Education & Classes in Fern Creek

The phone rings. Michael Clark picks it up. "He made it," the father of one of Phenom Baseball Academy's students exclaims over the line. "He made the team." Michael, a former pro-baseball player and current local scout for the San Diego Padres, has received this call from many parents. He started the academy after his time as a high-school coach put him face-to-face with numerous youth players who would try out for his team and clearly struggle, suffering from a lack of sound fundamentals. Michael and his group of seasoned coaches lead their group and individual training sessions inside a 4,700-square-foot training facility, which is furnished with quality field turf and three batting cages. During sessions, players aged 8–18 years old move about the expansive field, hitting, catching, and throwing under the guidance of up to four instructors. Parents who want to watch can do so from the upstairs viewing area, which positions them safely away from flying balls and the catcher's hand-signal requests for a juice box.

When the rooms of The Sutton Studio for the Performing Arts aren’t resonating with piano chords, dance music, monologues, or melodies, they’re filled with insightful declamations from the highly experienced staff. Artistic director Jamie Lynn Gilliam leads the talented troupe, bringing more than 25 years of musical-theater experience that include dancing in professional productions and convincing Robert De Niro’s family that she was Robert De Niro. Her lieutenants include Kathy Todd Chaney, formerly of Kathy Todd Dance Studio, and several of the studio’s graduates, who teach tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop steps. Piano instructor Lynnette Jones has been playing piano for 27 years and acting teacher Josh Gilliam has performed in several professional productions since he graduated from Otterbein University’s musical-theater program. All this expertise fills The Sutton Studio’s two locations and unfolds during an array of classes, performances, and even private birthday parties.

Paradise Divers’ cadre of qualified instructors draws on experience gleaned from more than 6,000 logged dives to impart everything from basic water-skills classes to full scuba and specialty certifications to pupils. The expert crew has certified more than 2,000 divers with its all-inclusive instruction programs and leads specialty diving getaways to remote and exotic locales. They are the only facility in Louisville to have their own indoor pool, heated to 85 degrees, which sets a comfortable, crustacean-free stage for underwater navigation, and doubles as a venue for private pool parties and special functions.

As RHC Riding Academy’s head trainer, Erin Reid shares a passion for horses that began when her family founded RHC in 1985. A devotee to all things equine since age 5, Erin quickly caught onto the finer points of riding and has instructed students for the past 19 years. Barn manager Debra Reid, who discovered her life’s passion while growing up in Kentucky, managed 70 horses at a breeding facility in Southern California and unites her experience with Erin's. Together they oversee nine horses, several of which are Arabians—prized for their distinctive beauty and superior intellects.

Students come to the facility from all backgrounds to learn proper saddling and riding techniques. Erin supplements her technical training with lessons in horse psychology, helping students bond with steeds or to get them to open up about complex relationships with their mothers. Horses in need of discipline or a hay-filled couch on which to crash can be boarded and trained at the facility, which boasts box stalls, an indoor riding arena, and a large outdoor arena.

The Woodcraft name stretches from coast to coast with locations peppered throughout the United States, ensuring that Americans are well equipped with the brand-name tools and woodworking supplies needed to pursue handyman endeavors. At Woodcraft of Birmingham, a collection of hand tools waits patiently to hammer down nails and saw brave magician assistants in half, and a variety of power tools—including drills, sanders, and grinders—adds electric oomph to construction projects. In addition to performing in-store demonstrations of new products, the shop’s wise whittlers call upon more than 80 years of collective knowledge to lead various crafts classes, in which participants learn how to carve sophisticated pens, assemble wooden step stools, and use table saws.

A former University of Kentucky Dance Cat with more than 20 years of teaching experience, Traci Stone works to expand the dance community through recreational and competitive adult and youth classes. Whether putting together a fun routine or just allowing wee ones to wiggle out a chronic case of sillies, Traci’s team targets children’s imaginations with colorful costumes and annual performance exhibitions. For those who’ve long since traded their baby teeth for an investment portfolio, adult classes explore the basic techniques of ballet, tap, and belly dancing. Pointed toes and swaying stomachs take to the hardwood floor as natural light spills across Artistry in Motion's expansive studio, making bare and tap-clad feet dance more happily.