Celebrating IyaSokoya Karade, aka Coach Iya, of Athletic Arts Academy
IyaSokoya Karade aka Coach Iya, is the Owner/CEO of the Athletic Arts Academy NJ LLC, a fully equipped, Olympic-styled, 10,500 sq. ft. youth fitness center serving children age 2+, beginner to competitive levels located in Orange, NJ.
“As a child, I was fortunate to have adults in the community and at school who would organize jump roping and races and would talk to me. One of the hardest things for children from any background is having people who are willing to talk to you not talk at you, people who listen and take an interest in you.” Coach Iya shares.
This foundation seeded her strong belief in community and that everybody has something to contribute, that if you really want to have the neighborhood and quality of life you want, it’s up to you to shape it.
Iya began tumbling and flipping on the streets of Newark and was formally introduced to the sport in the athletics program of her suburban high school. It wasn’t until she was a mother herself and saw the budding talent in her daughters that she realized the opportunity to learn and grow their skills was far from home. “I would be driving 90 minutes one way in traffic on 278 to try to get them the lessons they needed,” Coach Iya recalls.
She knew the absence of a youth fitness center was not due to a lack of talented kids or parents willing to pay, so she set out to open a gymnastics school and the Athletic Arts Academy was born.
Coach Iya knows being a parent is challenging and aims to give parents opportunities to enjoy their children in the midst of working, putting food on the table, and taking care of their families.
Parents of students enrolled in the Athletic Arts Academy experience their kids having fun, and Coach Iya says that gives something back to the entire family. “It encourages parents to see the potential in their children and support them in being happy and successful. And it teaches kids that they can do hard things, a good balance to the fun they have, and brings parents along for the journey.”
Coach Iya says she has been fortunate to hire some of her former students and keeps in touch with a second wave of students now in college. When they reflect on their time at the Atheltic Arts Academy they see how her toughness and their hard work paid off. They acknowledge their preparedness for life that their peers don’t have and they are taking those tools and skills to better their lives.
Parents too, have grown as a result of their experience at the Athletic Arts Academy and with Coach Iya, becoming entrepreneurs who credit her with their bravery. They saw her hustle and overcome challenging times and, despite their fears, use her fortitude to do the same.
Coach Iya says that, “to see the impact on adults and how they see themselves is a bonus-bonus. I don’t think I could ask for anything more.”
“This award and what HANDS is doing is amazing. This is the longest time I’ve spent in one place. The city of Orange has become a family to me and I believe that if we can learn how to build strong families, be they blood or extended or municipal, then we will be able to live happier lives. We’ll be able to figure things out. Our goals will be inclusive of others and not just for ourselves. It’s a tall order but we've got to push forward.”
Thank you, Coach Iya and Athletic Arts Academy for all you do for our Community!
