Maverick Fit Kids is a unique physical literacy informed PE curriculum for schools from Maverick – a 20 year old fitness group from South India with a pan India Corporate presence. Our clients include Cognizant Technology, Tata Consultancy services, Tata Realty, Hexaware, Nutanix, Principal Global & Shell among others.
Maverick is the NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE PARTNER of SPEFL – the Sports, Physical education, Fitness & Leisure Skills Council and the implementation partner of SPEFL for schools in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry. SPEFL-SC is a Not-for-Profit organisation formed by Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and is the Nodal entity for promoting physical education in the country. The council has been promoted by National Skill Development Corporation & Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
Maverick is the only private entity to represent the Government of India in promoting physical education programs in Schools through this Government-Private partnership, to mutually grow & benefit all involved. Schools implementing the program will receive accreditation and will be permitted to use the branding of SPEFL-SC.
Born out of a vision to promote the importance of holistic wellbeing, the curriculum of Maverick has been designed as a cross curricular multi-dimensional approach to physical education – not limiting it to only competitive sports. The program draws strength from the physical, affective & cognitive demands placed by classical Indian dance, fundamental movement skills, team building & sportsmanship from exposure to varied sports, knowledge & understanding of health from fitness, and spiritual rootedness to value & treat the body with dignity from yoga.
The Mission of Maverick’s Physical Literacy curriculum is to
ENGAGE, EDUCATE & EMPOWER
students to make a lifelong commitment to holistic well being.
ENGAGE by
- incorporating movements that involve intelligence – for the body is designed to think & move at the same time. Complex movements that engages the mind as well as the body allows for greater participation, cognition & commitment to healthy choices.
- introducing music & rhythm to make sessions lively & interactive
- using child friendly implements that enhance the experience
- involving and developing their multiple intelligences.
EDUCATE by
- presenting scientific knowledge on physical literacy, fitness, nutrition, hygiene & cognitive value of movement; and
- translating that knowledge into action by using techniques of embodied learning. Maverick is an integrated program that teaches children to feel, think and act synchronously.
EMPOWER by
- creating a culture to be fit and healthy,
- teaching them to make right choices,
- to motivate others and be inspired by peer groups,
- become the catalyst for change to family, friends and society.
In all making every student a winner.
Credentials
Gita Krishna Raj, is the Managing Director of Maverick Literacy (P) Ltd (India) which presents the Maverick Fit Kids physical literacy curriculum. Gita combines her academic background of a Global MBA in Innovation & Technology Management from the London school of Business and Finance, with her experiences as a committed fitness professional with several international certifications, a professional classical dancer of over 35 years, a powerful orator transforming lives, a spiritualist published writer, an inspiring actor, an international award winning director of Television serials, an educationist with a novel curriculum for children and her business acumen gained as CEO of Maverick, to present a holistic approach to living life. Gita is a curator of Physical Literacy and is the NATIONAL HEAD of the Physical education program for Schools (PEPS) of the Sports Sector Skill Council of India (SPEFL-SC) & INDIA AMBASSADOR of the International Physical Literacy Association, (IPLA) contributing to their education and training team (IPLA). The multi-dimensional expertise she has gathered from her varied work experiences is the backbone of the Maverick Fit Kids curriculum.
Every Maverick Fit Kids session session, conforms to principles outlined by the C.H.E.K institute USA (Certified) on holistic wellbeing; incorporates training methods of Early Childhood Education from Open Universities Australia (Certified) and research from Enhancing Children’s Cognition with Physical Activity Games from Human Kinetics USA (Certified), The curriculum includes nutrition based on research on Metabolic Typing from Health Excel UK (Certified) & principles of Yoga & Pranayama as enumerated by the tradition of Yogacharya Krishnamacharya (Certified), all innovatively put together & validated by principles of design thinking (MIT certified)
Gita’s foray into fitness is inspired from her husband R.Krishnaraj,
Founder-Managing Director of Maverick Fitness Studios (P) Ltd. When Maverick entered the fitness arena in August 2003, Indians still believed that fitness was only for super models, sports stars and peak performers. Launched in Chennai, Maverick soon spread its wings across India, directly contributing to the social transformation that fitness is both the birth right and responsibility of every human being. Krishnaraj’s commitment for perfection, passion for excellence and a heart that always looks at social good, has elevated Maverick from a mere exercise platform to a way of life. His business acumen and his key strength as a strategist guarantee stability and quality in every aspect of this 25 crore company. He has reinvented the entire gymming scenario in India by introducing fitness in the work environment through Maverick Wellness @ Work Corporate gyms. Under his leadership, Maverick operates the corporate wellness centres across India for corporate giants like Cognizant, Tatas, Hexaware, Nutanix, Principal Global, Shell and many more.
Krishnaraj launched an innovative personal wellness studio ‘Maverick My Gym’ for exclusive use by individuals and small groups during the Covid Pandemic and has also helped establish several open air gyms across the country. Krishnaraj’s forte is in the seamless execution and smooth operations of all the 33 gyms of Maverick across India with 100% compliance in all aspects of administration.
On the eve of the 10th Anniversary in August 2013, Krishnaraj, though happy with the business strides, was dissatisfied with the lack of cultural transformation Maverick had achieved. Fitness was still only an ‘optional’ schedule in the calendar for most. Deeply committed to the need to build a healthy humanity, Krishnaraj instigated his wife Gita to launch a wellness program for children to sow the seeds of lasting health in young minds. In a short span of ten months, a pilot program of Maverick Fit Kids was launched in schools in December 2013, followed by the year long curriculum since June 2014. With a commitment to inculcate the habit of exercise and holistic living in school children, there has been no looking back ever since…
