Self-Improvement Instead Of Comparison

Everywhere our kids look, they get bombarded with messages that tell them they need to be a certain body type. You get a bunch of kids who are all trying to fit some cookie-cutter mold that they will likely never attain.

At Fieldstone, we work with students to pursue what interests them in the athletic world. Some lift weights with our school director, who is a former World Champion in the Highland Games. Others do Crossfit classes or Jiu-Jitsu. They do mountain biking, swimming, hiking, and even long-distance running.

They learn not only about different strategies in exercise, but also about nutrition, eating plans, healthy competition, self-control, and a focus on self-improvement instead of comparison with others.

Weight Training

The most common thing you hear from people, both adult and child, is that they would like to “work out,” but they have no idea what they’re doing when they get to the gym. They walk in, and immediately get really uncomfortable. So, they’ll walk on a treadmill, ride the exercise bikes, and the boldest will try a machine or two. The boys will do curls with dumbbells, and may do bench, but that’s about it.

On the second day, they have no idea what to do next, and by the third day they have little reason to even go to the gym.

At Fieldstone Academy, the students go to the gym with a seasoned weightlifter with a lot of experience and a history of coaching. They get to learn early on what we all should have when we were younger!

This does not mean that every student has to be an athlete or a jock–instead it means that we try to teach them how to utilize weightlifting in their lives, so they know how to do it when they want to.

We have had students come to us with the intent of increasing their athletic capabilities–and that works very well indeed! Most high school weight training is mediocre at best, and damaging at worst. The weight training we do if a student is serious about weight training is at a beyond college-level.

CrossFit, Classes, Misc.

The gym we go to also provides CrossFit and a host of other classes. These classes, depending on the schedule, provide other opportunities for students to explore their own athletic interests and capabilities. In all things we encourage hard work and productive habits.