Key takeaways
- Arrive about ten minutes early so your child can meet the coach before class starts.
- Athletic clothes, bare feet and a water bottle are enough for a first class.
- Parents stay and watch — no paperwork or payment is handled on the mat.
Before class
Arriving about ten minutes early makes a noticeable difference. It gives your child a chance to see the room while it is still quiet, meet the coach without an audience, and get shoes off and water put down without rushing.
- Comfortable athletic clothes — no uniform needed for a trial
- Bare feet on the mat; shoes go on the rack
- A labeled water bottle
- Hair tied back and jewelry left at home
What happens on the mat
Youth classes follow a predictable shape, which is part of why they work. Children who know what comes next spend less energy being uncertain and more energy participating.
- A short line-up and greeting so everyone starts together
- A movement warm-up — running, hopping, animal walks depending on age
- One or two focus skills, broken into small pieces and repeated
- A game or drill that uses the skill in a slightly different way
- A brief closing routine and a word from the coach
If your child is nervous
Some children walk straight onto the mat. Others stand at the edge for most of the first class. Both are ordinary. Coaches are used to it and will not push a hesitant child into the middle of the group.
It usually helps to keep the goodbye short and the expectations low. "Watch the first part and join in when you're ready" gives a nervous child a job to do that they can definitely succeed at.
What parents do
Stay and watch. You will get a clear view of how the class is run, how the coach talks to students, and how your child responds. After class the coach will usually take a minute to say hello and answer questions.
Nothing is signed and no payment is taken at a trial class. If you decide to continue, we handle that separately by email.
Elevate Martial Arts trains students from Middletown, Clearlake and the surrounding Lake County communities.
Common questions
About the author
Elevate Martial Arts Instructional Team
Coaches, Middletown & Clearlake
Our coaching staff has taught children, teens and adults in Lake County for more than 20 years. Guides in the Learning Center are written from what we see in class each week and reviewed by the instructional team before publishing. They are general educational information, not medical, psychological or legal advice.
About this guide
- Describes how classes are actually run at our Middletown and Clearlake locations.
- Reviewed by the Elevate Martial Arts instructional team.
- General educational information only — not medical, psychological or legal advice.