How We Design
Our Priorities
- Movement quality is prioritized over speed, load or intensity — scoring must account for it.
- Youth athletes are given movement options; growing humans need to adjust as they change.
- Youth events should not look like adult competitions — tasks are based on what's developmentally best.
- Technical Officials can require a safety stoppage when a safety fault is made.
- The environment is responsive to children's bio-psycho-social needs, allowing parent/guardian and coach interaction.
- Programs follow local youth-protection laws — background checks, child-specific CPR and AED where appropriate.
Age-Appropriate
Challenges by Age
When speaking with other adults the tasks are referred to as Tests; with youth athletes the preferred term is Challenges. Competitions run in the following age groups:
Ages 8–11
Participation-based Movement Solution Challenges with difficulty options and no true scoring — e.g. traversing a zone of obstacles by any chosen method.
Age 12
Fully scored competition begins no earlier than age 12. Tasks are called “Challenges” when speaking with athletes.
Ages 13–14
Scored challenges across Strength, Bodyweight, Endurance, Mixed Modal and Movement Solution categories.
Ages 15–16
Scored challenges across the same categories, scaled for the age group.
Ages 17–18
Scored challenges across the same categories, scaled for the age group.
Ages 19–20
Scored challenges across the same categories, scaled for the age group.
Coaching
Education & Safeguarding
IF3 offers the Youth Fitness Competition Course covering competition design, testing, scoring and athlete nourishment, and endorses the Professional Youth Coach Certification (PYCC) — an accredited, self-paced course — so every youth coach is prepared to be on the floor. Movement safety checks are performed before competition by a trained TO, and current IF3 Movement Standards apply.