Students from Monmouth, Mercer, Middlesex and Ocean Counties have joined forces with the BULLYING…We’re Kickin’ It National Campaign in the fight against bullying. Over the past several years, the Kickin’ It Campaign has toured the country visiting various martial art centers, sporting venues and public schools. Recently, Kickin’ It has planted its roots in New Jersey and has been campaigning to knock out Bullying in several schools throughout NJ.
This past summer, Kickin’ It piloted summer camps and community programs at their Freehold Center, located in the 3-2 Count Athletic Facility. 3-2 Count graciously donates the space for Kickin’ It to operate until Kickin’ It can find a permanent location within Monmouth or Ocean County.
The Kickin’ It Summer Camp Programs were implemented with workshops that included non-competitive recreational sports, music, dance, art, and creative writing activities. The KI camp emphasized positive self-expression, confidence, respect and self-esteem building while reinforcing etiquette, positive social behaviors and mannerisms, traditional values and leadership.
High School Students from Colts Neck, Freehold, Allentown, Howell and Marlboro, along with Brookdale College students volunteered as Kickin’ It Mentors for the camps. These positive student mentors gave up their free time because they are tired of hearing negative remarks about themselves or others, or feeling the anxiety of being excluded, laughed at or teased and simply didn’t want other students to experience that emptiness, pain or sadness.
The Kickin’ It Mentors interacted with dozens of campers from Kindergarten through Seventh Grade and shared their own stories of how they dealt with bullying and adversity by turning to a positive outlet. Kickin’ It defines any positive outlet as a fun, healthy way to redirect negative feelings, stresses and emotions into positive energy, which will help increase moods, focus, concentration and overall behavior. Kickin’ It stresses, encourages and in some cases provides the access and resources for students to turn to their positive outlet when feeling depressed, anxious, stressed or frustrated.
High school to college students Trevor, Kyle, Brittany and Nick visited the Kickin’ It Camp emphasizing to the campers that ‘they can get through the rough patches by sticking with their positive outlets’. The four of them turned to music as their positive outlet and formed the fast rising band, The New Royalty. They performed as campers danced and shook mini eggs to the acoustic sounds of the dynamic student band.
The New Royalty are passionate about improving the positive vibes in school and want to let all students know that Kickin’ It is a great resource to turn to for help. On September 24th, the New Royalty will take part in the ‘Kickin’ It with Kickball Game’ at Marlboro HS, but not to perform, they will be one of the teams participating in the game. “Win, Lose, who cares, some of us will be out of our comfort zone but all students feel like that at one time or another. We want to show students try anything and have fun, no matter the outcome or what anyone says!” ~states Brittany the bands lead vocalist.
The Marlboro PTO and several student organizers are working tirelessly to put together a fun and exciting kickball game which will help Kickin’ It provide support and resources to local schools and students. In addition to The New Royalty, the WRAT Radio, Muay Thai Champion Chris Romulo and JD DeServio of Black Label Society are all Kickin’ It campaign supporters and will be at the game.
Sibling Rivalry, the powerful brother and sister duo, Alina, sophomore at Howell High School, and her brother Justin, a Brookdale freshman will also be attending the Kickin’ It Kickball Game. Justin and Alina spent many summer days at Kickin’ It Camp interacting with campers and sharing their positive outlet, music. Justin plays the guitar and Alina bangs on the bongos while belting out vocals that mesmerize the most energetic campers.
Justins dream as an artist and performer are certainly attainable as his talents stem beyond performing. Justin writes lyrics, music, and helps create Kickin’ Its anti-bullying videos and student presentations. Justin & Alina are campaign role models and always perform without hesitation at every Kickin’ It event. They share Kickin’ Its mission and message during every performance no matter where they go.
Kelly Khadam-Hir, Colts Neck H.S senior is one of the many student organizers and competitors for the Kickball game. Kelly is also one of Kickin’ Its Mentors and volunteered 2 days a week for 12 summer weeks interacting with campers, conducting open discussions, sharing her personal stories and her positive outlet, Hip-hop dancing. By the end of the summer, campers were break dancing, locking and popping proudly showing off their new talents.
The Kickin’ It Summer Camp pilot programs were so successful, Kickin’ It created After School Programs, where student mentors have the opportunity to interact with younger students, to discuss their day, help with homework, organize and oversee recreational activities, creative anti-bullying projects and leadership workshops.
Justin and Kelly are continuing to mentor students in Kickin’ Its After-School Program, where students have direct bus service from the local schools to Kickin’ Its Freehold Center. Justin and Kelly help provide personal assistance and support with academics in healthy, structured workshops, teaching, emphasizing and re-enforcing socially acceptable behaviors, etiquette and proper manners. Each day the students get to share and vent the happenings of their day and are provided healthy creative projects and ways to express themselves.
All Kickin’ It projects encourage students to be compassionate, kind and considerate offering challenges and a student reward programs for positive behavior. Kickin’ It receives countless items for their student reward program, donated by national companies and local businesses such as: Delicious Orchards, Everything Natural Too, Hands On Salon, Longhorn Steakhouse of Howell, Music University, Games 2U of Monmouth County, Tiger Schulmann of Marlboro, Art Beins Martial Arts and several other businesses.
Corporate giant, Tic Tac has been a campaign supporter faithfully since 2009. Kickin’ It distributes the flavorful mints during school visits, all campaign events, as student rewards and challenge incentives. The upcoming Kickin’ It with Kindness is a 30-day student challenge. One of the many challenge tasks, students will be given a pack of Tic Tacs to share with students they do not know; who they feel is often excluded or who are new to the school.
Kickin’ It is passionate about deeply impacting the lives of students and also rewards students for their role in the campaign. Kelly has been invited to the “Kickin’ It w/the Hard Rock” Red Carpet Event in Times Square NY on October 20th where she will exhibit her positive outlet, dancing to the billboard chart-topper “Let It Rock” and to her surprise the artist of song, Kevin Rudolf will be in attendance.
“Words cannot begin to describe the opportunity to be a part of this event. It just feels so good knowing I can make a difference to other students.” ~states Kelly “Just being acknowledged and appreciated by the Kickin’ It organization makes me so proud and then giving me rare opportunities and life long memories is just indescribable” ~states the Colts Neck senior.
Other notable celebrity supporters attending the Hard Rock event include NJ Rocker Jimmy Gnecco, Kicking Daisies, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, UFC Legend Dan Severn and Ocean County’s own UFC Champion Frank Edgar along with several other celebrity supporters. The powerful event will be the forum for Kickin’ It to introduce new student programs and resources.
The Hard Rock event will feature special celebrity guests, student performances, student projects and the winning submission for the ‘Kickin’ It w/the Hard Rock Collectible Pin Contest’ will be announced. All students who use art a positive outlet can participate in this unique and rare contest opportunity.
“Unite in the Fight” with our students; cheer them on at the Marlboro PTO Kickin’ It w/Kick Ball Game Sept. 24th at Marlboro High School . Support Kickin’ It Events on October 2nd and November 19th in Freehold and be a part of the historic Red Carpet event hosted by the Hard Rock on October 20th contact Kickin’ It at 732-409-1132, email office@werekickinit.org www.werekickinit.org
