Clinton residents who are fans of the NBC show American Ninja Warrior Junior are in for a treat on when the new season premieres, as Clinton resident Sean Ames will be one of the competitors.

The new season kicked off on Oct. 13 on Universal Kids at 7 p.m., though the episode featuring 10-year-old Ames will take place on Saturday, Oct. 27. If Ames is able to win, he will be featured in more episodes.

Ames’s mother, Melissa Ames, said that filming for the episode took place in Los Angeles in July, which was OK with her son.

“It was funny, Sean always wanted to go to Los Angles. He was ecstatic,” Ames said.

While in Los Angeles, the family headed to the studio for filming in the morning, then spent the rest of the day seeing the sights the city had to offer.

Ames found out about the casting for the show in March, and filled out the application for her son to be on the show in April. In mid-May, the call came that he had been selected to be in the show-with a catch: They couldn’t reveal that he’d be on the show until the network gave the OK.

Ames said it was hard for a while not to tell anyone, and Sean Ames would downplay his interest when people asked him if heard about the upcoming show. After a long summer of filming and keeping the secret, at the end of August, Melissa Ames said the family was given permission to tell people about the show.

“Just as it started to calm down, we got the call that it was OK to tell people now,” Ames said.

Sean Ames’s interest in the sport began about two years ago, when he went to a birthday party at New Era Gymnastics and Ninjas in Hamden. He enjoyed the party so much, that soon he began attending the gym on his own.

“Never in a million years did I think this is what would happen,” his mom said. “It’s just so mind blowing to me.”

Ames was “excited, happy and in shock” when he found out he was going to be on the show,” according to his mom.

“As long as he’s doing ninja, he’s excited,” she added.

Melissa Ames has seen firsthand the growth of the sport in the number of competitors at competitions she’s attended with her son.

“We’ll see where it goes,” Ames said. “Me and my husband are so proud of him.”

Ames said that each day the kids spent hours on a set in Los Angeles doing multiple interviews in the hot weather on top of running through the course.

“I could never in a million years have done what these kids do and handle it with such grace. These kids are unbelievable,” Ames said.