emPOWER kids is located inside South Arlington Fitness & Nutrition, a gray building with a green stripe on the side. Address is 607 S. Ball St. Arlington, VA 22202
You may park in the lot located next to the gym, or there is ample street parking (free on Sundays!)
Masks for everyone, water bottle, yoga mat (if you have one.) Kids should dress in soft layers and athletic shoes. The gym can be cold with the doors open, but we will warm-up quickly.
Weekend Classes should enter the lobby through the glass main gym door located on S. Ball Street.
Weekday Classes may enter through the side door next to the garage door off the parking lot.
Please plan to arrive 5 minutes prior to your scheduled class time to allow time to get a nametag, receive temperature checks, sanitize hands, and get settled. Each child will have their own “magic carpet” floor space inside the gym. We ask that you try your best to arrive on time, as we set our intentions for the class upon arrival.
Children will only be allowed to remove masks once everyone is settled in their space and we begin our workout. Masks must be worn by all children when they are not in their designated “magic carpet” area. Adults must wear masks the entire time we are indoors.
· Only ONE caregiver per child may come indoors, in order to limit the number of people in our space. If you have other children, we are located right next to Long Bridge Park with a covered playground.
· Children under 5 require caregiver supervision for the duration of class. Caregivers will assist with social distancing and mask usage, as needed. We do allow additional children under age 2 to attend with caregivers, but they must remain with the caregiver at all times.
· We require caregivers of children under to 9 remain in the immediate area. Caregivers may stay inside the gym during class, using the wooden boxes or weight lifting benches for seating. We also have a small lobby area where three parents may sit socially distanced from others – seats are first come, first serve. Walking the park or sitting in the car are options as well, but please do not leave the area by car.
· For children 9 and up, please notify your teacher if you plan to leave the immediate area, and confirm emergency contact information prior to class.
All instructors are CPR/First Aid certified, USA Gymnastics PRO members, and SafeSport trained and background checked. While all activities come with inherent risk, we train children how to listen to their bodies and asses situations before performing every task. Our staff perform safety checks on equipment daily, provide soft landing mats, and work diligently to provide a safe environment for children to be physically active.
In addition to limiting the number of participants in each class and requiring masks, we have implemented strict policies and procedures to keep everyone safe.
TEMPERATURE CHECKS: Anyone entering the facility will have their temperature checked upon arrival. Individuals with elevated temperatures will not be allowed to attend class.
SOCIAL DISTANCING: Our Coaches will encourage students to maintain a minimum of 6ft during all activities. Our ideal distance is 10 feet, and stations will be spaced accordingly. Those who are unable to keep distance will receive a warning, followed by a break to discuss with parents, and lastly asked to come back and try the next week. Anyone having trouble following our distancing policy will be asked to wear a mask the entirety of subsequent classes.
AIR FLOW: Large garage doors will be OPEN unless outside temps require us to close them. The main door will always be open. An overhead fan will be running the duration of our time at the gym. We have installed air purifiers in the gym that recycle air at the rate of 5x/hour with industry-grade HEPA filters and tested the effectiveness of our setup by relying on a CO2 meter that gives us a sense of how well air is circulating inside the warehouse space.
SANITATION: All participants will be asked to sanitize hands upon arrival, and before using any shared equipment. We sanitize any shared equipment between classes. Thank you for your help in keeping everyone safe!
We do not offer refunds or guarantee make-up sessions for missed classes, but do our best to accommodate families as programming allows. We do not guarantee make-up classes due to inclement weather or instructor illness, but do our best to offer equitable solutions.