We were lucky to catch up with Craig Drilling recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Craig, thanks for joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

The idea of Kids at Play Atlanta began during Covid in November of 2020 when social options were limited and the public schools were offering virtual classes only. Many students did not have any opportunity for exercise and socialization. The initial thought of Kids at Play Atlanta was organizing portable PE Classes where participants could socialize in a safe environment, stay active, build confidence, and use these classes as a springboard to more competitive sports.

The idea of offering Portable PE Classes grew into specialized Sports Clinics, Birthday Parties, and Field Days. We now offer all of our services to all areas of the Metro Atlanta area!

Craig, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have been involved in youth development since the age of 18. I was the Director of Athletics and Dean of Students at Brandon Hall School since 2006. This included coaching soccer, tennis, and basketball at the varsity level.

Kids at Play Atlanta provides a service that helps kids gain confidence in their body and athletic ability while providing a spring board for participation in more competitive sport. We provide Portable Physical Education Classes, Sports Clinics, Private/Semi Private Sports Classes, Tennis Lessons, and Field Days.

We are most proud of the feedback from happy families who tell us about the lasting impact our kids have had from our services.. Our ability to provide different success points for each child who is at and for every child to leave our class feeling like a champion is what makes us the most proud!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think the positive experience that the kids had by participating in our programming as well as the reasonable prices helped building confidence from our families. The families began communicating their positive feedback to other families in the community. I firmly believe that word of mouth is the best way for programs to grow.

We also began more aggressively utilizing social media to expand our market outside of the Brookhaven area and we now serve almost all of Metro Atlanta.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

One of my keys to managing a team is showing that you care about the person and taking time to listen. In conjunction with this we need to be clear communicators in terms of our vision and expectations. This will help put your team in a position to succeed and build their trust in you as a leader. I also believe that you have to be ready to get your hands dirty and perform what ever job you are asking your team members to do.

In order to maintain high morale I believe in intentional positive feedback as often as possible. I live by the phrase ” Scream praise and whisper criticism.” As you build your trust with your team they will accept constructive criticism with out feeling defensive.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kidsatplayatl.com
• Instagram: kids_at_play_atl
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100040630877968