Advice for Parents

Both at home and in the gym, parents must set a positive example for their children to follow. This is absolutely essential in raising our next generation of leaders. We encourage parents to support their children and the class, stay and spectate from the sidelines, cheer, participate in CrossFit adult classes, help their children maintain consistency in CrossFit attendance, and provide healthy meals at home and for school. Healthy meals consist of protein, carbohydrate, and fat at every meal. The tenets we follow are: lots of lean meat, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, some fruit, little starch, no sugar, and no grains. These foods are the optimal fuel for the most sophisticated machines: our bodies. We emphasize the importance of unprocessed, real foods in balanced proportions. For more information on the nutritional guidelines we follow, ask us about Paleo and Zone. Scientific studies and personal trial and error among ourselves and our athletes have found that these dietary choices make us feel good, improve our physical and mental performance, and enhance our physical and mental health. We also insist that parents of our underage athletes inform us of medical conditions and allergies that may impact a child’s health, performance, and capability.

What is inappropriate behavior for parents?

Generally, we would like parents to resist the urge to interrupt class or counter our training expertise. Behavior we would like parents to avoid includes but is not limited to the following: shouting cues to children, encouraging rivalry and competition, encouraging risky behavior, encouraging bad form, encouraging heavier weights, choosing weights, arguing with coaches during class, stealing child’s attention and focus, interrupting class, infringing upon class space, bringing children late to class or pulling them out early (exception: emergency situation), criticism of children or coaches, overriding coaches’ decisions, or bringing sick kids to class. CrossFit Kids should be a fun experience for kids and their parents, so we want to keep it that way!

What is inappropriate behavior for children?

Generally, we would like children to maintain self control and not act against the coaches’ instructions. Inappropriate behavior for children includes but is not limited to: inappropriately distracting others during class, not listening to the coaches’ instructions, disobeying coaches’ instructions, disrespecting others, disrespecting equipment, creating a dangerous environment for self and others, criticizing others, or acting without own or other children’s safety in mind. CrossFit Kids should be fun, so we want to keep it that way for everyone!