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Toms River business makes kids' exercise fun
Susan Bloom
Growing up in Colorado, Chad Williams always enjoyed helping others achieve greater physical fitness as well as mentoring young people. Throughout his career in law enforcement, he pursued these interests by running, among other things, a fitness program for his local police academy as well as a nonprofit organization for at-risk youth designed to help them avoid the lure of drugs and gangs.
And when he moved cross-country to Howell in 2014 so that his wife, a Howell native, could be closer to her family, he brought all of these passions with him, especially his appreciation for the great outdoors.
"I'm a big mountaineer and love adventure, rappelling and rock-climbing," said the 44-year-old avid outdoorsman.
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Believing that "there are so many socio-emotional skills that you can build on a mountain that you can't necessarily build in a classroom, including confidence, trust and self-esteem," Williams soon set about creating a local youth fitness program which incorporated an adventure-minded protocol. Assessing different properties throughout the Jersey Shore over the past year, Williams learned of a suitable indoor space for his camp in Toms River through a Realtor friend and officially launched Base Camp Adventure Fitness for kids this spring.
Positive spin on fitness
At the fully-outfitted 5,000 square-foot space run by Williams and two assistants, "we offer a full workout for kids that's completely different from anything they've done," said Williams, whose program includes scaled-down ninja warrior obstacles and exercises, wall climbing, rappelling, strength-building exercises with rings, and Parkour-style free-running activities, which help kids learn how to move through their environment efficiently.
"It's about creating a positive spin on fitness for kids, and they love it," he said of the two dozen children ages 6 to 16 currently enrolled in the twice-weekly program. "Sometimes I have to practically kick them out because they don't want to leave!" he laughed.
According to Williams, a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, part of the camp's appeal goes beyond the physical.
"While it's an evidence-based fitness program that provides great overall conditioning and builds strength, it challenges kids psychologically and emotionally as well," said Williams, recalling a recent field trip where participants got to rappel off real cliff faces at a park in Hunterdon County's Budd Lake.
"When kids of all types, from football players to more socially-unplugged kids, get to the top of the cliff and it has nothing to do with physical ability anymore, it really levels the playing field and the kids have to work together and communicate. They have to trust and believe in themselves, their gear, and each other and overcome psychological obstacles," he said. "That's what builds confidence and self-esteem."
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Toms River resident Christine Girtain, a science teacher at Toms River High School South, said her two kids – daughter Jamie, 11, and son Josh, 8 – are huge fans of the unique program.
"I learned of Base Camp Adventure Fitness through our vice principal, Mark Sullivan, and my kids have been enrolled from the start," she said. "I've always been into outdoor adventures myself and my kids like rock-scrabbling and hiking, so I thought they'd enjoy this."
Sure enough, she said, "they love it! It's probably the hardest workout they've ever had, but it builds strength, ensures proper positioning, helps boost their self-esteem and teaches them leadership skills while also introducing them to new friends," Girtain said. "The program encourages a love of the outdoors but a sense of self as well."
Socio-emotional tools
While Williams acknowledged that it can be challenging to describe and market the program in words – "people get a better sense of what we do when they walk in and see it for themselves," he said – he's not concerned about the indirect competition he faces from the range of kids' school and town sports activities such as track, baseball, soccer and karate.
"I love all fitness programs because we share the same goal," he said. "Our program gives kids a diverse approach to being active and is a fantastic addition to any regimen that can build strength and help them avoid injuries from hyper-specialization in one sport."
Priced at a rate of $149.99 a month for hour-long sessions twice a week or $129.99 a month for a year-long contract (programs for adults and pre-schoolers are each priced at $99.99 a month), "we're excited to be running our first summer camp with hiking this season," said Williams, who also runs a nonprofit organization called Neural Activity, a drug prevention/leadership program which currently mentors at-risk teens from Jackson, Neptune, Asbury Park, Toms River and other area high schools.
"We're here to prove that there are lots of things you can do in life that are challenging and fun that have nothing to do with drugs and to give these kids the socio-emotional tools to help them make the right decisions," he said.
For Williams, a father of a 9 and 11-year-old himself, creation of Base Camp Adventure Fitness combines all his passions in one and feels like second nature.
"I'm excited about bringing my love of the outdoors to kids and teaching them the basics of mountaineering," he said. "It's a demanding workout but it's hidden because it's so much fun and the kids are highly engaged.
"It's great to get them out of their social network and reintroduce them to how much fun it can be. And over a six- to eight-week period, you can really see a change in a child's physical skills and confidence level that's palpable," he said. "It's so encouraging and I love the opportunity to see these kids win small battles every day."
BASE CAMP ADVENTURE FITNESS
Location: 1591 Route 37 West, Toms River
Owner: Chad Williams
Website: www.basecampnj.com