Our Why
At Organización de Amigos, we started with a simple but powerful mission: to break down the barriers that prevent children from accessing fitness and mentorship. For many families in our community, the cost of sports and busy schedules can make participation difficult. That’s why we’ve created a unique solution: we bring functional fitness programs directly to schools through our free after-school classes, helping students build confidence, strength, and lifelong healthy habits—all led by our coaches
To close opportunity gaps by partnering with Oregon public schools — prioritizing those serving low-income communities — to provide free, school-based after-school fitness and mentorship programs that strengthen youth development, family engagement, and community health.
Our Mission
To partner with every school within the public school system across Washington County. While we prioritize Title 1 schools that serve students facing financial barriers, our ultimate goal is to make our programs accessible to all students, regardless of school or background.
Our Vision
We believe that every child, no matter their circumstances, deserves the opportunity to engage in meaningful mentorship and fitness. By working directly within schools, we aim to create a more inclusive, equitable environment where students of all backgrounds can thrive—physically, emotionally, and socially.
Why Our Approach Works
Our programs are designed around two core priorities that guide every class we teach:
Making fitness fun
We believe kids learn best when they enjoy what they’re doing. Our coaches use partner workouts, team challenges, and game-based activities to make fitness engaging, social, and exciting. We intentionally create an environment where students look forward to moving their bodies and being part of a team.
Safe movement and proper mechanics
Safety and strong movement foundations come first. Every exercise is age-appropriate, scalable, and designed so students can progress at their own pace. We focus on teaching proper movement mechanics that build confidence and reduce injury risk while supporting long-term development.
Through this approach, student-athletes build strength and conditioning, cardiovascular endurance, gymnastics skills, agility, speed, and fundamental movement patterns. These elements are woven together to support holistic development—physically, mentally, and socially—and to help children build lifelong healthy habits they carry into adulthood.
We use fun warm-ups, creative games, and structured progressions that build community, bring joy to movement, and keep students engaged and coming back each day.
Our goal is simple: make fitness fun now, while teaching kids how to move well and safely so they can be healthy for life.
Our training methodology
We use an evidence-based CrossFit methodology adapted specifically for youth development. This approach builds fitness across the ten general physical skills:
Cardiovascular endurance – building a strong heart and lungs
Stamina – sustaining effort over time
Strength – safe, age-appropriate resistance training
Flexibility – improving mobility and range of motion
Power – explosive movement and coordination
Speed – quickness and reaction time
Coordination – moving efficiently and confidently
Agility – changing direction safely and effectively
Balance – stability and body control
Accuracy – precision in physical tasks
Our coaches are trained in a youth-focused methodology that is research-backed and centered on long-term wellness, safety, and skill development—moving far beyond outdated fitness stereotypes and instead focusing on whole-child development.
More Than a Fitness Class: Mentorship at Its Core
We don’t just teach physical fitness—we invest in the whole child.
Our program is designed with the understanding that schools today carry significant needs in both academic and social-emotional support. We see our role as an added layer of support for educators during the school day and for families at home. We are not replacing teachers or school staff—we are partnering with them to reinforce the values, expectations, and skills that help students thrive in and outside the classroom.
Our coaches receive ongoing training not only in movement and fitness, but also in youth development, classroom management strategies, and restorative practices. This allows us to meet students where they are and respond with consistency, care, and structure.
We aim for our coaches to be both a safe space and a source of challenge—adults who support students through difficulties while also holding them to high standards because we believe in their potential.
Our coaches show up consistently as trusted adults—people students can rely on for guidance, encouragement, and accountability. We intentionally build relationships so that every child feels seen, supported, and valued.
We also set high expectations. Each month, we focus on a specific core value such as respect, discipline, effort, or teamwork. These values are taught, modeled, and reinforced daily so students learn what it looks like to show up with purpose. Our message is clear: success is possible for every student, and it is built through consistent effort, positive choices, and a willingness to grow.
Through this approach, students develop more than fitness skills. They learn how to take responsibility for their actions, form positive relationships, and see themselves as capable, successful, and valuable members of their community.