​             This was my wife’s first lesson for me and I’ll never forget it.
 
       It was when Garrett was entering Kindergarten in a public school.
              She said to me during our conversation about school:
                                                          “We all learn from our environment”
              You can say it, because I did -
                                                            “No Sh@t Sherman”.
        Ok, so it’s pretty common knowledge that humans learn from our environment. That environment, where and how we grow affect us greatly. But she got me - because her reply to my No Sh@t was:
                  “So, as always, inclusion is our standard and anything less is unacceptable”.
      Inclusion has been our #1 rule since Garrett was in pre-school and would always continue to be to this day.
                       Most parents have heard this speech on inclusion in our schools. 

                                                                      But here’s the twist!!
 
       Why don’t we look and push for opportunities for inclusion outside school? 
   
​ My wife and I agreed inclusion is the #1 rule - to me that also meant in everything; including sport, little league and other typical activities that kids participate in.
 
       Among the many values of kids playing youth sports is the opportunity to learn things like teamwork, communication and proper social skills. The years playing in the local basketball league gave Garrett the opportunity to learn and grow that only playing in organized youth activities can.
 
      I’m sorry to say that, sometimes, we as parents of a child with special needs tend to protect our kids by having them only participate in activities designed for their “label”. It’s great to have those activities. They provide their own opportunity for growth. But participating in only those activities limits your child’s potential. It’s important to branch out early - because as your child becomes an adult there are fewer opportunities for those “special “activities.

                                                               Break some barriers.
 Sign your kid up for the neighborhood little league or soccer or gymnastics, dance, Scouts or whatever it may be - but let them reap the rewards of participating in the typical youth activities, alongside their typical peers.
  Believe me, there will be tough times and heartbreaks trying to accomplish this.  I remember Garrett trying out for the High School basketball team. He thought he was a lock to make it. Wasn’t easy when he didn’t make it past the first cut. It broke mom and dad’s heart to see his heartbroken. But then again, my heart broke when my other two sons stopped playing organized sports as well. You have to go through the good and bad experiences in order to grow as a person. 
 
  We bring the rule of inclusion with us to our foundation. That’s why we have our Adaptive CrossFit at a regular CrossFit box during normal class hours. It’s the Inclusion and the opportunity to learn and grow in a positive environment along with the fitness that makes it such a special program.

    By Definition it's necessary to be an Anarchist if you are a parent of a child with special needs. 

                                                    You have to be willing to buck the system!
 There are so many times when our instinct is to rely on the system, or  the specialist and follow blindly.  There many more times that “the systems”: the school system, the legal system and society as a whole work against you as a special needs parent. 

​                        Let’s look at an example, does the 3 letters “IEP”  give you chills! 
The process by which we have to sit with the school system and develop and Individualized Education Plan.
I promise you if you haven’t been through this process it’s a battle every time, those that have been through it I think you know what I mean. 
If you don’t go into that meeting with the mind set of an Anarchist then your child will lose. If you’re not willing to ignore the system and advocate for your child then you child will lose. 
Why, because “school systems” have their normal pre-package state approved education plans already to go. Well kids whether they have special needs or not, are humans and no two humans are the same. So when you go into the at IEP meeting you need to have a plan for your child not necessarily what the system wants. I can go on and on about the IEP process.
    The IEP example is an easy one -  fighting the norms to get what your child needs.

​From the moment on I realized that I had to be an Anarchist to make sure my son had every opportunity my other sons would have. Sure the first time he ran the bases backwards we heard about it – the see why is he playing came pretty fast. But being a coach as I was we taught him the right way to play the game. By the end of that first season Garrett had fans cheering on and it was a great experience for the park. 
It was an important early lesson - it’s ok to be an Anarchist Parent. 
That sometimes you have to say NO to the “tired and true” methods of conventional wisdom and norms is something you have to do.
It was almost 15 years later that Garrett became his own Anarchist - as he sued in Federal Court for his right to fight in a sanctioned MMA Fight. That was worth it also - because now he legitimately calls himself “Champ”!
Don’t be afraid to be an Anarchist – fight for what you know is right for your child they are worth it!

​1. Reduce Stereotypical Behaviors – Studies have shown that children that engage in vigorous exercise (20 minutes or more, 3 to 4 days a week) have shown a decrease in stereotypical (self-stimulation) behaviors, hyperactivity, aggression, self-injury, and destructiveness. This is not something that happens over night but in due time you will start seeing improvements in your child.

2. Improving Social Skills – Children on the spectrum have a harder time engaging with their peers in a social setting. This could be due to anxiety, inability to read social cues, low self-esteem, decreased verbal communication, etc. When children engage in sports programs they build social relationships with teammates, work with others to accomplish goals, and build confidence. Sports participation also allows children to feel like they have a role in society and be part of a team, which they may not have felt before.

3. Establishing A Routine – As many professionals and parents of children on the spectrum know routines are incredibly important for children. Children with Autism tend to perform repeated self-stimulation behaviors because it provides comfort that they are familiar with. By implementing physical activity slowly into a child’s life so that their transition into a new routine is important. Find an activity that your child enjoy’s like a long walk or a sport they may find fun and introduce it into your child’s routine.

