+44 07513 522 896
info@ptcsports.co.uk
+44 07513 522 896
info@ptcsports.co.uk
When was the last time a TV show inspired a whole generation of children to get off the sofa and get moving?
Millennial parents are in their element with the return of our favourite show from Childhood… Gladiators, and we are here for it! When Gladiators returned to our screens in 2024, it did so with a bang, attracting an impressive 8.7 million viewers in its first week alone. While the reboot certainly hits the nostalgia spot for us parents who grew up watching the original series, it has also introduced a whole new generation to some incredible sporting role models, which we are absolutely delighted about!
At PTC Sports, we love anything that inspires children to get active, challenge themselves and explore new sports. Does your child aspire to be strong like fury, powerful like steel, fast like Nitro or flexible like Comet? The Gladiators have inspired us all!
If your child is a huge Gladiators fan, why not encourage them to train like one? Exploring the backgrounds of their favourite personalities could spark newfound passions for sports they’ve never tried before, and who knows, you might have the next budding Gladiator!
The current Gladiators come from a wide range of sporting backgrounds, making them fantastic role models for children looking to try something new. Every Gladiator started somewhere, and what we see on our screens today is the result of years of hard work, dedication and training, usually starting from a young age to get the edge.
What makes the current Gladiators so inspiring is that they haven’t all followed the same path. Some started on the athletics track, others in hybrid fitness, rugby, gymnastics, martial arts or strength sports like powerlifting. Their journeys prove there isn’t one route to becoming a successful athlete, just a willingness and openness to keep learning, training and challenging yourself, which is also a strong mindset for life.
The Gladiators all have something in common in that they all share the same strong foundations: movement, strength, confidence, resilience and a love of sport.
At PTC Sports, helping children develop these foundations is at the heart of everything we do. Through our PE provision, after-school clubs, holiday camps and sports events, we encourage children to build skills, confidence and a lifelong enjoyment of being active.
If you have a budding Gladiator at home, this is a great opportunity to introduce them to how the Gladiators got to where they are today, and inspire them to try new sports.
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Nitro)
Nitro has become a fan favourite thanks to his infectious personality and incredible speed.
Before becoming a Gladiator, Nitro was already one of Britain’s most successful sprinters, representing Team GB and competing on the world stage. His athletics background has helped him become one of the fastest competitors in the arena, with speeds reaching up to 26.5mph.
Nitro’s success is built on years of athletics training, focusing on speed, agility, explosive power and resilience.
These are all skills that children can begin developing through athletics and multi-sport activities, helping them build strong foundations that can benefit them across a wide range of sports.
Jodie Ounsley (Fury)
Fury is a fantastic example of how participating in multiple sports can help create a powerful, well-rounded athlete, and a force to be reckoned with.
Before her Gladiators debut, Fury represented England in Rugby Sevens, became a British Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion and competed at the Deaflympics.
Her sporting journey shows how skills developed in one sport can transfer into many others. Strength, balance, agility, teamwork, confidence, resilience and a great mindset have created a phenomenal athlete, and one of the reasons why at PTC Sports we promote multi-sport involvement.
Through activities including invasion games, gymnastics, striking and fielding games, multi-skills sessions and fundamental movement development, children have the opportunity to build confidence and develop a broad range of athletic abilities that will support them in whatever sport they choose to pursue in the future.
Zack George (Steel)
Steel is one of the UK’s leading CrossFit athletes and was crowned the UK’s Fittest Man in 2020.
CrossFit is an extremely unique sport as it combines elements of weightlifting, gymnastics, endurance training, agility, speed and coordination, creating athletes who are strong, adaptable and capable across a variety of physical challenges, creating a well-rounded skill set.
Many of the skills Steel demonstrates in the Gladiators arena have been developed through this functional style of training, making him a great example of how hybrid fitness can support performance across multiple disciplines.
At PTC Sports, we believe in developing complete athletes. That’s why we’re proud to offer our new Hybrid training programme, helping children improve strength, fitness, movement and athletic performance in a fun, engaging and safe environment with our highly qualified coaches.
