And the School Year begins.... 3...2...1 Go!

Starting the school year after summer break can be difficult for kids, parents and families. It is a time when everyone has to get back into the routine of waking up early, going to bed early, doing homework, etc. Not only is it a time of returning to routines but it also a time of change. New grade, new class, new teacher, sometimes new school.... Lots of change! Here are few recommendations in order to make sure you get your year off to a GREAT start :

1. Routine is KEY: Figure out a routine and stick to it. Some children like and need routine more than others. In general, though, routines are great for teaching healthy habits, organizing our body clocks and developing time management skills. Try to set a structured time for homework, a "drop dead" bed time and time for important things like brushing teeth,etc.

2. FAMILY comes first: Don't forget to have fun! As the school year begins and families become busier and busier it is sometimes easy to get caught up in the craziness of it all. It is SO important that you make time for fun things as well. Whether that means making time to read your child their favorite story before bed or make dinner together... make it happen.

3. Stress LESS: The fast-paced existence of our kids too often places them under stress, which can result in burnout, and disengagement. Avoid over-scheduling and make sure kids have an appropriate outlet for stress (CF Kids is a great outlet!). It is tricky but making sure kids have a healthy balance is important!

Cheers to a healthy, stress-free, fun school year!

Will Crossfit Teens be the ones to change the statistics

New statistics are always coming out about how much or how little people exercise. I am generally never to surprised about such statistical information but I was definitely shocked after reading this article about studies done by the CDC and teen exercise, or lack thereof. It is sad to think that only 8% of girls and 22% of boys in high school get aerobic exercise everyday. Not only does participating in CrossFit as a kid/teen help to change the sad statistics it sets you up to lead a healthier lifestyle. This quote from Conner Martin, a teen who has been Crossfitting for 7 years demonstrates the positive impact CrossFit can have on a teen's life.
"In so many ways CrossFit is who I am, who I want to be and who I will become. CrossFit has obviously affected my life from nutrition, to the way I view fitness, to rest and recovery and just my overall mindset. " Check out the whole article "Growing up CrossFit" and see what the great influences CrossFit can have during the pivotal teens years. Not only do the teens who CrossFit explain that CrossFit has helped them with their sports of choice, but it has impact all parts of their lives.

Summer Camp Registration

Crossfit Kids Pacific Coast Summer Camp 2011

June 13-June 17

June 27-July 1

July 11- July 15

August 1- August 5

Camp Hours
10am- 12pm for children ages 4-10

2:30pm- 4:30pm for ages 10-16

$150 per week

Price includes Crossfit Kids Pacific Coast T-shirt, CrossFit Kids Journals, and healthy snacks.

$50 deposit required at time of registration. 72 hours cancellation notice required for refund of deposit. Balance due the 1^st day of camp.

Name of Child_____________________________

Birthdate ______ Age________

Name of Parent ________________________

Address____________________________________

Phone:___________________ Email:___________________

Please submit to Crossfit Pacific Coast at
209 Anacapa St Santa Barbara, CA 93101 or call to register over the phone 805.845.4171

Summer is coming

Summer Camps Dates
If you would like information about special needs classes or if you are interested in signing up for an adaptive summer camp please call (805) 845-4171 and ask to speak with Christina.

June 13th -June 17th Camp
July 11th- July 15th Camp
August 1st - August 5th Camp

Camps will run from 10am- 12 am for children ages 4-10 and 2:30pm- 4:30pm for ages 10-16

During the weeks when there is not camp (weeks listed below), we will be holding regular classes as follows:
Preschool (Ages 3-5) 10-10:30
Kids (Ages 6-11) 10:30-11
Teens (Ages 12 and up) 11-11:45

June 6th-10th Classes
June 20th- 24th Classes
July 5th-8th Classes
July 25th-29th Classes
August 15-19 Classes

Crossfit Kids will not be open July 4th, July 16th-July 22nd or August 6th-August 13th

