Kicking It Back will celebrate with an open house on Wednesday, March 1, from 8 to 10 a.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m., at its new facility at 522 Gould Street in Beecher.
Kicking It Back, Inc., is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of young people and senior citizens through mentoring, sports, exercise, activities, education, and fellowship. Since its founding, Kicking It Back has served more than 700 children and young adults and typically serves between 40 and 50 youth each year, with a staff of approximately 100 volunteers.
Established in 2006, Kicking It Back was founded by Juan Hernandez, who is a seventh degree black belt in Shorei Ryu karate, world karate champion, five-time National Karate Champion, and has received numerous other awards and accolades. Hernandez is also the founder of Alicia’s House, which is one of the largest food pantries in the south suburbs and the highly successful Police and Kids Together (PAKT) Program, where youth participate in fitness training with police officers. PAKT offers opportunities for youth and police to interact in an encouraging way and to provides our youth with a positive influence.
Students of Hernández’s Martial Arts Program have won three World Championships and 75 National Championship Titles with the World Karate Council, American Karate Association, and the North American Sport Karate Association. In 2021, three students from the program attended the World Karate Championships, winning one gold medal, five silver medals, and one bronze medal for Team USA. Returning in 2022, two students went to Ireland and won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze for Team USA.
Kicking It Back’s new 11,000-square-foot facility, at 522 Gould Street, now serves as the home to their Martial Arts and PAKT programs. Because this building offers more space for programming and due to the need for services in our area, Kicking It Back now has added senior programs and is preparing programs and services designed to assist families with autistic children or other special needs. This eventually will include the creation of Calming and Sensory Rooms, which offer therapeutic space with a variety of equipment that provides individuals with disabilities or special needs with personalized sensory input. Sensory Rooms are particularly valuable for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, as they often respond positively to certain types of sensory input.
Kicking It Back provides youth and senior programs, at no cost, to residents of Beecher, Crete, Steger, Momence, Monee, Peotone, University Park, Grant Park, South Chicago Heights, and the surrounding areas.