Business
BY JOVANNA AGUILAR
Classes at USA Ninja Challenge are taught by trained coaches with a background in Olympic sports.
JOVANNA AGUILARCOMMUNITY IMPACT
Children at the facility are coached based on their tness level and age.
USA Ninja Challenge The Woodlands works with young people on physical training through obstacle courses.
COURTESY USA NINJA CHALLENGE
JOVANNA AGUILARCOMMUNITY IMPACT
USA Ninja Challenge trains for Olympic-style courses
At The Woodlands area USA Ninja Challenge, kids aren’t just climbing walls and swinging o ropes, they are training for what owners said will soon be an Olympic sport. Owners Chad Kneller and Sam Robins said The Woodlands area gym is on a mission to build youths’ con dence and strength through obstacle course training in a sport that is set to debut at the 2028 Olympics with 160 nations on board. The backstory Robins, an Army Green Beret, said as people who have served in the U.S. Army he and Kneller look to build strong, con dent young people. “Because we want to continue to serve, our next mission is to develop healthy, strong, con dent, balanced kids ages 2-17,” Robins said. “There’s a reason why the military, and espe- cially the highest ends of the military across the world, use obstacle courses for their ultimate workout for soldiers. Robins said his children were raised in gym- nastics themselves and have continued in their journey as athletes. He said his daughter Ellis Robins is a coach at USA Ninja Challenge The Woodlands. To promote the sport, USA Ninja Challenge participates in eld days at local schools in The Woodlands and Conroe area. In addition, Kneller and Sam Robins volunteer to speak at local schools and organizations about tness and health.
USA Ninja Challenge is also a fundraising partner promoting the 2028 Olympic Pentathlon. The bene ts of obstacle course racing include building upper body strength, balance and core strength, Kneller said. What they oer With 5,600 square feet and a capacity of 24 people, USA Ninja oers group classes and has 21 obstacle courses. Designed for children ages 2-17, the obstacle course center evaluates each student and places them on a level based on their age and tness abilities. For anyone interested in trying out the sport, USA Ninja Challenge oers a free trial, and classes run on a month-to-month basis. Kneller said the gym also oers family dis- counts, summer camps and holds parties. “We want to get out and share the word about how important it is to get healthy and be the No. 1 developmental tness program in the nation,” Robins said.
USA Ninja Challenge o ers services for children in The Woodlands area age 217.
JOVANNA AGUILARCOMMUNITY IMPACT
Chad Kneller and Sam Robin took ownership of USA Ninja Challenge in 2024.
JOVANNA AGUILARCOMMUNITY IMPACT
COXRD.
According to USA Ninja Challenge, bene ts of obstacle course training include:
GEFFERT WRIGHT DR.
• Small group training classes • Low student-to-coach ratio • State-of-the-art ninja obstacles • Trained coaching sta
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21227 Blair Road, Conroe www.ninjawoodlands.com
• Six skill levels and 18 skill categories • Cognitive focus and self-discipline • Ninja competition teams that compete nationally
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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