Living and working in the small town of St. Clairsville, OH, Jessica Cook and her husband, Courtney, sought ways to make a positive difference in their community.
- Jessica works for the local gas company and coaches at OV CrossFit, while Courtney is a probation officer at Belmont County Juvenile Court.
Belmont County, where St. Clairsville is located, has limited resources for youth intervention, especially for kids involved in the juvenile justice system.
Spurred on by their passion for fitness and their drive to make a difference locally, the Cooks founded “CrossFit for Change,” a youth CrossFit program operated through the Belmont County Juvenile Court system.
- The program offers children involved in the juvenile justice system – all of whom are on probation for various reasons, from school truancy or other minor charges, such as vaping or fighting – the opportunity to train alongside probation officers, promoting fitness while also providing a supportive space for mentorship and open conversation.
Creating “CrossFit for Change”
It all started in 2022, when JR Shortall, owner of OV CrossFit, attended a regional affiliate summit and learned about the Expanding Horizons program, co-founded by Debbie Wagner and Matt Shindeldecker. Their program, also based in Ohio, created court-ordered CrossFit classes at their gym in partnership with local correctional facilities.
Shortall returned from the summit and approached the Cooks.
- “It was a good fit for us, because I had been coaching there at the gym for the last 12 years, and my husband is a juvenile probation officer here in the county,” Jessica told Morning Chalk Up in an interview.
The couple received approval from Belmont County to initiate the program and start “CrossFit for Change” classes for children on probation in April 2022.
They secured funding through their local mental health and recovery board and received support from their local United Way, health department, and several other sponsors, which covered the program’s expenses.
With funding in hand, Courtney took charge, helping to train the officers in the CrossFit methodology so they would be prepared to participate effectively in the “CrossFit for Change” classes alongside the kids.
- “The best part of this was that the probation officers were paid to go work out with the kids, so it met our need as employees, a break from the school, and a break from the action, Courtney continued. “When we go to class, we’re not just probation officers; we’re a team. We are a coach or their partner.”
Jessica Cook was tentative at first, hand-selecting the first group of kids, because “we weren’t fully sure what we were getting into or how it was going to work,” she said.
- “We picked some kids that we knew were going to be okay with coming in and doing some physical activity. We had 10 participants in our first class, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old.”
Building Momentum
The program works as follows: probation officers pick up the children from school twice a week for class.
The officers bring them to the gym, where they are provided with a pair of shoes and workout clothes. The kids also receive a physical examination before starting the program and are served a healthy meal whenever they attend class.
- “We do our best to eliminate all of the potential excuses they would have not to be able to work out,” Jessica said.
Once the program got underway, the Cooks slowly began to add more kids; some had been court-ordered in, while others had simply heard about the program and volunteered.
Typically, kids complete their probation while attending “CrossFit for Change” and then transition to a regular CrossFit program. However, Jessica started to notice kids asking to stay past the end of their probation. And surprisingly, some even began to commit minor infractions just to remain on probation.
- “Once they have completed their requirements for the program, we’re doing everything we can to keep them involved in some way. Whether that be continuing to come and be a part of our class, or whether that’s transitioning them into the youth program at our gym,” Jessica said.
She continued, highlighting the family atmosphere, camaraderie, and support that the kids in the program get. “They enjoy coming, get a workout in, eat, and receive rewards. They don’t have that at home.”
This allows the Cooks to reinforce the importance of good decision-making. The program’s success is measurable, even in its few short years of existence.
- “Out of 100 kids, less than 3% have left us and within one year, received another criminal charge and got in trouble,” Courtney explained.
The Cooks hope that these results will push other counties to adopt similar programs.
Jessica is aware of a small handful of programs similar to “CrossFit for Change” in the country, each varying slightly based on their specific needs and available resources.
- “To my knowledge, they have learned of the program design from either us or Expanding Horizons,” Jessica said.
It’s not just physical fitness that these kids are building.
They have gained confidence, life skills, and healthier lifestyles, and the program has expanded to involve the community, with gym members, business owners, and others actively participating by offering jobs, mentorship, and encouragement.
Growing Into the Future
The Cooks are continually trying to expand the program.
It currently offers classes twice a week, but the Cooks hope to increase it to four times a week soon.
It’s the age-old problem holding them back.
Money.
- “It’s just money,” Jessica said, “because every time we pick up and drive kids, it costs money. Every time we feed kids, it costs money. The gym membership fee would not really change, but it’s hard on our peers, because we still have a full week of work to do, and then we disappear to go to the gym… It is just about paying the bills.”
This spring, “CrossFit for Change” received a $5,000 donation from Gulfport Energy.
“We’ve been very blessed by Gulfport Energy. This is the second year that they have donated $5,000 to our class,” Courtney told his local newspaper, The Times Leader.
- “Our program is pretty much funded through grants and donations from the Mental Health and Recovery Board here in Belmont County and Gulfport,” Cook continued, “Without them, it really wouldn’t be possible.”
But even with the struggles, it’s the successes that stick out in their minds the most.
“CrossFit for Change” takes photos throughout the program and runs a slide show during graduation. “The kids see their before and after pictures, and just seeing the smiles on their faces or the confidence that shows from them means the world to us,” Jessica said.
- “You can see it in their first picture. They stand there, their heads down, looking like they don’t want to be there. And then you see that picture of them six months later, and they’re smiling or flexing their bicep in the photo, you see that change mentally and emotionally for them.”
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Featured Image: Jessica Cook
