The North Shore Moms has been around for more than 6 years now. One of my favorite parts about this business is shining a spotlight on other local businesses, especially ones that are owned by fellow local moms. So it makes me so happy to introduce Kristen Perkins, co-founder of Inclyousion Sports, for her second interview in our Meet a Mom Series. The first time I chatted with Kristen was in 2021, when she and her husband, Greg, were first launching their inclusive sports classes. My son was one of their early students, at age 4, and he gained a great deal of confidence from their programs, before going on to play for numerous town/rec and club teams. Since then the Perkins’ business has helped countless other kids find fun, teamwork and personal growth through sports. Keep reading to learn more about Kristen and Inclyousion Sports!
Where are you from originally and what town do you live in now?
I grew up in Southern Maine, then discovered my love of the North Shore during my years at Endicott College. After graduating, I spent time living in New York City, Boston, and San Diego until I settled in Danvers, where I’ve lived for over 10 years!
How many children do you have and what are their age(s)? I have three children ages 8, 6 and 3.
What’s your favorite family activity on the North Shore? We love to explore hiking trails throughout the North Shore and pick up local bakery treats along our way.
Where’s your favorite place to eat and/or shop on the North Shore?
Relaxing on the couch at Tea Camila in Danvers with a pot of chai and shopping in their gift section is a favorite!
We interviewed you back when you began your business as FIT Sports in 2021. (Find that interview here.) Tell us about how your business has changed and grown in the last 5 years.
It’s wild to look back at that interview and reflect on the personal and professional growth over the years!
When we launched our business in Fall 2021, we were excited to create a solution for our son, so that he could have a supportive and successful introduction to sports. Our opening weekend had families traveling to our Danvers classes from over 20 different cities and towns. Within six months we had grown from one location in Danvers to ten locations across Massachusetts. As a mobile business, it was relatively easy to implement programs in new locations using our partners’ gym and field spaces. We were blown away by the positive response and even more inspired by our mission, to make sports accessible to all children.
In 2022, we opened a brick and mortar location in Peabody to solve some of the business challenges we were experiencing, such as field and gym space scheduling limitations, lack of equipment storage space, and requests for additional services such as private coaching and birthday parties. During this time, we continued to grow our partnerships across the state through our mobile business model, which was essentially running two businesses! We felt burnt out and realized we needed to either run a brick and mortar or a mobile business, but not both. We made the decision to close the brick and mortar in early 2024 and focus solely on growing through partnerships in our mobile model.
By mid-2024, we had over 50 different partnerships with recreation departments, schools, daycares, and therapy centers where we were teaching sports to thousands of kids. My husband and co-founder Greg was the only full-time employee, as I continued to work outside of the business, and we realized that the way we were operating wasn’t sustainable. Through industry research and the support of consultants, we made the decision to become a franchise business, where we could empower passionate people to become Inclyousion Sports franchise business owners and bring our high-demand programming to their communities. In mid-2025 we announced that we were officially a franchise!
Today, we own and operate three Inclyousion Sports franchise territories in Massachusetts, one of which is in the North Shore! As the franchisor, we also continue to grow Inclyousion Sports brand awareness outside of our territories to connect with potential franchisees.
Where does Inclyousion Sports offer classes?
In the North Shore, Inclyousion Sports offers classes on weekend mornings in partnership with local recreation departments and sports organizations (Danvers Recreation, Danvers Indoor Sports, Peabody Recreation, Swampscott Recreation). During weekdays, we partner with local preschools, daycares, schools, after school programs, and therapy centers to deliver physical education and enrichment programming. (2026 Spring Class Schedule)
What sports do you offer?
Our curriculum includes 12 different sports! This spring and summer, we will be offering soccer, baseball/teeball, flag football, track & field, and lacrosse.
What age kids can sign up for Inclyousion Sports?
We serve children ages 2-10 of all ability levels.
What makes Inclyousion Sports seasonal programs different than town/rec sports?
Inclyousion Sports programs offer small class sizes (maximum of 10 children) taught by trained and paid coaches who are passionate about our mission and supporting children to succeed in sports. We provide all the equipment, so that parents don’t have to invest in a bunch of sports equipment before they know if their child even likes the sport. We have a flexible curriculum designed by experts so that coaches are equipped to modify program delivery based on ability and experience. Our programs are multi-sport, so children are learning a variety of sports which helps to keep them engaged and excited for the duration. Parents who enjoy our program are looking for something more supportive than a large rec program taught by volunteers, where their child can learn a variety of sports in a non-competitive setting and make new friends.
Besides basic sports skills, what do kids often gain from enrolling in an Inclyousion Sports program?
Community and friendship for children and parents alike has been an amazing outcome of our programs. We attract families who are kind and looking to be in a safe, judgement-free space so their children can learn sports and have fun. Success stories include children being invited to birthday parties and play dates for the first time, and parents building connections with other parents.
Any tips for balancing business ownership & parenthood?
Receive support wherever you can. Surround yourself with other people who are growing in the same areas as you. Invest in mentors a few steps ahead of you. Take quiet time in the mornings before your family wakes up to enjoy an unproductive pleasurable activity just for you. Write your priorities down and return to them often. Enjoy 1:1 time with each child even if it’s a quick 10-minute card game or book together before bed. Trust that the journey is unfolding exactly as it’s meant to and be present where you are now.
What is the best piece of parenting advice you ever received?
You’re the perfect parent for your child. To me this simply means the pairing of me and my child is divine and I have everything I need to be the best parent I can be for them. This is a mantra that Greg and I have returned to often during challenging times, most recently as one of our children navigated a disability diagnosis and we worked to establish an IEP at their school. I trust that I’m meant for this and everything is figure-out-able.
What’s your favorite thing to do when you need some “me” time?
I love booking a night away at a local hotel or bed and breakfast, enjoying a solo dinner out, and soaking in the fleeting silence.
Find more on Inclyousion Sports at inclyousionsports.com, including their spring class schedule, beginning in numerous North Shore towns in April. Follow along with Inclyousion Sports on Instagram @inclyousionsports.
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This post is sponsored by Inclyousion Sports but all opinions present are my own.