by professional athletes, along with “coach” EMKEI. Additional brand offerings will include toys and books which will expose children to the many lessons and values that athletics teaches children who participate at any level.
Fernandez is a celebrated tennis player who won 17 Grand Slam doubles titles, two Olympic gold medals and reached the World No. 1 ranking in women's doubles. In 2010, Fernandez was elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was the first female Puerto Rican athlete to turn professional and the only Puerto Rican to ever win an Olympic gold medal. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of South Florida and just completed her Masters in Business Administration at Crummer Rollins School of Business in Winter Park, Fla. Early in 2009 she became the proud mother of twins, Madison and Karson (the inspiration behind the name EMKEI), who motivate her daily of the importance of inspiring a generation to move.
