CrossFit is building their athletic ability from head to toe.
My kiddos are pretty different. My son plays soccer and really loves the sport. He loves to run, he seems to enjoy improving his skills, learning the game, being part of the team, as well as the game time energy. My daughter on the other hand, has tried soccer but didn’t love it. She takes dance, and gave gymnastics a try. Nothing is really a love so far which is cool by me because she’s only 7.
Both of my kids are in Renaissance Youth’s Junior Varsity class and really enjoy it.
The fitness program we run at Renaissance Youth, gives my son the opportunity to focus on him movement patterns, and use the parts of the body that he doesn’t work on the soccer field. His games and practices focus on lower body and aerobic conditioning. What gets missed? Upper body and core! I see so many kids come in to my program who struggle to stand up straight or hold their back in a safe position while moving. I am finding soccer stars and black belts alike with core strength similar to kids who don’t work out at all. It’s a weakness that should be addressed early to prevent issues later on. (Any adult reading this with back pain would agree that they should have built their core strength earlier in life) With a stronger core and some upper body strength, he’ll be more dynamic on the field. And a lot more confident. And if he decides to move on from soccer, he’ll be a well rounded athlete that can jump into the next sport on day 1.
For my daughter, the motivation is different. She loves art – which is amazing, but isn’t going to help her fitness and long term health. She doesn’t get a pass to sit on the couch or the sidelines. She is enjoying the challenge of the CrossFit class. She doen’t have the demands of learning a specific skill or the pressure of winning and losing. It’s a better fit for her right now. She’s learning how to move well, developing strength and gets the opportunity to run, jump, and row in class.
The other advantage to starting her in a fitness program now, is that she may find out in 5 years that she LOVES another sport. And when she gets to that try out, she’ll be up to the new challenge.
Kids frequently fall into the two categories – the team sport kid, and the non team sport kid. Now there is an option for both of them. Renaissance Youth. Let’s get our kids moving – an hour a day as the target. We’ll show them how to move, and give them an opportunity to build strength so they can move confidently through the world and be ready to take on what lies ahead.