Menu
Menu
Peter Crevani
The former professional soccer star, better known to Breakfast Point kids as “Coach Peter” is on a mission to help children fall in love with sport from a young age.
By Rachel Sharp
It’s a long way from the thousands of people he was used to playing in front of as an elite footballer both in Australia and Italy, but for Peter Crevani, the 10 or so children he mesmerises during his daily intro-to-sports sessions is far more rewarding – and important. Peter, who grew up in Breakfast Point, owns and runs the local franchise of Ready Steady Go Kids, Australia’s largest multi-sport program for children aged 1 to 6 years. The physiotherapist-designed course introduces toddlers and preschoolers to a range of sports in a safe, non-competitive environment to show them that fitness is fun, as well as help improve their gross motor skills, confidence and coordination.
Peter and Natalia de Martin-Crevani
Peter Crevani
The former professional soccer star, better known to Breakfast Point kids as “Coach Peter” is on a mission to help children fall in love with sport from a young age.
By Rachel Sharp
It’s a long way from the thousands of people he was used to playing in front of as an elite footballer both in Australia and Italy, but for Peter Crevani, the 10 or so children he mesmerises during his daily intro-to-sports sessions is far more rewarding – and important. Peter, who grew up in Breakfast Point, owns and runs the local franchise of Ready Steady Go Kids, Australia’s largest multi-sport program for children aged 1 to 6 years. The physiotherapist-designed course introduces toddlers and preschoolers to a range of sports in a safe, non-competitive environment to show them that fitness is fun, as well as help improve their gross motor skills, confidence and coordination.
Peter and Natalia de Martin-Crevani
Peter Crevani
The former professional soccer star, better known to Breakfast Point kids as “Coach Peter” is on a mission to help children fall in love with sport from a young age.
By Rachel Sharp
It’s a long way from the thousands of people he was used to playing in front of as an elite footballer both in Australia and Italy, but for Peter Crevani, the 10 or so children he mesmerises during his daily intro-to-sports sessions is far more rewarding – and important. Peter, who grew up in Breakfast Point, owns and runs the local franchise of Ready Steady Go Kids, Australia’s largest multi-sport program for children aged 1 to 6 years. The physiotherapist-designed course introduces toddlers and preschoolers to a range of sports in a safe, non-competitive environment to show them that fitness is fun, as well as help improve their gross motor skills, confidence and coordination.
It’s a business the father-of-one, whose parents still live in Breakfast Point, is incredibly passionate about, and not just because his life has revolved around sport. Government statistics show the number of Aussie kids classed as above healthy weight or obese more than doubled from 11 per cent to 25 per cent between 1985 and 2004. While food choices, genetics and parental influences all play a large part, experts believe a lack of physical activity is one of the biggest contributing factors to weight gain.
That number has plateaued since then, thanks to targeted school and health department initiatives such as the NSW Active Kids program, but it is still of grave concern to health experts given the long-lasting physical and emotional effects of being overweight. Research shows three out of four kids who are above healthy weight go on to become chronically overweight adults, putting them at risk of myriad health issues.
“I’m 35 now but when I was growing up, we played sport in our yards or on the street – cricket, soccer, hockey – but these days, it’s not the same, especially for city kids,” says Peter. His love for soccer in particular saw him leave school at age 16 to pursue playing as a career, starting with Sydney clubs including the Enfield Rovers, and leading him eventually to clubs in Genoa, Monza and Pavia in Italy.
When he’d done everything that he wanted to overseas, Peter returned to Sydney to study teaching at Sydney University. He was only halfway through his degree when he bought the first of what would become several Ready Steady Go Kids franchises. Today he owns two: one operating out of The B Space in Mortlake, the second in Ashfield.
`It’s a far cry from his first venue – the Breakfast Point Community Hall, which he hired for an hour, two days a week.“I still train three nights a week and play football in the National Premier League, which is the highest semi-professional league in Sydney,” says Peter. “That’s why Ready Steady is all morning work. I wrap at around 2.30pm, which gives me time to go home and see my wife and baby daughter before I go train in the evening.”
His life might revolve around soccer but Peter believes it’s important children are exposed to a wide range of sports from a young age. “I love football and that’s obviously my background, but after learning at university about how kids develop and how much they get from trying a variety of sports, I wanted to expose kids lots of things in a structured program.”
During a typical 10-week course, kids sample a new sport every two weeks, meaning that by the end of two terms they’ve experienced soccer, AFL, rugby, basketball, tee-ball, cricket, athletics, hockey, tennis and golf. Classes run for 30 minutes for 1.5 to 2.5-year-olds and 45 minutes for 2.5 to 6-year-olds. “We also service all the childcares and preschools in the area with their sport programs,” says Peter.
“They’re all shy when they first come in but now I see all the kids I’ve taught around Breakfast Point and they still call out, ‘Hello, Coach Peter’, which is beautiful.”