​4. Promote Weight Loss – Autism is related to a higher chance of early childhood obesity, which can lead to a greater chance that obesity can turn into more sever illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, bone and joint problems. Children with Autism tend to live more inactive lifestyles, which in turn makes it harder for them to maintain a healthier weight. By implementing an active lifestyle at a younger age, exercising becomes a part of your child’s routine to maintaining a healthier weight.

5. Improve Attention – Many children on the Autism spectrum have trouble staying attentive not only in the classroom but also at home. One reason for the decrease in attention among children on the spectrum is due to their stereotypical behaviors that become a distraction. By increasing their exercise it will help decrease their stereotypical behaviors and improve attention. In addition, having your child join a sport will also help them work together with others and improve listening to directions to accomplish the teams goals.

How To Get Your Child Active

At time it may be difficult to start your child in the routine to exercise but slowly introducing activities that they find enjoyable will help break them into exercising. In the beginning it would help to take them for long walks to get them used to being active in a comfortable environment. In addition, finding sports that they love and have interest in really helps set them into a routine.

Garrett's Fight For Fitness has beginner programs for those that would like to get started but not sure how!

https://www.garrettsfightfoundation.org/fitnessprograms

Of course one expected to get results with the high level coaching he was receiving -      but G-Money sure has gotten amazing results: 10 lbs of added muscle, body fat at 10%, new PR’s and a increase in overall athletic ability! ​

​One day I got a call from Matt Bruce - he just said it straight out – “I’ve got an idea. Let’s get your adaptive athletes on the digital platform just like G.”  It didn’t take us long to get to work taking advantage of this great idea. The opportunity to train even more athletes, have the support of a great coaching staff, a digital platform - you bet we're excited!

We went to work to develop a library of functional fitness exercises instructional, demonstration videos and various workout programs. We combined our hands on coaching experience and knowledge with the Brute Strength coaching staff, and developed a fitness program especially designed for special needs athletes. 

 The digital platform offers advantages as well as learning opportunities for our athletes. 

 Visual learning is a big key in training our athletes. It allows them to see correct movement vs poor movement. Seeing themselves perform the exercise builds self confidence and a good way to have fun.

​The tracking of workouts is part of any quality fitness program. Having the athlete track their progress during the workout keeps the athletes engaged, on task and working as independently as possible. 

 The App allows parents, siblings, friends or other coaches to easily support the athlete during training. 

With the addition of the digital platform, now we can train individuals from any distance; it’s also perfect for groups and organizations that would like to offer our fitness program. 

For more information on our fitness programs go to:

 We can’t thank the Brute Strength coaching staff enough for the amazing support and being in our corner for the “Fight for Fitness”! 

For more information on Brute Strength Training go to:
https://www.brutestrengthtraining.com/

​ I’m pretty familiar with most fitness programs; I think I started training when there were only rocks to use to workout. Not really, but it has been a long time since I started at the age of 14. I enjoyed training so much I earned my strength and conditioning certificate and CrossFit level 1 certificate. As Garrett’s dad, I’ve had 28 years of hands on, real life experience that has taught me many lessons. Not saying I’m the smartest coach in the world – but I have knowledge and experience that isn’t very common.

With this knowledge and experience, I began to look for a fitness program that would work best for Garrett. As strength and conditioning coach you tend to focus on programming – that is the choice of exercise, reps, sets and how often an athlete should be training. So walking into a L.A. Fitness for the first time with Garrett,  I was focused on the workout. However, when we walked into the gym Garrett saw two of his friends from high school that he hadn’t seen since graduation. Seeing those friends changed the way that day’s workout went. The increase in enthusiasm, effort and fun was amazing to see, just having some old friends around. It’s was pretty exciting and I came home to tell Susan about what happened.

​So as Garrett continued his athletic journey – we came upon CrossFit – this was well before it was the big craze. The programming for CrossFit was very appealing to me as both a coach and father. CrossFit workouts are based on functional movements, and these movements reflect the best aspects of gymnastics, weightlifting, running, rowing and more. Functional Fitness benefits individuals that have physical and/or cognitive impairments even greater than that of a typical athlete. Increasing ones capability to perform everyday tasks increases overall quality of life. So from a programming standpoint it seemed obvious to us the functionality of CrossFit was the best fit for Garrett. 

The big win came from the class setting. People of all walks of life come together for an hour to work on their fitness. Pushing, encouraging and cheering for each other to accomplish their personal goals. This is where the sense of community starts with CrossFit. 

That sense of Community is the reason Garrett’s Fight Foundation chose to focus on “Adaptive CrossFit”. Modifying or scaling is part of CrossFit programming so it’s seen as a “normal” occurrence. We adapt the workouts and exercises to each individual’s capabilities. With that, anybody can be successful at CrossFit and obtain their fitness goals. The CrossFit Community isn’t about labels, special needs or disabilities - it’s about capabilities and living the healthiest fittest lifestyle one can. As our athletes join our CrossFit community they enjoy increased social skills, self esteem and most important INCLUSION!

Based not on a disability - but ones capability and hard work!

Fitness and inclusion has been the goal for Garrett’s Fight Foundation goal since our inception. Choosing to use “Adaptive” CrossFit has led to unbelievable success, not just with Garrett – but all the athletes we have trained so far.

If you’re interested in our “adaptive” CrossFit program or bringing a program to your box, email us at garrettsfight.com