Steve's Club Camden

What is Scrapple?

Steve's Club asks: What is Scrapple? from Steve Liberati on Vimeo.

PS It's a Jersey thing! Actually we owe credit to our friends the Amish for their brilliant invention.

Steve's Club classes are back in action!

Steve's Club trainers, Doc and Charlie finish class with a game called "The Human Knot."

"The Human Knot" from steve liberati on Vimeo.

 

Cast your dreams and goals at Steve's Club!

"Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."

-Lyman Frank Baum

Down time.

"USE YOUR BEST RESOURCES TO DO WHAT YOU CAN DO."

-Daniel Quinn

For the last two weeks I've been taking time off from training the kids at Steve's Club. You see twice a year I usually plan a 2-3 week split in which I stop running classes and give myself a little break. It's not so much because I'm exhausted from working with the kids (hate using that word "working"...such a bad word to use b/c spending time at Steve's Club training and mentoring the kids is something I truly love to do.) But I take some time off, to spend some extra time with my family (which the kids know is very important to me and something I make sure to continually remind them to do with their own family), get ready to rotate through a new group of kids, and most importantly give me some time to self-reflect and appreciate how lucky I am to have the opportunity to do what I love to do.    

It sounds a bit silly, buts its true. It gives me time to stop and smell the roses so to speak...to break the routine and realize what great opportunity I have each day I wake up to do something I'm good at (at least I think i am:>)) and try to do my small part to change the world (ok not quite but more like "Saving Camden, one kid at a time!"). Don't get me wrong....I'm not some dye in the wool liberal (actually far from it), but just some guy who trys my best to use my resources at hand to the best of my ability to make someone else's life, someone who is much less fortunate than me, life a little better.

Then it never fails. Everytime we have downtime at Steve's Club after the first week I desperately miss training the kids, teaching them the movements, seeing the look of frustration...then determination and then self confidence on their faces....the hundreds of questions they ask me to improve their fitness level and the proper foods to eat....not to mention all the "life" and other questions unrelated to CrossFit that they have enough trust to share with me and ask for my advice. Yeah somedays they make me want to pull my grey hairs out but overall, I couldn't be more happy running Steve's Club and giving the gift of CrossFit to kids who could not otherwse afford it, but greatly benefit from it.

Besides using the downtime to refresh my mind and all, I can't help but wonder if I would be in this position bringing CrossFit to young kids from impoverished Camden, NJ if it wasn't for your support. With the help of several CrossFit affiliates (see sidebar) and two other individuals who sponsor an athlete each month for $75, we are extremely grateful for the customers who buy Paleokits. Without any outside funding, they have been a lifesaver for our club, to help cover expenses, keep the wheels turning, and offer several of the kids (as they assist with packaging the kits up) an alternative income source to hustling on the streets. We greatly rely on your patronage and cannot thank you enough for ordering them and telling your family and friends about them.

Please note the blog will continue to be slow over the next week but that I cannot wait to start a new group up and get back to doing what I really love to do, and training and working with our next generation of leaders, thinkers and agents of change.

Steve's Club welcomes back Leap Academy.

With Autumn right around the corner and school back in session, our after-school CrossFit Kids classes have started back up at Steve's Club. Although 8 slots are still available for enrollment, the young student athletes of Leap Academy are excited to get back to working out and having fun at Steve's Club. Doc and Charlie are now helping to teach classes as they work their way to getting CrossFit Level I certified. In the video below, Doc and Charlie are seen getting in a short workout session working up to a heavy single power clean before Leap shows up. With so much going on, learning to manage their time effectively is now more important than ever.   

Doc and Charlie working up to a heavy single power clean. from steve liberati on Vimeo.

Not your typical after-school program. Steve's Club is seeking success-driven individuals that want more out of life.

