05/25/2026
if your child is in Intermediate or Advanced Youth Aerial, we run on a year-long NASM OPT model.
National Academy of Sports Medicine is a nationally accredited certifying board for fitness professionals. I'm a Certified Personal Trainer. Noah Polignone is too. Moving forward, all instructors that I hire will have that NASM CPT foundation underneath their aerial wonder.
OPT model. Optimal performance training model.
NASM is continuously assimilating current research in exercise science into educational credits for fitness professionals. I know when I see current NASM Certified, this person has passed a stringent exam based on up to date research across demographics, and is required to keep education going every two years.
The OPT model is based on that science. One of the major principles in the OPT model is periodization. An athlete needs periods of time dedicated to stabilization, endurance, building strength, building plyometric power, and they include hypertrophy (glamour muscles 💪).
Professional athletes all practice periodization in some way, typically based on the needs of their particular sport. A professional basketball player is not going to lift for a squat PR the day before a big game. The same basketball player cannot expect to only do Pilates year round and be a star. They hire trainers to plan their training to optimize their performance on the court.
AerFire rolls on periodization that makes sense for the aerialist. We plan around performances, competition, holiday breaks, and such.
Intermediate skills require a dedication to muscle growth. If a child misses 3 months of class or only comes to half the classes for 6 months, they will lose conditioning needed to progress in skills.
If there is a medical reason or family emergency, those things happen. Part of being an athlete is recognizing we are human and working around those needs.
If we are simply over scheduled or think it's preferable to cross train (which is usually true), we need to learn what we are signing up for at AerFire and understand how inconsistency in attendance sets the child back.
Aerial is excellent cross training for other sports. I build strong cores, stable shoulders and hips. Other sports are not necessarily good cross training for aerial. Overall load is an issue. Over-training is the #1 cause of injury in youth sports and the #1 reason kids quit all sports. One-sided kicking, hitting, throwing, turning is an issue in ball sports. A little pitcher will build two very different shoulders with vastly different ranges of motion. This should be mitigated with a good trainer and/or physical therapist. But also know it makes sports like aerial more challenging. Can be done. Takes thought.
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Intermediate and Advanced are on a year-long plan.
Example: we worked endurance leading up to the competition. Then we flipped to strength and shenanigans. Break in May. I'm going heavy on strength and plyometrics in June/July. We will pull back a little right before Summer Showcase, and hit plyo and flexibility hard through July 30. August 9 is nationals for Aerialympics and we have a break for everyone else until August 15. (Summer camp kids TBA some rehearsals and potential performance) August 15 begins our fall session. We will have built MUSCLE 💪 and will be ready for some skillllzzzzzz!!!!!! We teach new skills all the time, but I expect to see brand new big skills emerge between August 15 and October 1. That's the circle of life.
I will pull back into stability mode in October, endurance in November, and more endurance as we prepare for Winter Wonderland. (Show prep is intense endurance training! I always see a big difference in the kids abilities to stay on apparatus before and after shows.)
So.you see, if you try to pop in and out for the shows you want, you won't be progressing in strength and skill like you could.
Shows are optional. Even if the kids don't like to perform, they are still going through the endurance phases in class.
If the kids aren't here to train in our "off season" they won't have the muscle to even try the next phase of skills. If they don't possess the skills, they won't enjoy the experience. The circle is always moving one way or the other.
June 1 is my 5th anniversary as a full-time aerial instructor and studio owner. I've assessed training practices and schedules every season I teach. I've been lenient around scheduling and such. I'm glad I can do that when it's needed. However, the consequences of actions speak loud and clear.
Kids who are consistently here in class over the years have a level of strength and skill that is evident, unmatched. These kids are not born with better genes (in fact some have chronic health issues they manage). They are not made of magic (although, I do know they are magical). They simply put in the time and train smart.
Tortoise and the Hare.
Longevity + consistency = Excellence
Kids who lack that consistency will begin avoiding the things they feel they aren't as good at. Once that begins, it's challenging as a teacher to pull their minds back into it.
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Class Structure
-warm up
-tutorials
-open air and/or run choreo...and spot train individuals
-cool down
The open air time can look like chaos. That is part of the structure. Play within skills grows competence. This is when I assess kids and my teaching. Without open air time to play within safe boundaries, the kids have no chance to learn safe boundaries. They need to learn safe boundaries. Trust goes both ways. When I see a kid making wise life choices in open air, that's a sign I can trust them with bigger skills.
If kids are choosing non-aerial play, that's also a sign. Balance skills actually are aerial skills. Wobble boards, bosu balls, making obstacle courses on blocks and rollers are all play that builds their vestibular system and their balance muscles deep in their hips and core.
When kids want to play a contest game, they are telling us they feel confident in this skill. Single arm spins are epic on that right arm! Cool! Everyone do your left arm next. Opportunity to teach the concept that we need to build muscle balance across the body.
I could go on.
It's not just play. Your attitude makes a big impact. Yes, we want them to play, be happy and have fun. But we want that to be productive, muscle building and skill building.
If a kid says 'we just played in class' try responding 'sounds fun. What was your favorite thing to do today?' listen for where the work happened. I work hard to insert work on the steal
If a child struggles with productive play, try doing more at home. Giving them an art table where they are free to do anything as long as it stays at the table is a great way to build productive play at home. (Masterly Inactivity is another term for it. Adult supervised. Child led. Adult is observing and thinking through the child's needs as they observe.)
Open Air time is productive play, time to choreograph, practice specific skills, but mainly play.
To be honest, the adults really struggle to know what to do if I give them open air time. We need to make sure kids know to never stop playing. Play is when the magic happens, inventions and creations.
You can just pick a thing, and do it. (Picking a thing is paralyzing if we lose practice.)
Numbers:
75-90% of class should be pleasant and fun practice & play
10-25% of class should be new or Struggle Bus work.
A child with low frustration tolerance needs 90/10.
A child who has experienced the thrill of mastering many skills can usually go with a 75/25.
Every child can.
Consistency. I can be patient and work with kids will various capabilities and needs if they are here.
If they are here.
I build summer knowing most kids will be gone a week for vacation. I build winter knowing it's cold/fly season. Etc.
Be consistent so those life things don't set you back.
Lecture over. Rest up while you can. 💪 Bwahaha!!!
See you in June.
