About Us
Sport-Social is a talented team of artists, musicians & athletes, teaching sports, art and music to all ages and ability ranges. However, we specialize in working with children and teens with special needs. We constantly strive to evolve and maintain the highest level of professionalism, along with the highest quality instruction for our students and families. In each move we make, we remember that our mission is to serve the social and behavioral needs of all kids. It is this learner-oriented focus that guides our efforts, and ensures that we continue to provide a unique and effective service to our Sport-Social families.
The Beginning
Sport-Social began not as a business venture, but as a single tutor, named Andrew Devitt working with individual families in home based ABA programs to develop the social and behavioral skills of children with Autism and other disabilities. In 2010, Andrew had discovered during his home tutoring, that his instruction was particularly effective when coupled with outdoor activities. He began moving away from the clients home and meeting them in local skateparks throughout his native Las Vegas. He was embedding the social and behavioral learning that kids were being taught at home into action sports lessons. It became clear that this multi-faceted approach enhanced both the experience and the outcome. Emboldened by the success of his students and with the support of their families, Andrew decided to take the next step to grow his vision. He wanted to move his lessons indoors where hot summers and cold winters wouldn’t affect kids engaging in action sports. In 2011, Andrew took his savings, along with a small bank loan, and he rented a modest 4,000 square foot warehouse space. He enlisted a core group of dedicated friends and fellow tutors. Together they turned an empty warehouse into what you know today as Sport-Social, a one-of-a-kind training facility for social, behavioral and sports instruction.
The Community
As Sport-Social began to grow and serve more and more families. The reaction from the community was overwhelming. Students were having fun, and parents were often moved by the progress they saw in their children. It wasn’t long before the new warehouse started to feel cramped, and we began looking for more space for our programs. In 2012, Sport-Social made the move to a significantly larger 10,000 square foot warehouse space in southern Las Vegas known to many of our families as our “Tuff Shed” location.
Growth and Expansion
In our new Tuff Shed facility, we now finally had the room to grow! We outfitted our unique facility with the amenities necessary to give our clients a professional experience. We built a reception area, skate park, basketball court, a music & drama stage, art studio, and classroom as well as a bounce house and arcade to add to the excitement for the kids. Additionally, we began providing a home for FEAT, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources for families affected by Autism as well as Autism Building Blocks an ABA based clinic. Proud of our success, and encouraged by new partners, business was looking great.
Overcoming Adversity
Sadly, in early 2013, tragedy struck. Less than a year after moving to our new facility, we were the victim of an arson attack. This was a devastating setback and came at a remarkably crucial time in the growth of Sport-Social. It was extremely disheartening to our team & our community. Although the damage was extensive, our hard-working staff, devoted families and caring friends came out in strong support. Thanks to many hours of labor from staff and volunteers, we were able to quickly rebuild and open our doors for lessons just one week later. However, it was months before we were able to fully recover. We will always be indebted to our clients and friends who supported us through this trying time.
PROJECT VESTO WINNER
In 2014, Sport-Social entered Project VESTO, a competition for start-up businesses in Nevada, with a chance to win a $100,000 competitive grant. As our supporters rallied, the field was narrowed from hundreds of entrants to just 12 finalists. After several months of hard work and tenacity, Sport-Social won the grant, and with it, the promise of newer, bigger, better things. We now had financial support, and we pledged to hire additional staff, expand our programs, increase enrollment, and further outfit our warehouse with the best equipment for our specialized programs.
GROWING AND EXPANDING AGAIN!!
It’s been 7 amazing years at Tuff Shed and thanks to our amazing community, Sport-Social is cramped again! We searched for many months to find a perfect new home! We had plans to move to our new 20,000 square foot facility in April 2020. Unfortunately, in March 2020 most of the country went into quarantine because of COVID19. Although, we were forced to close, your Sport-Social team is continuing to push forward and plans to open and resume services in our new bigger & brighter facility in June 2020. We look forward to rolling out our new programs and servicing more families in the near future.