It’s not because we hate kids. We love kids. We wish for all kids to be safe, happy and healthy. And these are the reasons we won’t allow your child on the workout floor.
I recently heard a horrific story about a 4yr old walking out onto the gym floor to be by their mom or dad and getting accidentally struck in the head by an athlete doing a kettlebell swing. That child didn’t have a chance and did not recover.
I can say with 100% certainty that a community doesn’t recover from a devastating incident like this. The parents, the athlete, the coach, the owners….no one recovers.
The reports from the affiliate insurance companies show the 2 biggest claims they have are accidents because of dogs and incidents involving kids (and not the kids that are part of the class and being coached – members’ kids allowed on the floor during a class or open gym.)
I have 3 kids and a dog. I get it. We have so much pulling on us. We want to take care of ourselves and set a good example for our kids. And we want to spend as much time with them as possible. So we multi-task every opportunity we get. However, bringing them to the gym may not be the best place for them and certainly not on the gym floor.
Think about it. When you are in the middle of a workout and are racing against the clock. It’s hot. You can barely keep up with your number of reps. You certainly wouldn’t be aware of little ones playing around you. This is where it becomes dangerous. We have all dropped a barbell and it takes a weird bounce…the dents in the bay doors are proof of it. What if the end of that barbell had made contact with a little one?
We aren’t trying to be mean. We aren’t trying to make it inconvenient for you. Our strict no kids on the workout floor policy is in place because we care about you and the safety of your children. We want you to set a good example for your kids and show them how exercise is a positive experience. But we also want to make sure that everyone is safe and that they get that chance.