Pre-Team Kids Program
Exploring the competitive side of ninja
The path to progression continues with our Pre-Team Kids Program! These class programs are 10 weeks long, and are designed specifically for gaining a spot on one of our competitive teams. For kids focusing on ninja as their primary sport, and who want to pursue our competitive teams, these sessions are for you. We will build strength through functional movement and exercise, all while developing ninja skills in our state-of-the-art facility. These are physically and mentally demanding classes, so kids should be prepared to focus on the course material, listen to coaches, and be ready to work hard! We do recommend that kids have completed our Beginner and Intermediate Rec Ninja programs, and/or have received coach recommendation to join the Pre-Team program.
During the final class of the 10-week program, we will hold a team tryout where kids will be assessed on various benchmark skills for either our Junior Level 1 or Apprentice Level 2 teams. For more information on our competitive teams, please check out our team page.
We work on many different skills during our Pre-Team classes. However, we strongly encourage our athletes to also attend at least one or two open gym sessions each week so they can continue honing the skills they worked on in classes. We find that the athletes who attend both classes and open gym progress quickly, and will have a better chance at gaining a spot on our team when it’s time to tryout.
Class Details
- Two age divisions: 6–8 and 9–12
- Classes are 60 minutes long
- 10-week sessions, one class per week
- For the best experience, we cap our Pre-Team classes at 10 participants per coach
- Bring CLEAN and DRY athletic shoes, we are a shoes on facility
Class Cancellation Policy
- The 10-week Pre-Team class sessions may be cancelled for a full refund up to a week before the session start date. Less than a week in advance, a 50% refund will be issued.
- Missed classes are not able to be made up due to limited schedule availability.
Pre-Team (Ages 6-8) Session B
Starting Dec. 5th, 2023
- 10 week class block, one class per week
- Tuesdays 4:30 – 5:30pm
- Class Dates: 12/5/23, 12/12/23, 1/2/24, 1/9/24, 1/16/24, 1/23/24, 1/30/24, 2/6/24, 2/13/24, 2/20/24
- Designed for ninjas with previous experience. Recommend completing at least one Beginner Rec Ninja 8-week program, or have coach recommendation.
- Add Unlimited Open Gym membership for $50 (lasts the duration of the 10-week session). We find that kids excel the most when attending at least one open gym per week in addition to their class. Contact us to add the open gym membership.
NOTE: This is a new program for us, so it may take time to build our audience. We do need at least four registrations to run the program. In the event that we do not get four registrations, you will be notified and refunded prior to the start of the program.
Pre-Team (Ages 9-12) Session B
Starting Dec. 5th, 2023
- 10 week class block, one class per week
- Tuesdays 4:30 – 5:30pm
- Class Dates: 12/5/23, 12/12/23, 1/2/24, 1/9/24, 1/16/24, 1/23/24, 1/30/24, 2/6/24, 2/13/24, 2/20/24
- Designed for ninjas with previous experience. Recommend completing at least one of our Beginner Rec Ninja programs, or have coach recommendation.
- Add Unlimited Open Gym membership for $50 (lasts the duration of the 10-week session). We find that kids excel the most when attending at least one open gym per week in addition to their class. Contact us to add the open gym membership.
NOTE: This is a new program for us, so it may take time to build our audience. We do need at least four registrations to run the program. In the event that we do not get four registrations, you will be notified and refunded prior to the start of the program.
Team Tryouts and Benchmark Skills
The last class of our 10-week curriculum will be a team tryout, where our coaches will test the kids on a number of benchmark skills. 6–8 year-olds will tryout for the Junior Level 1 team, and 9–12 year-olds will tryout for the Apprentice Level 2 team. Athlete will strive to pass the benchmarks listed below, as well as demonstrate focus and dedication. Gaining a spot on the team requires more than just passing benchmark skills. During team tryouts, our coaches will also be assessing:
- Respect for peers
- Focus and dedication
- Respect for gym rules and etiquette
- Listening to coaches and following directions
- Maturity
- Following the Life Force Ninja Team Code of Conduct
Junior Level 1
Benchmark Skills
Athlete must pass 12 out of 15 benchmarks. Two attempts per benchmark are allowed.
