Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Tesh.
Hi Jesse, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Kickin’ Kids used to be in the same building as Spartanburg Martial Arts and operated as one business until August 13th 2024. On that date the building, which was located off of E Blackstock Rd, caught fire and ended up having to be demolished. That afternoon our staff was on the phone with a variety of local churches that could potentially house our program. Roebuck Baptist Church ended up allowing our program to operate the very next day after the fire, which was an immense blessing, because we serviced between 120-150 families at that time for the Kickin’ Kids Afterschool Program. They allowed us to stay as long as we needed to find a more permanent solution. After several months of searching, we found St. James United Methodist Church, and Pastor Andrew Wolfe was instrumental in getting Kickin’ Kids up and running at their church. There were plenty of classrooms, an indoor gym for karate classes, an outdoor playground that is fenced in, and a nice field outside for the kids to play on. It had everything we needed, and after several meetings with the church trustees, we were able to begin operation in October of 2024. My wife Madeline and I have been blessed to be the new owners of Kickin’ Kids over this past year since the fire, and credit the success of the past year to our wonderful staff and their dedication to this program. We were able to hold a full 11 week Summer Camp in our first year as well, which was also a success. God blessed us with this opportunity and we work hard daily to steward this business to the best of our ability.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The Friday before our first official week as the new owners of Kickin’ Kids Hurricane Helene struck our area, which took out power in the majority of Spartanburg. By the grace of God, we didn’t lose power at home, which allowed us to continue to prepare for our first week in hopes that power would be restored before Monday. Little did we know, outside of our home was the destruction that the hurricane left in it’s wake, so it was clear that we might not be able to even get to the church from our home. (Which is approximately 20 minutes away.) But that Saturday, one day after the hurricane, we ventured out to the church. There was no power anywhere, no street lights on, gas stations without power, or any place that we saw who still had power. And when we got to the church, of course it was without power as well… The neighborhood that the church sits in, the school right next door, nor the streets surrounding the church had power. But we went inside and began to set up all the rooms anyways, just in case power would be restored. After 30 minutes, I was walking down one of the halls of the church, when suddenly a light came on. So, I ran outside to see if there was power on the streets, the school, or any houses and they were all still without power. I knew at that point this was a miracle from God, which allowed us to begin operating on Monday as planned. We took in as many kids that needed childcare that week and did our best to accommodate families that needed care. Believe or not, the surrounding neighborhood and streets went on to continue to be without power for the next several weeks. So, how did the church get power the day after the hurricane, but the surrounding area did not? We believe the Lord, having meant for all this to happen, turned the lights on in the church to allow us to start the new opportunity he gave us to steward.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Kickin’ Kids LLC?
Kickin’ Kids is an Afterschool, Summer Camp, and Karate Program. We also have adult karate classes open to the public, as well as wrestling, forms, and sparring classes. We serviced most of District 6’s schools, Green Charter, Oakbrook, and a few District 5 schools as well. (Reidville and River Ridge) My wife and I have only been the owners of this business for a little over a year, but I have been a part of this business working for the previous owners for nearly 15 years. I got my black belt with them when I was 8 years old, and have helped in the afterschool, summer camp, and also taught karate during my time with Kickin’ Kids. We offer a place for kids to come to learn respect, grow mentally/physically, have accountability, discipline. and to meet new friends. Our world seems to be getting further away from accountability, and we feel it’s important for kids to know right from wrong. We have a full staff of mostly adults with plenty of childcare experience, and yes we do background checks as well. So, whether you need a fun place for your child(ren) to learn karate, or you would like to learn martial arts…Kickin’ Kids is the place for you!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I loved playing sports with my buddies in our neighborhood . I remember riding my bike from door to door to find people to play football. God also blessed me with musical talent, which led me to learn to play the guitar. Having no siblings, allowed for me to use my imagination as a child, and helped to foster creativity. So, overall I feel like I was. a normal kid who just loved being around his friends.
Pricing:
- $109/week Afterschool
- $199/week Spring Break
- $249/week Summer Camp (includes field trips: 2-3 per week, karate, fun & games, and snack)
- $149/month Karate classes (6-up, includes forms, wrestling once a week, and sparring)
- $129/month Karate classes (4-5 year olds)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kickin-kids.com
