OUR PHILOSOPHY
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall don’t turnaround and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
Michael Jordan
The Sarnia Super Ninja Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) Club offers a unique program that helps our participants not only build athleticism, but most importantly character. Our motto from our inception has been to help our participants develop resiliency through challenging physical activity, discipline, skill building, positive social interactions, dealing with frustrations, accepting failure as part of the process and celebrating successes.
Our program is tough. Our students need to be disciplined not only to learn how to conquer new obstacles, but to ensure the safety of everyone in our gym. We have four primary rules that govern our gym:
- I will be safe.
- I will be respectful.
- I will always try my best.
- I know that failure is inevitable, and I will always try again,
WE EXPECT EACH AND EVERY STUDENT AND PARENT/GUARDIAN to abide by and support these rules.
We ask our participants to step outside their comfort zone and learn that failure is inevitable. If a skill or obstacle is ‘easy’ guess what? We’ve got a harder one lined up. Once that next level is achieved, guess again? We’ve got an even harder challenge in store. That is what makes our program so unique and challenging, but also so rewarding. We ask each of our participants to be the ‘best version of themselves’ and help them work through frustrations, fears and uncertainties while “accepting failures as part of the process”.
As athletes, coaches and parents ourselves, we recognize that we are all, children especially, living in a unique society that ‘protects’ us from failure and self-responsibility for our own actions and decisions. Over time, this ‘bubble wrap’ approach leads to greater feelings of inadequacy, the inability to accept loss, lower motivation, the inability face criticism, feelings of entitlement, etc. To that end, our program uses challenging physical skills and obstacles along with small group coaching and weekly speaking themes / lessons that include the values of respect, responsibility, gratitude, awareness, courage, kindness/safety, confidence, honesty and growth, to help our participants develop into the strongest physical and more importantly mental, persons they can be.
Albeit the bulk of our program is recreational, we do have a rapidly growing competitive stream that permits students to prepare for competitions within the World Ninja League, Canadian Ninja League, Spartan Kids, etc. The competitive stream is ONLY OPEN to those students who demonstrate what we call the 3 Ds. Discipline, Desire and Dedication. To be permitted to join the competitive classes you must demonstrate ALL 3 D's. If any single D is lacking, students are provided feedback as to where they need to improve to join competitive classes. Ability is NOT a pre-requisite to enter the competitive stream. If all 3 Ds are continually being met over time, the abilities are sure to follow. Competitive Students and Families are expected to commit to a minimum of one monthly competitive team event as well as be proactive in all fundraising and competition hosting activities. COMPETITIVE CLASSES ARE BY INVITE ONLY.
Coach Scott
Resources:
1. Public Helath Agency of Canada (2020). About Mental Health. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/about-mental-health.html
2. Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Government of Ontario (2018). Mental Health Promotion Guidelines (2018) http://health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/oph_standards/docs/protocols_guidelines/Mental_Health_Promotion_Guideline_2018.pdf
3. Public Health Agency of Canada (2011). The Health of Canada’s Young People. https://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/dca-dea/publications/hbsc-mental-mentale/assets/pdf/hbsc-mental-mentale-eng.pdf
4. Participaction (2020). https://www.participaction.com/en-ca/resources/children-and-youth-report-card
5. High Five Ontario (2020). https://www.highfive.org/
6. Active After School (2020). http://www.activeafterschool.ca/
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