Ella-Mae Rayner (Comet)
Comet demonstrates that being a Gladiator isn’t speed and strength alone. Before joining the Gladiators show, Ella-Mae competed in gymnastics, diving and cheerleading, therefore developing exceptional balance, coordination, flexibility and body control.
Her skills demonstrate the importance of fundamental movement skills and how they can transfer across multiple sports and disciplines. The agility and body awareness developed through gymnastics have helped her tackle the physical challenges of the arena and adapt to a wide variety of events in the show.
At PTC Sports, we know how important these foundations are. Through our gymnastics-based activities, multi-skills sessions and physical development classes, we help children improve coordination, confidence and movement skills that can support them across all sports.
Comet’s story is a great reminder that sporting success doesn’t always start with a ball, a race or a competition. Sometimes it starts with learning proprioception skills, challenging yourself and enjoying being active.
The Training Starts Now
While the Gladiators may seem superhuman, every one of them started with the basics, and from an early age.
They learned how to run, jump, balance, throw, catch and move confidently. They built resilience, developed confidence and discovered a love for being active as a child.
Whether your child dreams of becoming the next Gladiator, representing their country, making a school team or simply finding a sport they thoroughly enjoy, every journey starts with those same foundations.
And that’s exactly what we’re passionate about at PTC Sports.
Who knows? The next Gladiator could be training at your local PTC Sports session right now! And if they do make their Gladiators debut one day, don’t forget to tell them where it all started!
Sports for Kids Who Don’t Like Balls: 5 Activities They’ll Actually Love
When you think of sport, what’s the very first one that pops into your head?
We asked our members, and the most common responses were: football, cricket, basketball, netball, rugby, tennis, and rounders.
Every single sport that comes to people’s minds first has the core focus of using a ball! It’s no coincidence these are also the most commonly known sports played in schools, but what if your child isn’t interested in sports with balls?
We see many parents struggling with how to direct their children if they have no interest in playing with a ball. At PTC Sports, we believe that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and we should nurture a child’s natural talents and interests. However we know many of you are stuck with knowing how to engage your child in physical activity that does not involve balls, as these are the dominant activities available.
Here are our top five tried and tested sports to help find their spark for ball-free movement!
Gymnastics
Starting off strong with gymnastics. This timeless, functional and traditional sport remains popular due to its fantastic all-round benefits. Gymnastics develops balance and coordination skills, problem-solving, strength, flexibility and mobility. At PTC Sports, we love teaching gymnastics as it contains such functional movements and core skills that are transferable into the majority of other sports. Because of this, it’s a great place to start when introducing your child to sport.
Athletics
Athletics is a passion of ours, with a diverse range of inclusive activities that requires little to no equipment, which means children can continue their training at home and on the go. Athletics for children typically includes;
Athletics provides children with core fundamental fitness skills and develops stamina, strength, resilience, agility and discipline, to mention a few.
Parkour
We predict Parkour as one of the next biggest upcoming fitness trends for kids! If you’ve not heard of Parkour, it essentially is finding the fastest and most efficient way to run from A to B whilst tackling obstacles. If your child loves Ninja Warrior UK, they will love Parkour!
Benefits include whole physical development as they climb, run and jump through a range of motions and hurdles. Parkour develops spatial awareness, agility, and critical thinking skills as they learn and adapt to challenges. It’s a high-energy burner and also a useful way to teach our children how to move safely and efficiently, so it’s a double win for us parents.
Climbing
We are all born with the desire to climb, that is, before we become adults and the fear of dizzying heights takes over! Climbing is making a huge comeback and we are here for it. It’s the ultimate fun vertical puzzle, hidden as a full-body workout.
In the age of screens, climbing requires focused attention, helping children to focus on the immediate task at hand, as well as the delayed gratification of working to reach the end goal, which will require continuous adaptation and skill. Climbing is a powerful, proprioceptive movement, which can have a calming effect on the nervous system, which is especially useful for children who are neurodiverse.