We will resume our school schedule with classes in the afternoon August 22nd

Kids have stress too

This past week I did a unit on emotions and feelings with my group of 20 Kindergarten through 3rd graders who I work with in Language Development. In planning the unit I printed out some cards with facial expressions for the various emotions we were going to be discussing. On the first day as we talked about different "feeling words" using the cards, I was surprised to hear what the kids had to say. One of the cards which displayed someone biting their nails and gritting their teeth was intended to show worried or nervous but when I asked my students what the person was feeling one of them (a 1st grader) shouted "He looks stressed!" Surprised by this, I agreed that the person did look a little stressed and we then discussed what that meant. I asked my students how many had ever felt stressed and most of them raised their hands. I laughed inside thinking "Oh right you have so much to be stressed about." They I got to thinking and realized that children absolutely feel stressed by what is going on in their life. Heck I am sure that I even contribute to that stress sometimes. Compared with what we deal with as adults, it might seem like kids don't have that much to stress about. What they stressed about may seem small and inconsequential to us but it is important to them. Kids have their own concerns. Stresses can be just as overwhelming, particularly if they don't have effective coping strategies. So the next day I decided to talk about some relaxation techniques with the students. We came up with a little reminder of what you should do if you are stressed. Here it is :
Stop and close your eyes
Tell your self something positive like "It will be alright" or " I can do it"
Relax your muscles
Easy does it
Slow and deep breaths
Smile

Crossfit Kids Pacific Coast Spring Break Camp

Starting Monday our first Crossfit Kids Camp :)

Dates: March 28- April 1

Time: 10am-12pm

Location: Crossfit Pacific Coast
209 Anacapa St
Santa Barbara, CA

Ages: 6-12

What is it?

- 1 workout

- Focus/ skill work in which kids learn fundamental Crossfit movements and develop the skills necessary to master them

- Fitness based games (group, individual and cooperative team)

- Nutrition information and education

- Brain work time in which student focus on grade level puzzles and brain teasers to keep them sharp while on break

- Goal setting

- Personal record day on Friday for parents to attend and see progress kids have made and skills they have learned

What will my child get out of this?

- Increased confidence and self esteem

- Education about their body and nutrition

- Increased ability to cooperate with peers

- Time devoted to making sure their minds stay sharp and active through fun activities while away from school

- A fun camp experience

- The opportunity to excel in physical activities in a FUN, low pressure environment

- Increased capacity in 10 physical skills which transfers to other sports (soccer, football,water polo, volleyball, etc)

Nutrition for Kids in 150 Words

Our goal with kids isn’t to get them on the zone, but to get them to think and make good choices about what they eat. Our goal is to teach them very basic concepts, sugar is bad, protein is good and you need to eat some in every meal. Nuts and seeds are good fats. Eat them, don’t avoid them. Pasta, white bread, and white rice are not that good for you, stuff that’s red, yellow, green and found in the fruit and vegetable aisle is good for you. Eat a lot of it.

Look at your plate, make a fist, eat that much meat every meal; turn your hand over and fill it with nuts and seeds, eat that much good fat, fill the rest of your plate with stuff you found in the fruit and vegetable aisle. Fill your plate this way at every meal, don’t eat more.

Waves of the Future!

Waves of the Future!

Crossfit Kids Pacific Coast kicks off Wednesday, March 9th and I could not be more excited. The equipment has arrived, the workouts are programed so get your children in the doors so we can build the waves of the future!

Top 5 reasons you sign your child up for Crossfit:

1. CrossFit Kids is a safe and effective way to ensure your children are physically fit, stronger, faster and healthier. Some may be concerned about the safety of Crossfit for kids but according to a CrossFit Journal article from 2008, "Our experience with Crossfit kids is testimony that weightlifting is a safe and positive activity for kids. Not only are we seeing injury free strength gains and increased coordination. We are witnessing perceptual changes in what they believe about themselves and their abilities." A host of articles generated by the scientific community reinforce this with their statement that "strength training is safe and beneficial for children and teens."

2. Crossfit Kids will make your child smarter. Studies have shown that areas involved in movement and learning are intimately connected, and physical activity
could increase those neural connections. Physical activity can not only increase hormone levels which impact mental performance but can improve a child's attention and focus levels. Crossfit Kids programs have shown the ability to increase students' grades and motivation in school. Kids are strongly encouraged to study for 15 minutes after their workout. Check out this great article for more information:

3. Crossfit will make your children tired! Enough said!

4. Crossfit Kids will increase your child's confidence and motivation.

5. CrossFit Kids prepares our children for the future. Not only will children build a life long love of fitness but they will also gain invaluable knowledge about nutrition, healthy life styles and their bodies.