MILO has conceptualized an initiative that brings families together to learn and play sports at home during this pandemic. With gyms and fitness centers either shut down or operating under severe restrictions, the idea comes at a time when parents are wondering how to keep their kids active and encourage their dreams to still someday become champions in their favorite sports.
The program is called the MILO Home Court Campaign, an online sports effort “aimed at empowering parents to continue their kids’ champion journeys even while at home.” MILO has rolled out a bunch of engaging content on its social media platforms with interactive and physical activities for parents to work with their children “to stay safe, stay active and stay healthy.”
Nestle Philippines-MILO assistant vice president Lester Castillo explains the concept clearly. “During this time, moms and dads are seeking for imaginative ways to keep their kids active and moving and sports is the perfect outlet to promote not just a healthy lifestyle but also instill valuable life lessons so that their kids grow into well-round individuals,” he says. “The MILO Home Court can be a useful resource for parents to transform their homes into a training ground so that kids can discover their love for sports and pursue their aspirations.”
The pandemic shouldn’t be a hindrance for kids to enjoy sports and MILO has made it possible to bring clinics into homes. For parents, it’s a welcome option for their children to pick up valuable lessons through sports, particularly in developing consistency, gaining confidence, improving discipline and continuing with their championship dreams.
This Sunday, MILO will feature a free online exercise session from 8:30-9:30 a.m. with volleyball phenom Alyssa Valdez, SEA Games karate gold medalist Jamie Lim and fitness coach Jim Saret. It’s a live exclusive physical activity class where kids can interact with Alyssa, Jamie and coach Jim on MILO’s Facebook page. Ongoing are MILO’s signature sports clinics which are offered online with a minimal enrollment fee. The classes are live and tailored to suit learning levels from beginners to intermediate to advanced, depending on the sport. In gymnastics, for instance, there are zoom classes for even pre-school toddlers all the way up to seven years old and above in the beginners category. In football, clinics are scheduled for U9, U12 and U16 from 4 to 5 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday up to Sept. 3. Taekwondo has an extensive program for beginners, advanced and colored belters to cover sparring and poomsae. The clinics are in badminton, chess, football, gymnastics, multi-sports and taekwondo.
Castillo notes that the clinics not only help to support the livelihood of displaced coaches and trainers but also ensure that the next generation of Filipino athletes don’t miss out on opportunities to excel in sports. “The live classes come with a fee for a live coach with a coach to student ratio of 2:15 to ensure quality,” he adds. “The costs for these live classes go directly to the organizers, hence creating a livelihood for the coaches. Fees are estimated to be just 1/3 of the cost compared to onground classes.” Conducting the clinics are experts in their line like the Asuncions in badminton and coaches from trusted MILO partners like the Philippine Taekwondo Association, Club Gymnastica, Ateneo Football Club, Team Socceroo, Sparta Philippines, Grit Sports and Game On Sports. Also available are free video lessons in arnis, badminton, basketball, football, gymnastics, karatedo, volleyball, taekwondo and tennis on MILO’s YouTube channel. The lessons are instructionals that parents can do with their kids at home. MILO’s message is the home could be the kids’ court with their parents supporting the campaign to stay active.
“By innovatively using technology as a platform for sports instruction, we’re able to continue to nourish ambitions of Filipino kids,” says Castillo. “The MILO Home Court is our way of inspiring the youth to never give up on their dreams despite the challenges such as this situation that we are facing now. We encourage parents to support their kids in their championship journey by participating in our online programs that will help mold them into becoming the next generation of champions.” The MILO Home Court Campaign is in support of the World Health Organization’s Global Recommendation on Physical Activity for Health where kids aged five and above are encouraged to engage in physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day to build muscle strength, improve motor skills and promote bone development.