Steve’s Club has 8 slots available to train on Monday and Thursday from 4-5pm under the guidance of a certified fitness trainer. The program starts on September 15^th and ends December 15th. We’re looking for 8 people who are not only willing to work hard and break a sweat, but have an earnest desire to achieve excellence not only in sport but in life. 

Please email or call me if you know a youngster (or a small group of youngsters) interested in joining Steve’s Club.

Please don't hesitate to forward this page to someone who might enjoy it.

This makes everything worth it.

The Workout:

8 kids to a team. Before departing everyone must carry a load, whether its a kettlebell in each hand or wear a backpack with 45 lbs in it. Then walk outside around the park (which is across the street) for 30 minutes without stopping or putting down weight. Those carrying kettlebells must switch half way through the walk with those wearing backpacks.

No its not punishment:>) ....it's a FUN fitness challenge and test to your strength and fortitude.

*Yeah that is me in the picture leading the pack with two kettlebells by my side. It's hard to tell someone to do something if not willing to do it yourself.  

As I wrote in a previous post, it can be real tough at times training and mentoring young kids, especially kids from the city that are faced with daily obstacles and struggles that most people don't have to deal with. The fact is many of these kids deal with a lot of drama and issues in their lives that kids there age should not have to experience. You may think you have stress in your life, until you hear stories from others and realize they pale in comparison. But just like when crossfitting and dealing with the discomfort of the workout....we are taught to embrace the suckiness and deal with adversity....as these kids continue to do each and every day. Words can't describe how proud I am of them and how lucky I feel to have the priveledge of being in a position where I can help these younger people out.

Yesterday I recieved a series of texts from a long standing member of Steve's Club that not only blew me away, but reinforced to me that there is no greater feeling than helping or being there for someone in need.

[I edited the grammar and text lingo to make it readable].

"I just really do appreciate everything cause I've been going through stuff with the family and I'm happy that I have a friend like you cause I need a positive person to keep my doing good and I appreciate everything your doing for me and I'll try my best to help you any way possible. I'm glad I came to Steve's Club it helped me so much and I'm glad your doing this cause its gonna help a lot of kids like me and change them like I've never met some one that is willing to help our people you don't know cause you want them to do good your the best positive thats ever been there and life I said before I'll do my best to help you out in every way. Thanks Steve your a real friend probably the best one that was there for me I never had no one that believe in me til you and I thank you with everything."

Feeling of accomplishment.

Five rounds for time of:

95 pound Power snatch, 15 reps

Run 400 meters

Esha busting her tail as she snatches the bar overhead. Her improved confidence is just beaming from her face these days. Great job Esha!

Popcorn shown below running for his life!

 

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”

-Author Unknown

Rooting on others and being unselfish.

3 Rounds of "Lynne":

Bodyweight Bench 

Max Chest-to-Bar Kipping Pull-ups

Being unselfish is a great quality to have in my opinion and sadly, in very short supply these days. Most people only think of themselves when making a decision and how it will or will not directly benefit them. Sure this is learned behavior and is largely a result of being raised in a household where its "every man for himself" and learning to "fend for yourself" is the only way to survive. But this line of thinking can cause many heartaches for the individuals (and the world of people around them) who subscribe to this sorta of mindset. 

These people tear others down, block them, hoard the goods for themselves, and are jealous of the success of others. So instead, one of our goals at Steve's Club is the need to break them free of this jealousy and meanness. We teach our members to be happy for others, and not only that, but to count their success as our success as a club and they should feel proud of the contribution they’ve made in helping others make a difference.

Cheering and rooting others on during a workout is not only a great thing, but drives home the important life lesson that helping and wanting others to succeed is just one way we can help make a our own small contribution in this world.

So, once we've taught others to be unselfish and think about their fellow crossfitters by encouraging them to succeed and do better, we've just added an exponent to our contribution to the world … X squared, X to the power of 3 or 10 or whatever the number might be. OK, I’m not great at math, but you can see the point: the amount of difference made in this world not only multiplies, but keeps on multiplying and multiplying.