Integration of Youth at-Risk into Adult CrossFit Classes: What Will Happen

Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Georgia Southern University

Second Presenter's Institution

C. H. Wilson

Third Presenter's Institution

Georgia Southern University

Fourth Presenter's Institution

NA

Fifth Presenter's Institution

NA

Location

Harborside East & West

Strand #1

Mental & Physical Health

Relevance

The session relates to Strand IV Mental and Physical Health. The presentation will compare and contrast the different types of impacts youth have when working out with peers similar to themselves compares to working out with adults. The relevance of the presentation is to identify a strategy of youth at-risk working out with adults.

Brief Program Description

Youth identified as at-risk will be integrated into adult CrossFit classes. Impacts of the different environments will be compared and contrasted to identify whether the environment (class structure and participants) has a larger impact of introducing the youth to CrossFit and having positive outcomes.

Summary

Following one year of a CrossFit intervention for youth at-risk, data showed that CrossFit had positive impacts on goal setting and positive self-talk. The program serviced a total of 37 participants between August 2015-June 2016, and we aligned this program with the argument from the Aspen Institute (2015) that stated the concept of physical literacy can and should be extended beyond the school day into Afterschool Programs (ASPs), especially for youth from underserved backgrounds. It became clear to the research team that the athletes were not fully exposed to the meaning of CrossFit (the did not see the bigger CrossFit picture like the CrossFit Games, opportunities to compete, or simply athletes that look like them). Much of this was due to the athletes from the program being isolated from the adult classes which did not allow the youth to observe others working hard, struggling but working to complete the workout or simply supporting each other. They did not get to interact with everyday people who CrossFit, which has been highlighted by Pickett, Goldsmith, Damon and Walker (2016) as a significant part of the sport of CrossFit. Therefore as we move the program forward, the athletes now be integrated into adult challenges with modifications to maintain the safety of the activity. Additionally, based on neo-institutional theory, where definitions are brought together through sharing stories and meanings and being subject to similar constraints (Karen and Washington, 2015), the participants were not able to have such experiences with current (legacy) CrossFit athletes. Therefore, the purpose of the presentation is compare and contrast result of integrating youth from the CrossFit program with current (legacy) CrossFit athletes at the local facility. It is hypothesized that the participants goal-setting abilities will be increased as they observe goal-setting as part of the institutional logic for CrossFit athletes (Friedland and Alford, 1991). The take home learning opportunity for participants is to learn about integrating youth at-risk with adults who are outside of their social worlds and have different life experiences. Positive and negative impacts from the integrated program will be highlighted and discussed.

Evidence

Data will be collected Fall 2016 and such data will be shared during the presentation.

Biographical Sketch

Christina M. Gipson is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management in the School of Health and Kinesiology at Georgia Southern University. She earned her PhD at Brunel University in London, England in Sport Management and Sport Sociology. She completed her M.S. in Sport Administration from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA and her B.S. at Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC in Sport Management and Athletic Training. Her primary responsibilities are teaching Sport Management, undergraduate and graduate, and research interests include, youth at-risk, CrossFit, gender issues in sport, and volunteerism.

Trey Burdette is an Associate Professor of Coaching Education in the School of Health and Kinesiology at Georgia Southern University. He earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Georgia Southern University, His primary teaching responsibilities are in Coaching Education, undergraduate and graduate, and his research interests are in sport performance and sport leadership. He has instructed at both national and international coaching clinics.

C.H. "Hal" Wilson, Jr. is an Assistant Professor of Coaching Education in the School of Health and Kinesiology at Georgia Southern University. He earned his Ph.D. in Kinesiology and Sport Studies from the University of Tennessee, studying influences on coaching leadership. He has nineteen years of coaching experience at the youth, high school, and college levels, including both male and female teams at public and private institutions throughout the southeastern United States.

Keyword Descriptors

CrossFit Kids, Youth integration, Afterschool program

Presentation Year

2017

Start Date

3-7-2017 4:00 PM

End Date

3-7-2017 5:30 PM

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Mar 7th, 4:00 PM Mar 7th, 5:30 PM

Integration of Youth at-Risk into Adult CrossFit Classes: What Will Happen

Harborside East & West

Youth identified as at-risk will be integrated into adult CrossFit classes. Impacts of the different environments will be compared and contrasted to identify whether the environment (class structure and participants) has a larger impact of introducing the youth to CrossFit and having positive outcomes.