Youth Fitness & Development Programs
Empower Your Young Athlete
Give your child, middle-schooler, or teenager the confidence to tackle whatever the world throws at them through fitness and development.
Our Empower Youth Fitness Programs in Vancouver are designed to develop strong, adaptable, resilient athletes with superior physical literacy. These programs are designed to meet the neurological and physiological needs of the each respective age group. Because these functional fitness movements are scalable, the athletes can safely train at their level.
Whether your child is just starting their fitness journey, is playing sports at a recreational level or is an experienced elite athlete, our programs will help them excel.
In the gym your young athlete will develop self-awareness, discipline, focus and perseverance that will help them overcome obstacles outside the gym. We want to help create a passion for fitness that your child will carry with them throughout their lives.
Group Classes, Small Group Training, and 1:1 Coaching for Youth
Choose from any of the following programs or call for a custom option
For athletes aged 13-17
Varsity
Ages: 13-17
Prerequisites: Prior assessment
Start date: Monthly
Our Varsity program includes all weight lifting movements, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning. All weights are scaled appropriately to the correct stimulus and intensity for the athlete. We work on injury prevention and strong core conditioning in addition to providing a positive confidence building environment.
Prerequisites: Coach assessment and approval to ensure you can transition to Varsity classes safely and easily. One-to-one coaching sessions are available if needed to set you up for success in this program.
Register now and we'll arrange for an assessment at a time convenient for you prior to joining class.
For athletes aged 8-12
Junior Varsity
Ages: 8-12
Prerequisites: None
Start date: Monthly
The Junior Varsity group learns all the foundational movements of CrossFit. This includes weight lifting, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning. The PVC pipe is an excellent tool for teaching complex movements like clean and jerks without load until the athlete is ready to handle a barbell. If you stop by during class time you might see us playing games like shoulder tap cone grab or tabata hot potato hollow holds. These games help develop the smaller stabilizing muscles as well as make it fun so the kids work hard without realizing it!
Prerequisites: none at this time. All youth athletes welcome. Athletes who have participated in Junior Varsity can graduate to Varsity level when they age up.
For young athletes on an alternative education path
Homeschool PE
Ages: 9-17
Prerequisites: None
Start date: April 2
Homeschool PE is a CrossFit-based program that incorporates cardio, strength training, and gymnastics movements for complete body conditioning. All weights are scaled appropriately to the correct stimulus and intensity for the athlete.
We work on injury prevention and strong core conditioning in addition to providing a positive confidence-building environment. Best of all, we have fun doing it, by incorporating partner workouts and games.
For teams between seasons
Team Training
Ages: 9-18
Prerequisites: None
Start date: Let's talk!
Empower offers dryland training for teams that are coming off the ice, out of the pool or are in between seasons. Bring your team in for strength and conditioning sessions and set them up for success when they return to sport.
Talk to us to set up a training program for your team.
For all athletes aged 8-17
Youth Personal Training
Ages: 8-17
Prerequisites: None
Start date: Let's talk!
Our Youth Personal Training program is custom built to support the needs of your athlete. These custom programmed sessions can be built to support youth athletes in specific sports with a focus on strengthening, injury prevention, and injury recovery.
Personal training can be done 1:1 or in small groups (1:2, 1:3, 1:4, etc.) so kids can train with their friends.
Whether the group class time doesn’t fit your schedule, your athlete works better one-on-one, or your elite athlete is looking for more specific training, we are here to help meet those needs.
Youth Fitness Program Calendar
Our Coaches Talk About How We Empower Youth Athletes
From Little Learners to Future Leaders: The Power of Good Habits
"Good habits formed at youth make all the difference." – Aristotle
Thought of the Day
As a coach—or simply as a person—it is always incredible to know when you are making a real difference in someone’s life. Nowhere is this more apparent than in youth classes. When Corey and I started the Empower youth program over a decade ago, we had no idea of the lasting impact it would have. My favourite stories come from seeing the kids we helped master the monkey bars, learn how to lift, and excel in their sports, now moving into adulthood with strong training habits. Seeing youth like Finn, who was around seven in those early groups, now heading to university next year and mentoring the next generation of Empower athletes as a youth coach, is truly rewarding. Watching young athletes grow from little kids into adults we are all proud of is one of the greatest joys of coaching.
A huge thank you to Coach Barb for taking the reins of the Empower youth programs over the past three years. The kids had a fantastic experience, learning so much from your patience and dedication. They will carry the lessons you taught them for years to come. I’m excited to step back in and continue strengthening our youth program. Our goal remains the same: to help young athletes feel confident and comfortable in any gym environment while also giving them the training they need to excel in their favorite activities—both now and throughout their lives.
As a coach, the most satisfying thing is witnessing the victories of those we teach. With youth athletes, it’s especially meaningful to watch them transition from children into adults with strong, lifelong training habits. Today, try to do something that will make a positive impact on someone around you—even if the true effect won’t be seen for a decade.
Thursday
From my experience and the commented results:
I did single leg supported L-sit
The deadlift weight started at 125 lb, then add to 155lb
The total time was around 18 min.
Programming for the group class:
H: 00 - 02 Intro (2-3 min)
H: 03-10 Warm up (7 min)
Mobilize wrists
Use the band to stretch shoulder and active back muscles
90-90 to stretch hip muscles, stretch hamstrings for deadlift
Hollow hold, hollow rock
Then use leg to spell A, B, C
H: 10-24 Tech (14 min)
L-sit and progressions
L-sit is one of the calisthenics movements that takes time to develop
Personally, I like this tutorial, and we will go through some of the drills before the workout
Remember to have an active shoulder support
Deadlift
Build up to the workout weight
H: 24 7 sets:
Accumulate a 30-second L-sit hold
3 heavy deadlifts
Rest 2 mins between sets
Note the loads used for the deadlift
H: 50 Scoring and cooling down: 5 min
Infusing Students With a Belief in Themselves
"While Coach Barb’s knowledge and enthusiasm are immediately apparent, it is her unique way of connecting with young people that really sets her apart. Not only does she keep them engaged and interested, but her calm confidence in their abilities infuses them with a belief in themselves. Thanks to Coach Barb’s support, we have seen our teenage son push towards accomplishments he might otherwise avoid. And he loves every minute of it!"
-Chris H.
Transformed Athletic Ability
"My children attend ELEV8 and Varsity classes with Barb (Coach OG). For my younger son, working with Barb has transformed his athletic ability. Barb is an intuitive coach who has supported him in gaining his confidence in the gym and this has transferred to school as well. Both kids look forward to attending their classes!"
-Carmine S.
Empower
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