On Aug. 22, teens and adults in Lee, Mass., found themselves climbing, swinging, reaching and occasionally falling short before getting right back up to try again thanks to a new outdoor fitness playground.
They had some expert help. American Ninja Warrior®, a registered trademark of Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc., competitors Jessie Graff, Ginny McColl, Alyssa Beird and others were there to offer encouragement and coach attendees through the obstacles at the grand opening of the Neighborhood Ninjas NinjaFit Playground.
Neighborhood Ninjas is a nonprofit organization that uses the sport of American Ninja Warrior to help youth build active lifestyles, confidence, connection and resilience. The Lee playground is its second NinjaFit location, following the first in Wilmington, Del.
Nobody had to tell the adults to play. Give people an interesting enough challenge, and play happens naturally.
The new NinjaFit Playground, featuring Landscape Structures’ FitCore™ Extreme equipment for ages 13+, offers a reminder that playgrounds don’t have to be something we leave behind as we grow older.
We Don’t Outgrow Play
Play changes as we grow. The activities that captivate a preschooler aren’t necessarily going to capture the attention of a teenager. But the desire to challenge ourselves, connect with others and experience the satisfaction of accomplishing something difficult doesn’t disappear.
Maybe we don’t age out of play. Maybe the way we want to play simply evolves.
“Obstacles are a metaphor for life,” said Alex Katz, executive director of Neighborhood Ninjas and an American Ninja Warrior competitor. “We’re helping young adults get stronger, work on growth mindset and resilience, and learn how to overcome obstacles, not just on the course, but in real life, too.”
For teens and adults, play might involve physical challenge and perceived risk. It can mean competition one minute and cooperation the next. It’s trying, failing, laughing and trying again. And when movement feels like play rather than a prescribed workout, being active can simply be fun.
Designing for the Ages We Often Overlook
Traditional playgrounds provide important opportunities for children to move, explore and socialize. But as children enter their teenage years, there can be fewer spaces intentionally designed for the ways they want to gather and be active.
“Teens in Berkshire County are looking for spaces that they can be more social in, that help them become better members of society,” said Stacy Parsons, director of community engagement and juvenile diversion.
Designed for ages 13+, FitCore Extreme provides progressively challenging obstacles that encourage strength, agility, balance and coordination. Outdoor fitness playgrounds can make physical activity more accessible and engaging while providing opportunities for teens and adults to challenge their fitness.
They can also help parks serve the whole family.
“Many communities are searching for ways to create multigenerational spaces, and FitCore Extreme equipment allows for that,” said David Smith, senior vice president of sales at Landscape Structures. “Outdoor fitness equipment can be installed near a traditional playground so the entire family, including teen siblings and parents, can stay active while younger children play.”
Challenge Meets Community
That sense of connection was on full display during the NinjaFit grand opening.
The American Ninja Warrior competitors weren’t there simply to demonstrate what they could do. They coached attendees through obstacles, celebrated successes and encouraged people to try again when they didn’t quite make it.
It reflected something at the heart of ninja culture: Challenge may be individual, but overcoming it doesn’t have to be.
And sometimes the encouragement you need is simple.
“If I can do it, you can do it,” said Ginny McColl.
At 74, McColl knows something about refusing to put an age limit on challenge. The mother of Jessie Graff, McColl began her own strength journey at age 61.
“My motto is ‘strength is ageless,’” McColl said. “You’re never too old, and you’re never too late to start.”
After falling early in her first American Ninja Warrior competition, McColl remembers her daughter reminding her not to let one fall define her and instead recognize how far she had come.
It’s a lesson that works on and off the course.
Play at 3 might look like navigating a wiggly ladder, and at 8 it might mean climbing to the top of a playground tower. At 15, it might be racing a friend through an outdoor fitness playground. At 40, it could mean wondering whether you can still make it across the monkey bars.
And at 74? It might mean looking at the next obstacle and thinking, “Why not?”
Building Confidence Through The Outdoor Fitness Playground
Physical challenges can also create opportunities to practice persistence, problem-solving, confidence, healthy risk-taking and resilience.
Beird sees that connection from two perspectives, as both a ninja athlete and a teacher.
“Physical challenges are often easier for middle schoolers and teenagers to try versus a difficult subject in school,” she said. “If they can build their confidence completing these obstacles, they may have more confidence heading into the classroom.”
That’s what makes spaces like the NinjaFit Playground more than outdoor fitness equipment. They create opportunities to discover what our bodies can do, experience failure in a supportive environment and build the confidence to try again.
Katz hopes that spirit becomes part of the new playground’s identity. A year from now, she wants to see teens gathering, families challenging one another, people building confidence and strength, and community members encouraging each other.
Playgrounds don’t have to be places we leave behind as we grow up. By creating experiences that evolve with our abilities, interests and desire for challenge, we can invite more generations to keep moving and playing.
Because play is life-changing, no matter your age.
