We want to tell you about two sisters.
Emma Kelley is 10 Years Old. Her little sister Iris is 6. Their family has been with us at Cobra Command in Basehor since 2023.
This past Saturday at Operation Sidekick, Emma won the 8-10 division. Iris took third in 5-7. An entire family on the podium (mom & dad included).
That was a really fun morning. But it’s not the story.
The story is the two-plus years of Tuesdays and Thursdays before it… when nobody was watching.
Week One Looks Like This
If you bring your kiddo in next week, here’s roughly what you’ll see.
They can’t hang from the bar for more than a few seconds. They step over things instead of jumping them. You give them two instructions and they do the first one and forget the second. And they spend half the hour looking around to see what everybody else is doing.
Totally normal. You’ll see it every single time.
It’s about learning that brand new skill: Getting your body to do what your brain just told it to do, in a loud room, with a bunch of other kids around.
None of that comes naturally for your kiddo. But we get it done.
Two Years In Looks Like This
Here’s what you’ll start noticing, probably without being able to name it.
Your kiddo jumps instead of stepping. They hear a cue one time and GO. They stop scanning the room because they already know what to do. And they pick something heavy up off the floor and their back stays flat… without anybody saying a word.
None of that is really about getting strong. It’s your kiddo figuring out that their body listens to them. And once a kid believes that? Everything else gets easier.
Emma didn’t win her division Saturday because she’s the most athletic kid at Cobra (though she is a tough cookie!). She won it because she’s been showing up twice a week since 2023, and that adds up in grit, determination and athleticism.
Cora Is 7 Years Old and Started 14 Months Ago
Cora Hiestand joined us in June of 2024, along with her brother Levi.
On Saturday she competed in the 8-10 division on Team Three Peas in a WOD, with Levi and their mom Sarah. Because they were a 3 man team, the oldest kiddo’s age set the division for competition.
So 7 year old Cora spent the morning going head to head with 10 year olds.
She was totally fine. Her team won the first event of the day, and you’d never have guessed she was the youngest one out there.
Pretty cool. And it wasn’t because Cora’s some kind of freaky strong kiddo. She’s had 14 months of coaching. Two years is a big gap on paper… but consistent coaching closes most of that gap with confidence.
The Part We Didn’t Plan On
We didn’t expect how many families would end up doing this together.
The Kelleys had two teams on the floor Saturday. Emma with her dad, Iris with her mom. Three Peas was Sarah with BOTH of her kids at once.
And that happened because these kids already train here. And their parents train here. So signing up as a team wasn’t a big leap… but it was an epic family event the weekend before school is back in session.
Ready to Come See It?
Our fall Cobra Kids season is running RIGHT NOW. Tuesdays + Thursdays, 5:15PM for kids 5-9 Years Old and 6:30PM for kids 10-14 Years Old.
Spots are limited on purpose. We keep the groups small enough that your kiddo actually gets coached instead of just watched.
So book a No Sweat Intro. Bring your kiddo, let them try a class, and ask us whatever you want. If it’s a fit, we’ll get them signed up.
-Jill
Next week we’re talking about our teens… including three state champions who came through this gym, and how they trained around their fall sports schedules.
