CLASS STRUCTURE PROMOTES LEARNING AND RETENTION.

The CrossFit & Math Kids program, first and foremost, provides individuals between the ages of six and eighteen with a portion of their prescribed physical activity in a fun and engaging format. The goals of the CrossFit Kids program however, are more far reaching in the short as well as the long term. For example, one intent is to have the children learn the points-of-performance of foundational movements that have universal application; developing motor recruitment pathways, ensuring safe and efficient movement now as well as into the future. Along the way, what they do and how they feel because of it will provide them a definition of what fitness is and means to them. In addition, layering information about food into the program leads to an understanding of and a mechanism to adhere to a healthier lifestyle. CrossFit Kids classes also provide an opportunity to hone life skills. Skills such as perseverance and working hard as well as those acknowledging personal responsibility, accepting feedback, working with others, following rules, and exhibiting etiquette.

It is appropriate that a significant amount of education occurs within the various CrossFit & Math Kids classes, because “exercise boosts brain power”. Additionally, as a species, we are designed to learn by actively moving through and experimenting in our environment. Within the CrossFit & Math Kids program, classes and instruction are designed to capture and maintain the attention of participants, reinforcing learning points; many of our methods are based on those outlined in Brain Rules. Human brains store information as a complex set of connections between neurons. The connections are called synapses and we are not born with every synapse preformed, awaiting assignment. Instead, our brains physically change to make synaptic connections and encode information. Indeed, the plasticity of our brains ranges from an everyday occurrence to specialized responses; such as allowing victims of strokes to “relearn” how to control limbs. Under normal conditions, the growth and death of neurons as well as the formation and removal of synapses is a tightly controlled process. Importantly, everyone’s brain does things a little different than the next person and everyone experiences life in their own unique way. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us as CrossFit & Math Kids Trainers at Dean CrossFit to utilize as many techniques as possible to affect the most number of children. Capturing an individual’s attention is a critical first step to teaching. Novelty is a straightforward way of focusing awareness. Things that are new or unexpected tend to engage us. CrossFit Kids classes always have an aspect of unpredictability; they are constantly varied. There is a consistent structure to the class, but what happens within each of the components of the class is what changes. Classes are built on a foundation of age-appropriate short segments that allow goals to be accomplished within them, and are not too long to lead to boredom. The whiteboard is an opportunity to highlight distinctive aspects and build on the excitement of making the unknown, known. Then, with the start of every segment during a class, attention may need to be refocused, especially for the younger age groups. Making the subject or activity interesting is another way to create engagement. What is interesting or important to different age groups varies dramatically, and finding that is a key responsibility for a CrossFit Kids Trainer. For example, while explaining to junior-varsity athletes that getting stronger will increase their chances to making varsity next year, that will not motivate preschoolers. For the younger ages, a motivator may be letting them know that the more they exercise, the longer they can take their pets for a walk. Just reminding them of the game may garner attention throughout the class. The presence of the game also taps into a mechanism of improving retention. “Emotionally arousing events tend to be better remembered than neutral events”. Children know games are fun and pairing a skill within a game is a powerful way to further associate the skill with being fun. For example, executing a good super-slow air squat so that you can roll a medicine ball and knock over foam rollers. This emotional connection is not only important for the short term recall, but more importantly for a long term, positive association between exercise and feeling good. Another mechanism to foster this connection, especially in teens that do not play games in their classes, is to celebrate successes. Positive feedback can be extremely important to an adolescent, we have found that endeavoring to compliment improvement of any amount fosters a desire to continue the effort. From the opposite perspective, chronic (and incongruent) stress negatively impacts learning. Additionally, chronic stress can reduce efforts to be physically active as well as recovery from activity. A goal of CrossFit Kids classes should be to provide opportunities for success and learning to overcome hurdles. For children with stressful home and/or scholastic environments, these classes may be one of the few positive moments their day. Evidence, in fact, exists that physical activity is a means to also protect against and remediate the effects of stress.