- Initiating and generating swing momentum from both a static bar and trapeze bar
- 4′ lache controlled dismount to block
- 4′ lache bar to bar
- Devil steps green pipes up (4 steps)
- Monkey bars
- 8′ balance pipe
- 8′ cliffhanger traverse
- Balance roller (6’ distance on 12” roller)
- 5 slanted steps (cat grabs okay)
- 8’ warped wall up and over
- 2 strict pullups unbroken
- 5 pushups from toes in :60
- :10 single arm dead hang on each arm unbroken
- :45 dead hang unbroken
- 1 rope climb (12’)
Apprentice Level 2
Benchmark Skills
Athlete must pass 13 out of 15 benchmarks. Two attempts per benchmark are allowed.
- 4 rungs up on campus board lane 1 (hands only)
- Ring toss traverse
- 5′ lache bar to bar
- 5’ lache controlled dismount to block
- 5’ catback 180 on 6’ wedges
- Devil steps up/down, hands only (green pipes or steps okay)
- 8′ balance pipe down and back
- 5’ standing precision
- Balance roller (10’ distance on 12” roller)
- 5 slanted steps, feet only
- 3 strict pullups unbroken
- 10 pushups from toes in :60
- :60 dead hang unbroken
- 1 rope climb (12’)
- 400m run in 2:00 or less
The Life Force Ninja Competitive Team
Our competitive team builds upon our Pre-Team curriculum classes, providing a place for dedicated ninjas to take their skills to the next level. We focus on building obstacle skills, strategies, techniques, as well as the body awareness and strength needed to succeed in the incredibly demanding sport of ninja. Ninja requires tremendous strength and endurance, so in addition to obstacle work, we also incorporate a significant amount of strength and conditioning into our team programming. We emphasize training for competitions, and travel as a team to various regional ninja competitions throughout Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia as well as national-level competitions across the country. Our team goals include:
- Fostering a team environment for kids and adults with a shared interest. This includes team-building games and exercises to encourage camaraderie and friendship
- Learning advanced obstacle skills and techniques
- Building strength and endurance needed to be successful on challenging obstacles
- Developing strategies for speed and efficiency on timed course runs
- Treating team members and coaches with respect and supporting everyone’s efforts
- Learning the competitive format and rules of the various competition leagues (WNL, UNAA, CNL, etc.)
- Strongly encouraging and facilitating participation in competitions held at Life Force, as well other regional and national competitions
Hey ninjas, BIG changes coming to our class structure starting Aug. 28, 2023!
Our goal has always been to foster the sport of ninja within our community by providing expert coaching and guidance. Starting end of August, we will be pursuing this goal further by switching away from our single drop-in classes in favor of a new 8-week session structure. Classes will be booked in 8-week blocks to provide more structure, camaraderie among participants, and improved programming that encourages growth within the sport. Our same age splits will be implemented across these programs, with divisions for ages 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Additionally, we will be offering these class programs in two main skill levels – Beginner and Intermediate. We do understand that some schedules may not work well with our new structure, we’ll still be offering one drop-in class per week across our three age divisions (3-5, 6-8, & 9-12). Read on to find out more and book your sessions!
For those of you with existing class packs (5-packs, 10-packs), we encourage you to use those up prior to this class structure change if you plan to book the new 8-week sessions. Either way, your class packs will still be valid for the drop-in classes once the new changes take effect Aug. 28.
Rec Ninja Kids Classes
Exploring movement, building skill, making friends!
Our state-of-the-art ninja facility is one of the best in the country, offering a huge variety of ninja and parkour elements to train on. These group-led classes focus on exercises and drills that will build strength, body awareness, and mental fortitude—three of the most important aspects of ninja. These are all skills that can be transferred to many different sports and daily life. Come build your ninja skills alongside your peers with expert guidance from our knowledgeable certified coaches! Our goal is to foster a safe, supportive and motivating environment for all.
