Rolling Out the Welcome Mat: Onboarding Our Newest Athletes with Inclusive Fitness

So…you’re interested in becoming a part of our growing Inclusive Fitness community? Or maybe you’re a new member at the beginning of your journey and would like to learn more about what to expect in the coming weeks. Perhaps you’ve been with us since the ‘early days’ and want to share some information with your friends? Whether you’re a self-advocate or you’re supporting a neurodivergent athlete, look no further. You’ve come to the right place. One of my favorite things about being the Director of Member Experience is welcoming new folks to our community, and I’d love to walk you through the process of becoming an IF athlete. Welcome to neurodivergent athlete onboarding at Inclusive Fitness!

New athletes may find us in any number of different ways. Some are referred to us by existing IF families (which is always awesome to hear!), or perhaps their school or day program, their physician, therapist, or another provider. Others may have been searching independently for neuroadaptive strength and conditioning training for themselves or their loved ones. No matter how you found us, we are glad you’re here! Keep reading to find out how we roll out the welcome mat at Inclusive Fitness.

Let’s Get to Know Each Other!

First, we’ll start with an introductory phone call or Zoom. My favorite icebreaker question is What makes you (or your athlete) awesome? Any hobbies, special interests, or talents? Brag away…I want to know…really! Once we’ve covered this most important topic, we can also discuss the athlete’s profile, including their learning and communication styles, sensory preferences, goals, activities of daily living (ADLs), and their general schedule availability. Once I know a bit more about the prospective new athlete, I’ll be better able to answer any questions you may have about our people, program, and place in a way that relates to your specific needs.

The Tour

Do you like what you’ve heard so far? Great! The next step in our neurodivergent athlete onboarding at Inclusive Fitness is to schedule an in-person tour of the center. Some athletes prefer to come in solo for their tour, sometimes families come in together for their first visit, and other times a parent or caregiver will come in to scope it out before bringing their athlete at a later date. We also have a virtual tour you can check out here, or if a video or social story would be helpful, we will be more than happy to create and customize as needed and share it with you prior to your visit. Whatever works best for you, works for us! 

And what happens on the tour? Generally speaking, our goal is to introduce you to the space and connect the athlete with a coach who can show them our visual system and guide them through trying a few exercises, if they’re up for it. It’s a great way to learn about how we provide Options, Choice, and Control (or OCC, as we like to call it around here) to help our athletes develop a sense of agency and ownership over their fitness program. 

Some athletes prefer to observe rather than participate during their tour, which is totally cool with us! Whenever possible, we try to pair each touring athlete with a coach who we think might be a good fit based on their communication styles, specific goals, and interests. If their respective schedules line up and we decide they would make a good team, it’s a great way to set expectations for future sessions and we will try our best to place them together.

Are you getting excited yet?

Here comes the best part!

You’ve checked out the center, met a few coaches, seen some of our amazing athletes in action, and maybe even tried a few exercises yourself. You’re ready to sign up…so what’s next?

After the tour, we’ll set aside some time to chat so that we may answer any remaining questions you have, including our business policies, pricing, and supplemental funding. Together, we’ll also discuss what we feel might be a good fit in terms of scheduling, athlete/coach team partnership, and goals as related to activities of daily living. As needed, we can also connect with those in the athlete’s ecosystem, such as caregivers, teachers, physicians, therapists, and others whose input can help us create a custom-tailored training program complete with behavior supports, contingencies and reinforcers, and motivation strategies to set the stage for a successful start!

Our initial sessions with a new athlete give us an opportunity to observe them in action and assess their PAC (Physical, Adaptive, and Cognitive) profile. We consider all three aspects of each unique individual as we design their program. The intake assessment will continue throughout the first few workouts and will guide the coach in creating a training program that’s just the right fit for the athlete. We might collect video or photos – with your permission, of course! – to document these early sessions. As the athlete progresses, we collect data from each and every session, including the sets and reps of each of the exercises completed, their level of engagement, any off-task behaviors and effective behavior management strategies, and observations that will help us plan for future sessions. As time goes on and the athlete builds strength and accumulates new skills, we will check back in with periodic progress reports.

The First Few Workouts

Everyone’s first IF workout looks a little different…for some athletes who are newer to, or returning to exercise after a hiatus, it might mean completing a 35-minute session with several active recovery breaks built in. WIN! 

For the more sensory-avoidant athlete, it may be three to four successful, short rounds of preferred exercises separated by sensory breaks in our quiet, relaxing ‘chill-out space.’ WIN!! 

Sometimes our sensory-seeking athletes start off with heavy sled pushes, push throws, or even a few minutes on the stationary bike to help them self-regulate before settling in and completing their program. ALSO A WIN!

Or, an athlete may come in and complete a full 45-minute session with minimal breaks and leave sweaty, tired, and maybe even a little sore the next morning from a challenging workout. AGAIN…WIN!!

For another, the first session may consist of one of our coaches meeting the athlete in the parking lot to say hello through a closed car door. Maybe next time, that athlete will say hi to the coach in return. Perhaps the following week they might even reach through an open window for a fist bump or to touch a piece of fitness equipment, such as a medicine ball. 

YET ANOTHER WIN!! Do you see where I’m going with this? 

Building Trust and Reaching Goals

As one of my own favorite triathlon coaches always says, “small steps, big goals.” By meeting our athletes where they are and presuming their competence, it’s our goal to lay the foundation of a relationship built on mutual trust and collaboration. Maintaining that relationship is paramount as each athlete progresses along their own fitness trajectory. Our coaches are not only experts in exercise – they are empathetic role models, mentors, and friends who are highly skilled in working with the neurodivergent population. More simply put – They. Are. Awesome. Each one of our coaches cares deeply about creating opportunities for all athletes to be successful and providing the appropriate support and motivation along the way.

At the end of each session, the coach will invite parents or caregivers to review the day’s program, alongside the athlete, of course! Together, you’ll celebrate the successes and discuss any challenges and goals for future workouts. This is a great time to ask the coach any questions about what you may have seen or experienced during the session. We’ve reserved time at the end of each visit for this specific purpose, and we’re always excited to recap with you! 

So…Are You In?

If I’ve piqued your interest, even a little bit, please don’t stop here- your next step in the neurodivergent athlete onboarding at Inclusive Fitness is simple. We would love to chat with you by phone or, even better yet, invite you to the center for a tour. You can connect with us by filling out the form linked below, and we will reach out very soon. We’re looking forward to meeting you!