Start young – Start Smart Published April 7, 2011 By Nick Stubbs 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The fundamentals of any sport are best learned early, which is the idea behind the Start Smart sports program at the MacDill Youth Center, which is preparing to kick off its baseball program for 3- and 4-year-olds. The idea of the program is to get parents active in the process, with each child coached by their parent. Today is the last day to sign up for the program, which currently has more than 100 participants. The program has six levels, with all the emphasis on development of skills rather than competition, said Peter Schmidt, the Youth Center coordinator who runs the program. "It's strictly developmental," he said. "We take the competition out so we can focus on learning." The sessions run for six weeks from 5 to 6 p.m. each Wednesday at the base gym. The gym floor is divided into four sections, each running a different set of drills. Children rotate from one to the other to ensure they do not get bored. "The idea is to keep them (the kids) interested and active," said Mr. Schmidt. "It's also to keep the parents active and involved," adding that Start Smart is a proven way to foster early interests in sports. The programs, which also include basketball, soccer and other sports, are part of the National Alliance of Youth Sports. The next Start Smart program at MacDill will be soccer, which gets under way when registrations open July 9. The fee for the program is $36, with discounts for children who are members of base youth services programs. Call 828-7957 or contact Mr. Schmidt at peter.schmidt-02@us.af.mil.