Behind every high school athlete is the parent who remembers how that same child once played in the dirt and thought the best part of sports was the post-game ice cream.

Youth sports is as much about fun as it is helping each child learn the mechanics of the game, and whether they’re ready for parent-tot class or eager to develop their skills, the St. Charles Park District staff aims to offer programs for all ages and levels.

Providing such a range of programming is possible through a number of partnerships, including All Star Sports Instruction based in the Fox Valley. Owner Derek Smith, a high school and college athlete, launched the business in 2001 and has grown it to serve more than 60 park districts and park departments in Northern Illinois including St. Charles, Batavia and Geneva.

“Our job is to make it fun for them,” Smith said. “We want to get kids to like sports and give them options to learn and play.”

All Star Sports Instruction provides professional coaches who lead classes and leagues within park district and park department settings.

35 For Smith, the biggest focus isn’t winning or mastering the game. Smith said his focus is creating a positive experience.

“We offer the opportunity to learn the sport,” Smith said. “We want them to blossom into a love of the sport.”

With more children entering travel sports at a younger age, Smith wanted to provide an alternative that combines professional instruction without the financial and time commitments that travel sports requires.

For Smith, it isn’t about opposition to travel sports. In fact, he also runs Illinois Savage Baseball, a travel baseball league. He understands first-hand the commitment to travel sports, financially and time too.

And Smith knows that travel sports isn’t for everyone. Some players just want to have fun, be with their friends, even try a new sport for the first time. Through partnerships like All Star Sports Instruction, a middle school-age child can try basketball for the first time, with a professional coach leading a practice.

Smith goes beyond vetting his coaching staff, providing them the training and the tools to be a leader on the field and in their community too. A large percentage of his coaches have a sports background and he added, a large number have made a career at All Star Sports Instruction.

Growing up in Barrington, Smith played golf and baseball. He had an opportunity to play baseball at Southern Illinois University. Having the opportunity to explore different sports can build a child’s overall athleticism, Smith said.

With the St. Charles Park District, children can explore sports from basketball to flag football, soccer, fencing, archery and even horsemanship and ice hockey.

“Youth sports are still a valuable asset at any age, but for a child starting out, it’s about much more than the game,” said Melissa Caine, assistant superintendent of recreation for the St. Charles Park District. “It’s about meeting new friends too.”

Caine is the proud aunt who remembers watching her nephew playing in the dirt during his T-Ball games. Today, that child plays on a high-level sports team. Each child’s journey through athletics is unique, and for Caine’s role with the park district, she wants to see every child have a chance to have fun, absorb encouraging words and maybe discover a new sport love.

“They might start with a class and maybe move on to a league that incorporates practices and games and that can lead to taking it further, but it all needs to start with first step,” Caine said.