My love for hooping runs deep ya'll. I have, do and will always have a special place in my heart for the hula hoop. Which is probably why I felt immediately connected with Nicole Heriot-Mikula, owner of BringtheHoopla. I first interviewed Nicole nearly a decade ago when I was a business reporter for The Connecticut Post. She had just launched her hooping business and I had just launched my writing career.
Ten years, a whole bunch of kids and a global pandemic later, we're still friends.
Nicole built her career around the beloved American pastime. But more than just a nostalgic token of yesteryear, Hula hooping has been changing the way people think about physical education for the last decade, and here’s why.
It’s not just about the hoop. It’s physical literacy and team building. It’s conversational and group discussion skills. It’s positive self-image and self-expression through movement and dance. It’s all of the things.
BringtheHoopla was born in 2011 out of a dream of three longtime friends. They believed in community. They believed in building something from the ground up. And, that’s exactly what they did.
In the last 10 years the Shelton-based business has created a full-fledged educational company, offering in-person and virtual programming for children of all ages by using the hoop as a form of play, exercise and learning. Partnering with municipalities, schools and organizations across the state, BringtheHoopla offers classes year round for kids of all ages. Plus, you can still get their amazing custom hula hoops.
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In honor of their 10th Anniversary, we thought we would share some fun facts about BringtheHoopla!
10 Things You Didn’t Know About BringtheHoopla:
- BringtheHoopla has facilitated programming in 161 towns, 250+ schools and have taught over 32,000 students. That number is WILD!
- As Nicole has grown the business, she's also grown her family and has three gorgeous little ladies all named after flowers as well as Grateful Dead lyrics.
- BringtheHoopla’s Curriculum Coordinator, Marisa Caron, resides in Boston, teaches early childhood education as well as virtually teaching English to students in China. She aligns all of BringtheHoopla programming to meet state and national standards and customizes curriculum to meet each district's needs!
- When BringtheHoopla first began, they named all of our hoops after songs: Smooth Criminal, Dreamlover, Ring of Fire, Caribbean Queen......and while the names have evolved, the company has continued to create these hoops as part of their “classic” set.
- BringtheHoopla was one of the children’s activities and in-kind sponsors for the Kids Zone at Gathering of the Vibes.
- BringtheHoopla's Program Director, and team member of 8 years, is also a fire dance performer, a lead singer of a band, and is currently pursuing her early childhood education degree.
- The owner's husband, Benny Mikula, is the lead singer of The Alpaca Gnomes.
- BringtheHoopla is co-founder of Celebrate Shelton, a city-wide initiative began in 2014 that focuses on small business and bringing the community together, alongside Glass Source Stained Glass Studio and JWN Studios.
- Tatiana Rivera, master hoop-maker, exclusively makes hoops for BringtheHoopla. She constructs each hoop by hand using polyethylene tubing, connects each circle of tubing individually in 5 different sizes and custom designs and wraps every hoop with love.
- When Covid hit, BringtheHoopla pivoted in just three days to a virtual presence and continued to strengthen and grow their brand since, offering so many online programs!
(11.) And the highlight of it all.......BringtheHoopla is CELEBRATING 10 years this April!
For all of the programs, hoops and events...
BringtheHoopla Virtual programs can be found here.
Hoopla hoops can be purchased here.
Learn about BringtheHoopla educational and enrichment options here!
Join the BringtheHoopla mailing list today for a 15% off coupon.
