The authors invite the reader on an in-depth and heartfelt tour into the lesser-known parts of the ninja gym. Here the ninja gym’s inspiringly intricate parts of people, philosophy, diversified coaching, and child development seamlessly and robustly interact. Of equal importance, Colin Stout will share both his first preteen ninja gym visit and when he was a quiet and high-spirited ninja gym student – right up to his current coaching at a ninja gym. (He reminds readers that ninja gyms also welcome children who appear quiet and/or high-spirited, but who may be experiencing within their minds a more intense world of shyness and hyper-fidgeting).
Yes, the ninja gym is a vibrant place that puts a new spin on the old cliché, no child left behind.
My name is Colin Murphy Stout, and I am the lead-author of this book. As a point of reference, I contrast the ninja gym with my early childhood coaches, one in hockey and one in soccer. Both of whom were rigid and tended to yell and tell me what I did wrong. I eventually stopped both sports. My dad tells the story that on the last game of my hockey “career,” the hockey coach admitted he was wrong in how he managed me. According to my dad, that coach finally praised and recognized what I’d done well. It was too late – I had already moved on.
Then came my first day in a ninja gym as a preteen. The contrast was so great that, many years later, I dreamed of writing this book about ninja gym coaches and their patience and intuition, and how that helped me enjoy my life even with shyness and high-spirited behavior. In short, I’m happy and proud to say I have joined the ranks of supportive coaches in a local ninja gym.
But my transition was not as fast as I make it sound. I recall how I arrived at my first ninja class confused and nervous – barely speaking to anyone. Then I saw how easily the coach created a safe and relaxed space where we all succeeded at the introductory tasks. We applauded each other for each task. Without knowing it, my new coach quickly transitioned a scary new experience into a welcoming space of laughter for a diversity of student needs and expectations.
I stuck with my visits to the ninja gym. Finally, I had found a place with a philosophy built on inclusion, genuine and encouragement, and heart-felt understanding. The result was that I blended into a little group of ninjas where we learned to successfully exert ourselves while we played together. Imagine that!
Hi, I am Keith Armstrong, Colin’s co-writer. It has been my task to format Colin’s manuscript and recorded discourses. It has been a rewarding and insightful experience as Colin has made me a believer in human potential on a whole new level.
For now, let me say that Colin’s astute psycho-social ninja gym research will contribute to the limited research that now exists, especially for quiet and highly-spirited children. I believe he has created a fun to read book about the lesser-known operations and benefits of ninja gyms and their coaches. So, if you are a curious parent and child, an aspiring athlete, an up-and-coming ninja coach, or a person seeking specific life-changes from their ninja gym experience, this book will be quite informative!