If you’re ready to take your ninja journey to the next level beyond our Rec Ninja Beginner and Intermediate classes, we recommend checking out our Pre-Team sessions, which are specifically designed to progress you into more advanced skills, and gain a spot on one of our competitive teams. These sessions are available for ages 6–12. Learn more about these sessions here.
Beginner (Ages 6-8) Session A
Starting Aug. 28, 2023
- 8 week class block, one class per week
- Mondays, 4:30 – 5:30pm
- Class Dates: 8/28/23, 9/4/23, 9/11/23, 9/18/23, 9/25/23, 10/2/23, 10/9/23, 10/16/23
- Learn the foundational skills of ninja such as swinging, brachiating, balance, agility, and lots more!
- Designed for beginners with no prior experience needed
- Add Unlimited Open Gym membership for $50 (lasts the duration of the 8-week session). We find that kids excel the most when attending at least one open gym per week in addition to their class. Contact us to add the open gym membership.
Intermediate (Ages 6-8) Session A
Starting Aug. 30, 2023
- 8 week class block, one class per week
- Wednesdays, 4:30 – 5:30pm
- Class Dates: 8/30/23, 9/6/23, 9/13/23, 9/20/23, 9/27/23, 10/4/23, 10/11/23, 10/18/23
- Builds upon the beginner classes by incorporating more challenging obstacles, dynamic swinging elements, and trickier balance/agility skills
- Prior experience required: recommend completing at least one 8-week beginner class block, or have coach recommendation
- Add Unlimited Open Gym membership for $50 (lasts the duration of the 8-week session). We find that kids excel the most when attending at least one open gym per week in addition to their class. Contact us to add the open gym membership.
Beginner (Ages 6-8) Drop-In Class
- Not sure about committing to the full 8-weeks? We still offer a Rec Ninja drop-in class!
- Current schedule is Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30 – 5:30pm
- Starting Aug. 28, one drop-in class will be offered on Tuesdays, 4:30 – 5:30pm (Monday and Wednesday drop-in classes will be removed)
- Designed for beginners with no prior experience needed
Beginner (Ages 9-12) Session A
Starting Aug. 28, 2023
- 8 week class block, one class per week
- Mondays, 4:30 – 5:30pm
- Class Dates: 8/28/23, 9/4/23, 9/11/23, 9/18/23, 9/25/23, 10/2/23, 10/9/23, 10/16/23
- Learn the foundational skills of ninja such as swinging, brachiating, balance, agility, lachés, and lots more!
- Designed for beginners with no prior experience needed
- Add Unlimited Open Gym membership for $50 (lasts the duration of the 8-week session). We find that kids excel the most when attending at least one open gym per week in addition to their class. Contact us to add the open gym membership.
Intermediate (Ages 9-12) Session A
Starting Aug. 30, 2023
- 8 week class block, one class per week
- Wednesdays, 4:30 – 5:30pm
- Class Dates: 8/30/23, 9/6/23, 9/13/23, 9/20/23, 9/27/23, 10/4/23, 10/11/23, 10/18/23
- Builds upon the beginner classes by incorporating more challenging obstacles, dynamic swinging elements, and trickier balance/agility skills
- Prior experience required: recommend completing at least one 8-week beginner class block, or have coach recommendation
- Add Unlimited Open Gym membership for $50 (lasts the duration of the 8-week session). We find that kids excel the most when attending at least one open gym per week in addition to their class. Contact us to add the open gym membership.
Beginner (Ages 9-12) Drop-In Class
- Not sure about committing to the full 8-weeks? We still offer a Rec Ninja drop-in class!
- Current schedule is Mondays and Fridays from 4:30 – 5:30pm
- Starting Aug. 28, one drop-in class will be offered on Tuesdays, 4:30 – 5:30pm (Monday and Friday drop-in classes will be removed)
- Designed for beginners with no prior experience needed
Get in touch
Do you have questions about our programming or schedule? Maybe you’re interested in planning a Life Force Ninja birthday party or corporate event. Whatever it is, we’re happy to answer any of your questions. Please send us a message here, and we’ll do our best to answer as soon as possible.