Hyrox
We are hooked on Hyrox! We’ve been weaving functional fitness into our sessions with a great response. Hyrox makes movement fun, practical, and captivating, and is an excellent example of demonstrating that exercise isn’t always about balls and bats.
Hyrox focuses on movements we use every day like squatting, jumping, running, and carrying. We’ve found Hyrox has a wealth of benefits, which include but are not limited to strength, agility, coordination, balance, problem-solving, endurance, cardiovascular fitness, stamina and resilience.
Want to learn more about Hyrox? Read our blog here:
We hope this has enlightened you that there is more to sport than just balls! There is a sport for every child, and we encourage you to experiment with ones outside of the “box” to find their spark and the sport they love.
We pride ourselves on nurturing children’s health, well-being, and love for sport, whatever that sport might be, and creating lifelong habits and unforgettable experiences. As coaches, we believe sport isn’t just about playing, it’s about thriving, learning, and loving the journey, whether it be football or Hyrox, rugby or Parkour. Each child is unique, and all children deserve the chance to flourish at an activity they love.
So the question is, which will you be trying first?
If you’ve got a primary-aged child, chances are you are in the thick of the birthday party era. Your once relaxing weekends are now bumper to bumper with kids birthday party after kids birthday party. You are now a reluctant soft play connoisseur, and when you spot yet another invite in your child’s book bag, you pray it’s not another overstimulating celebration choice (if you know you know).
Then comes your child’s birthday. You want to do it differently and avoid yet another mass produced soft play package… But then you start planning it and realise it’s a lot of work; the never ending guest list, venues, food, invites, how to keep a swarm of excited kids entertained over 2 hours. It is in fact not an easy task, until you learn PTC Sports now run Sports-Themed Birthday Parties.
Kids are happiest with the simple things and they don’t actually need much encouragement to run around. Give them a ball or a balloon and a bit of space to run free with their friends, and they’re happy and content.
That’s why sports parties tend to just… work.
There’s no overthinking it. No trying to fill time with lots of different bits. It’s simple, it’s active, and it keeps them busy in a good way, not the overstimulated mess kind!
Honestly, this is the part most parents care about- not having to organise and run it!
Because we understand trying to host and organise at the same time is hard work. You’re explaining games, keeping attention, watching behaviour, checking the time—it’s a lot to juggle, and let’s not mention all the special diet requests and food allergies. Having professionals lead it (properly), changes the whole feel of the day.
You’re not constantly ‘on’, you can actually step back a bit, talk to people, watch your child enjoying it instead of directing everything and, if you’re really lucky, treat yourself to a warm cup of coffee.
It sounds small, but it makes a big difference, and being present is the best present.
Every kids’ party has a tipping point. You can usually see it coming as well. The key is keeping things moving so there’s not much time for boredom to creep in. A mix of games, quick changes, and just enough structure to keep things on track. Not rigid, just organised enough. Our parties enable the kids to stay busy, burn off energy, and (hopefully) leave tired and happy, with some new skills to boot.
There’s definitely more pressure these days to do something BIG and ultimately super expensive. Ask your child if they remember the decorations at the last party or what was in the party bags, and there is a good chance they can’t remember. Kids aren’t looking at the decor or comparing parties, they just want to have fun with their friends, and that’s the bit they remember, the laughter.
Simple but meaningful touches like a few prizes or certificates can make it feel special without turning it into a full production, which your fellow parents attending will be grateful for, breaking the trend and starting a new healthy way forward.
When you strip it back, a good party is actually quite simple.
Kids that are happy and occupied, something that feels a bit different to the usual day, and a setup that doesn’t leave you exhausted by the end of it.
That’s why this kind of party works, it covers all of that without overcomplicating things.
We offer fully organised sports-themed birthday parties with a mix of activities to suit different ages and abilities.
Everything is led by our experienced DBS-checked coaches, so the sessions are structured, safe and actually run properly (which if you’ve ever tried to organise games yourself, you’ll know isn’t always easy).
All you really need to do is turn up with your child and their friends. We’ll take care of the rest, and you can thank us later.
Contact us today and book a party your child will remember!
