Youth Fitness & Development Programs

Empower Your Young Athlete

Give your child, middle-schooler, or teenager the confidence to tackle whatever the world throws at them through fitness and development.

Our Empower Youth Fitness Programs in Vancouver are designed to develop strong, adaptable, resilient athletes with superior physical literacy. These programs are designed to meet the neurological and physiological needs of the each respective age group. Because these functional fitness movements are scalable, the athletes can safely train at their level.

Whether your child is just starting their fitness journey, is playing sports at a recreational level or is an experienced elite athlete, our programs will help them excel.

In the gym your young athlete will develop self-awareness, discipline, focus and perseverance that will help them overcome obstacles outside the gym. We want to help create a passion for fitness that your child will carry with them throughout their lives.

Group Classes, Small Group Training, and 1:1 Coaching for Youth

Choose from any of the following programs or call for a custom option

Youth fitness programs: varsity

For athletes aged 13-17

Varsity

Ages: 13-17

Prerequisites: Prior assessment

Start date: Monthly

Our Varsity program includes all weight lifting movements, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning. All weights are scaled appropriately to the correct stimulus and intensity for the athlete. We work on injury prevention and strong core conditioning in addition to providing a positive confidence building environment.

Prerequisites: Coach assessment and approval to ensure you can transition to Varsity classes safely and easily. One-to-one coaching sessions are available if needed to set you up for success in this program.

Register now and we'll arrange for an assessment at a time convenient for you prior to joining class.

Youth fitness programs: junior varsity

For athletes aged 8-12

Junior Varsity

Ages: 8-12

Prerequisites: None

Start date: Monthly

The Junior Varsity group learns all the foundational movements of CrossFit. This includes weight lifting, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning. The PVC pipe is an excellent tool for teaching complex movements like clean and jerks without load until the athlete is ready to handle a barbell. If you stop by during class time you might see us playing games like shoulder tap cone grab or tabata hot potato hollow holds. These games help develop the smaller stabilizing muscles as well as make it fun so the kids work hard without realizing it!

Prerequisites: none at this time. All youth athletes welcome. Athletes who have participated in Junior Varsity can graduate to Varsity level when they age up.

Youth fitness programs: homeschool PE

For young athletes on an alternative education path

Homeschool PE

Ages: 9-17

Prerequisites: None

Start date: April 2

Homeschool PE is a CrossFit-based program that incorporates cardio, strength training, and gymnastics movements for complete body conditioning. All weights are scaled appropriately to the correct stimulus and intensity for the athlete.

We work on injury prevention and strong core conditioning in addition to providing a positive confidence-building environment. Best of all, we have fun doing it, by incorporating partner workouts and games.

Youth fitness programs: team training

For teams between seasons

Team Training

Ages: 9-18

Prerequisites: None

Start date: Let's talk!

Empower offers dryland training for teams that are coming off the ice, out of the pool or are in between seasons. Bring your team in for strength and conditioning sessions and set them up for success when they return to sport.

Talk to us to set up a training program for your team.

Youth fitness programs: personal training

For all athletes aged 8-17

Youth Personal Training

Ages: 8-17

Prerequisites: None

Start date: Let's talk!

Our Youth Personal Training program is custom built to support the needs of your athlete. These custom programmed sessions can be built to support youth athletes in specific sports with a focus on strengthening, injury prevention, and injury recovery.

Personal training can be done 1:1 or in small groups (1:2, 1:3, 1:4, etc.) so kids can train with their friends.

Whether the group class time doesn’t fit your schedule, your athlete works better one-on-one, or your elite athlete is looking for more specific training, we are here to help meet those needs.

Youth Fitness Program Calendar

Our Coaches Talk About How We Empower Youth Athletes

Self-esteem in children

Monkey Bars and Milestones: How Small Wins Build Lifelong Confidence

April 03, 20252 min read

"There is nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn’t." – Amy Chua

Thought of the Day

We brought them here because we weren’t very athletic as kids, and we wanted something different for our children. Our big goal? Helping them conquer the monkey bars.

When the two little humans walked into Empower for the first time, their shoulders were slumped, and they avoided eye contact. That changed with the first game. After a session of swinging from rings, picking up medicine balls, running around, and playing What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf?, you could see their confidence grow. Months later, they would run from the car, excited for the session, shouting, “Hi, Coach Leon!” as they b lined for the rings. One of my favorite coaching memories is receiving the text: "They just did the monkey bars for the first time!"

Confidence is built through discipline. As adults, we know this, and it’s important to teach our children the same lesson through action. When those two little faces first stepped into the gym, I didn’t know when they would master the monkey bars, but I knew how we would get them there. The coolest part was, watching this lesson translate into other life goals and challenges they’d take on. Now, years later, it’s amazing to see those same kids—now much bigger—taking on new athletic endeavors and truly enjoying sports and movement.

Instilling lifelong habits and self-esteem is at the heart of what we do with our youth athletes. Through games, drills, and skill-building, we help them grow—not just physically but mentally. They don’t need to arrive with confidence, but they will definitely leave with it.

If your child is struggling to reach the next level or feels like they’re falling behind their peers, we’re here to help. At Empower, we are committed to building discipline and confidence. All they need to do is step through the doors, and we’ll work to show them they’re capable of more than they ever imagined. Confidence isn’t given it’s earned. And we’re here to help build the habits that lead to success in and out of the gym.

 

Thursday Workout of the Day

Programming for the group class:

H: 00 - 02 Intro (2-3 min)

 

H: 03-10 Warm up (7 min)

Shoulder and arms:

Wrist rotation, arm circles (small and large)

Stationary:

10 air squats

10 scapular push-ups

10 inch-worms

Dynamic leg stretches

Knee to chest, leg cradle, pull quads, open/close gate

hamstring scoop

 

H: 10-15 Tech and strategy (5 min)

Run: Do not sprint, steady and controlled

Push-ups: Tight midline; break early

 

H: 15  For time: (TC 35 min)

2,400-meter run (or equivalent distance on a cardio machine)

50 hand-release pushups

2,400-meter run

H: 50 Scoring and cooling down: 5 min

Child's pose (middle, then side), couch stretch, hip flexor, calf raises

Youth fitnessBuilding confidenceChild developmentPhysical literacyKids sports programsEmpower gymAthletic growthSelf-esteem in childrenDiscipline and sportsPoint Grey FitnessVancouver FitnessVancouver Personal Training
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Coach Leon

Leon will help you create a fitness practice that will allow you to excel at the activities you enjoy inside and outside of the gym. Leon started coaching at Delta Kaigan Judo Club in 2007, branching out into leading personal safety and fear management courses. Leon competes in CrossFit, Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has been coaching CrossFit since 2012.

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Infusing Students With a Belief in Themselves

"While Coach Barb’s knowledge and enthusiasm are immediately apparent, it is her unique way of connecting with young people that really sets her apart. Not only does she keep them engaged and interested, but her calm confidence in their abilities infuses them with a belief in themselves. Thanks to Coach Barb’s support, we have seen our teenage son push towards accomplishments he might otherwise avoid. And he loves every minute of it!"

-Chris H.

Transformed Athletic Ability

"My children attend ELEV8 and Varsity classes with Barb (Coach OG). For my younger son, working with Barb has transformed his athletic ability. Barb is an intuitive coach who has supported him in gaining his confidence in the gym and this has transferred to school as well. Both kids look forward to attending their classes!"

-Carmine S.

Empower

Contact Us

235-2083 Alma Street

Vancouver, British Columbia

info@empowereverybody.com

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