“I love working with kids,” he continues. “Seeing a 2-year-old hit a golf ball is just sensational. But sport benefits more than just physical health – it helps kids develop life skills like confidence, focus, determination, relationship skills, even competitive spirit.” Science supports that sentiment, too. A recent large-scale investigation by California State University found that children who play team sports are less likely to struggle with mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and social withdrawal, than kids who don’t engage in such sports.
While his own daughter is still too young to swing a cricket bat, Peter’s excited about sharing his love of sport with her as well. “I will support her in whatever she wants to do just like my parents did for me. My dad was never one of those fathers who was on the sideline, barking at me to do better. There was never pressure, just support. I was just determined because I loved it.”
Today, the unwavering encouragement comes from Peter’s fashion-stylist wife, Natalia de Martin-Crevani, who works with celebrities including Kelly Rowland, Sonia Kruger and Sophie Monk. “She’s my backbone,” admits Peter. “She’s been there with me through everything.”
The couple, who were high-school sweethearts, now live in Annandale but are often in the Breakfast Point area visiting Peter’s parents or The B Space. If you happen to see them, make sure you wave Coach Peter and his family a big hello.
It’s a business the father-of-one, whose parents still live in Breakfast Point, is incredibly passionate about, and not just because his life has revolved around sport. Government statistics show the number of Aussie kids classed as above healthy weight or obese more than doubled from 11 per cent to 25 per cent between 1985 and 2004. While food choices, genetics and parental influences all play a large part, experts believe a lack of physical activity is one of the biggest contributing factors to weight gain.
That number has plateaued since then, thanks to targeted school and health department initiatives such as the NSW Active Kids program, but it is still of grave concern to health experts given the long-lasting physical and emotional effects of being overweight. Research shows three out of four kids who are above healthy weight go on to become chronically overweight adults, putting them at risk of myriad health issues.
“I’m 35 now but when I was growing up, we played sport in our yards or on the street – cricket, soccer, hockey – but these days, it’s not the same, especially for city kids,” says Peter. His love for soccer in particular saw him leave school at age 16 to pursue playing as a career, starting with Sydney clubs including the Enfield Rovers, and leading him eventually to clubs in Genoa, Monza and Pavia in Italy.
When he’d done everything that he wanted to overseas, Peter returned to Sydney to study teaching at Sydney University. He was only halfway through his degree when he bought the first of what would become several Ready Steady Go Kids franchises. Today he owns two: one operating out of The B Space in Mortlake, the second in Ashfield.
`It’s a far cry from his first venue – the Breakfast Point Community Hall, which he hired for an hour, two days a week.“I still train three nights a week and play football in the National Premier League, which is the highest semi-professional league in Sydney,” says Peter. “That’s why Ready Steady is all morning work. I wrap at around 2.30pm, which gives me time to go home and see my wife and baby daughter before I go train in the evening.”
His life might revolve around soccer but Peter believes it’s important children are exposed to a wide range of sports from a young age. “I love football and that’s obviously my background, but after learning at university about how kids develop and how much they get from trying a variety of sports, I wanted to expose kids lots of things in a structured program.”
During a typical 10-week course, kids sample a new sport every two weeks, meaning that by the end of two terms they’ve experienced soccer, AFL, rugby, basketball, tee-ball, cricket, athletics, hockey, tennis and golf. Classes run for 30 minutes for 1.5 to 2.5-year-olds and 45 minutes for 2.5 to 6-year-olds. “We also service all the childcares and preschools in the area with their sport programs,” says Peter.
“They’re all shy when they first come in but now I see all the kids I’ve taught around Breakfast Point and they still call out, ‘Hello, Coach Peter’, which is beautiful.”
“I love working with kids,” he continues. “Seeing a 2-year-old hit a golf ball is just sensational. But sport benefits more than just physical health – it helps kids develop life skills like confidence, focus, determination, relationship skills, even competitive spirit.” Science supports that sentiment, too. A recent large-scale investigation by California State University found that children who play team sports are less likely to struggle with mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and social withdrawal, than kids who don’t engage in such sports.
While his own daughter is still too young to swing a cricket bat, Peter’s excited about sharing his love of sport with her as well. “I will support her in whatever she wants to do just like my parents did for me. My dad was never one of those fathers who was on the sideline, barking at me to do better. There was never pressure, just support. I was just determined because I loved it.”
Today, the unwavering encouragement comes from Peter’s fashion-stylist wife, Natalia de Martin-Crevani, who works with celebrities including Kelly Rowland, Sonia Kruger and Sophie Monk. “She’s my backbone,” admits Peter. “She’s been there with me through everything.”
The couple, who were high-school sweethearts, now live in Annandale but are often in the Breakfast Point area visiting Peter’s parents or The B Space. If you happen to see them, make sure you wave Coach Peter and his family a big hello.
Sign up to view digital copies
of Bon Vivant Magazine