Let’s talk about the Junior Varsity program! 

We start with the basics in this class. Focusing on form and good body mechanics. How well does your child squat? Can they lunge forward and backward? What does their plank look like or can they plank at all?

By starting with the basics we can hone in on the movements and ensure good form. In over a dozen years of coaching kids, the number of kids that come in with a poor squat is astoundingly high. In addition during those tween years and early teen years when you have a child growing like a weed, they may be able to move somewhat well and then they wake up one morning moving more like Bambi on Ice. Learning to be intune with their body movements can be difficult. In addition if you have a child with physical disabilities, like an imbalance in hips, or knees or an injury from sport, this well rounded program works on developing strength, balance and mobility throughout the entire body. 

To help kids learn we blend our basic classes with games and activities that make it fun. There is often a lot of repetition and if you ask any of the JV athletes, they know what a Tabata is! It’s a great interval training tool that helps them feel successful and build strength. It is most often used for our core work. My favorite activity is hollow hold med ball hot potato. They have to hold a hollow hold for 20 seconds while passing a lightweight med ball around quickly without dropping as burpee penalties will be applied to all dropped balls. After 8 rounds it’s rare they don’t have to do extra burpees!

After developing the basic movements, the program will move into the next level of introducing movements with an object. It could be carrying a medicine ball or throwing it over their shoulder,  practicing jump rope or hanging on a bar. These may all seem like simple things most kids can do but often they cannot or at least not with good mechanics. 

We had one JV athlete recently do a 22 sec bar hang. The longest she ever has done. This was a huge accomplishment, which is a great boost for their self confidence. 

What do you do if you have kids at different levels? As with all CrossFit movements, the JV class is scalable. For example this past Tuesday we did a max box jump. Not all kids can jump to the same height.  Some kids could only jump around 18”, our number 3 red box. Some kids got as high as 24”, our number 4 black box. One of our athletes jumped 27”. The height of the weights was at chest level but he has springs in his feet for sure! As a group we cheer on the successes of each of the individuals. As coaches we assess what needs to be practiced to improve everyone’s abilities. 

When a child has accomplished the next level, we just keep introducing new movements to them. Since kids seen to grow up and get older, the goal is to teach them what they will need to transition to the Varsity class, or Elev8, maybe compete and then eventually move onto adult classes or have good training to train on their own when they head off to university or wherever their lives take them. 

Non-active or active kids alike can benefit from these healthy movement patterns to create good posture, balance, walking and running form. The class builds self-esteem and confidence. It brings kids from different backgrounds, schools and areas together and seamlessly relationships are created. 

Our JV class runs on Tuesday and Thursdays at 4pm for ages 8-12. For more information and registration go to JUNIORVARSITY

If you have any questions about the Junior Varsity program you can contact Coach Barb [email protected] 

See you at the gym!

-OG

Thursday Workout

100 double-unders
50 GHD sit-ups
25 power cleans
50 GHD sit-ups
100 double-unders

♀ 105 lb
♂ 155 lb