SBG Bend’s Kids Leadership Program (On and Off the Mats)
Most parents don’t bring their kids to SBG Bend just to burn energy.
You’re here because you want your child to be:
- Confident, not cocky
- Kind, not a pushover
- Tough, not reckless
The Growing Gorillas Leadership Team is where that really gets built.
It’s our kids leadership program for youth and teens at SBG Bend—designed to turn good students into role models, junior coaches, and community leaders. Yes, they’ll learn cool Jiu-Jitsu. But more importantly, they’ll learn how to communicate, teach, lead, and live like the kind of young person you actually want in your house and on their school campus.
What Is the Growing Gorillas Leadership Team?
Think of the Leadership Team as the “next layer” of our kids BJJ program.
Kids still train in their regular BJJ classes, but Leadership students get extra training in:
- Coaching and communication
- Teaching and public speaking
- Healthy lifestyle habits
- Responsibility and community service
Instead of just learning “how to fight better,” they learn how to:
- Help younger kids feel safe and included
- Coach teammates in a positive, effective way
- Teach warm-ups and techniques to a group
- Make better choices around food, sleep, and screen time
- Volunteer and give back
It’s very much “from white belt to role model.”
Who Is the Leadership Program For?
The Leadership Team is built for kids and teens (roughly ages 7–16) who:
- Already train at SBG Bend in our Growing Gorillas / Explorers / kids BJJ programs
- Show consistent effort, focus, and respect during class
- Want more responsibility, challenge, and ownership
They don’t have to be the loud, outgoing kid. Some of our best leaders started out shy and quiet—they just needed structure, reps, and coaches who expect more from them.
The Four-Chevron Leadership Path
The Growing Gorillas Leadership Program is built around four “chevrons.” Each chevron represents a new level of responsibility and skill:
- Blue Coaching Chevron
- Purple Teaching Chevron
- Brown Samurai Lifestyle Chevron
- Gold Leadership / Volunteering Chevron
Let’s break them down.
Blue Coaching Chevron
Learning to Coach Like a Samurai
At Blue, kids learn how to be great mat-side coaches and training partners.
They study the SUPER 7 Samurai Coaching Tips, which teach them how to:
- Speak loud and clear (without yelling or losing composure)
- Calmly reassure a nervous or overwhelmed teammate
- Keep it simple: one clear action cue at a time
- Call out time and score without spiraling their partner into panic
- Speak in “DO” language instead of “don’t”
“Base wide!” instead of “Don’t get swept!” - Tell teammates how to act, not just what to do
“Bridge and shrimp!” instead of “Get out of there!” - Never make excuses—focus on effort and what to improve next time
On top of that, they learn the basics of IBJJF-style scoring and etiquette:
- What earns 2, 3, and 4 points
- What counts as an advantage
- Why you must freeze on “PAROU” and listen to the ref
- How to show respect before, during, and after a match
By the time they earn their Blue Coaching Chevron, your child can stand at the edge of the mat, keep their cool, and actually help a teammate with real, technical, positive coaching.
That’s confidence under pressure.
Purple Teaching Chevron
From “I Know the Move” to “I Can Teach the Move”
Purple is where kids start to function like junior instructors.
We teach them a simple, powerful teaching framework called PEMDI:
- P – Perform: Show the move once at live speed so the class sees the big picture.
- E – Explain: Break it into 3–5 clear steps in kid-friendly language.
- M – Mistakes: Point out common errors and safety issues—and how to fix them.
- D – Demonstrate: Repeat the move slowly, from multiple angles, so everyone can see.
- I – Involve: Ask questions, run a drill, and get the class actively doing the move.
They also learn to “preframe” a lesson by answering the question:
“Why should I care?”
Every technique they teach starts with:
- A quick hook (story or question)
- Why the move matters in training and in life
- What benefit the student gets from learning it
- A roadmap of what they’re about to learn
On the mats, this means your kid can stand in front of a group, make eye contact, use names, and lead a warm-up or technique with confidence.
Off the mats, it turns into better school presentations, clearer communication with adults, and a kid who doesn’t mumble at the ground when they talk.
Brown Samurai Lifestyle Chevron
Food, Sleep, Screens, and Self-Leadership
Brown Chevron zooms out to the bigger picture: how your child lives.
We teach kids a very simple nutrition maxim:
“If it runs, flies, swims, or grows in the ground—eat it. Green is a Samurai’s favorite color.”
From there, they learn:
- The basics of protein, carbs, and healthy fats
- The difference between “power foods” and “empty calories”
- Why water matters (and how to spot dehydration)
- How sleep affects growth, mood, and injury risk
- How too much screen time hits focus, behavior, and sleep
- Simple tools for organization and time management
– Time-blocking a “Samurai Day”
– Sorting tasks into “do now” vs “schedule” vs “limit” vs “drop” - Mindset skills: positive self-talk, self-compassion, and goal setting
They log their food and lifestyle habits for several weeks and connect what they put in their body—and how much they rest—with how they feel in training, at school, and at home.
Brown is where “my kid does Jiu-Jitsu” starts to look more like “my kid is actually learning how to take care of themselves.”
Gold Leadership Chevron
Volunteering, Mentorship, and Real-World Service
Gold is the big one. It’s where Leadership Team kids start to give back.
To earn their Gold Chevron, students:
- Volunteer as a Junior Assistant Coach in kids classes
- Serve at least 12 hours (usually 1 hour a week for 3 months)
- Log their time on a Community Service Time Log
- Meet with their coach to reflect on what they learned
Junior Assistants help:
- Welcome new and shy students
- Tie belts and adjust uniforms
- Demonstrate warm-ups and basic drills
- Support the head coach by keeping lines organized and kids focused
- Encourage younger kids with specific, positive feedback
They’re supervised the whole time. We’re not throwing them in the deep end. But we are giving them real responsibility, and kids rise to that.
And yes—because we’re not completely heartless—they earn Monkey Bucks for their volunteer time, which they can use on gear and pro shop goodies.
What a Leadership Session Looks Like
Leadership training is built into 30-minute blocks that run alongside our standard kids BJJ schedule.
A typical session might include:
- Mat Chat: Short discussion on a leadership topic – coaching language, etiquette, nutrition, time management, etc.
- Skill of the Day:
- Practicing referee commands and hand signals
- Running PEMDI on a favorite technique
- Rephrasing “don’t” coaching into DO coaching
- Building a preframe for a warm-up or move
- Role Rotations:
- One kid plays coach
- One plays referee
- One keeps score/time
- Two roll or drill
- Quick Reflection:
“What did you do well today?”
“What’s one thing you’ll do better next time?”
It still feels like Jiu-Jitsu. They’re moving, drilling, and rolling. It’s just more intentional, with leadership baked in.
What Parents Actually Notice
Here’s what we hear from parents of Leadership Team kids:
- “They started helping their little sibling with homework instead of roasting them.”
- “They’re less crushed by losses and more focused on ‘what can I fix?’”
- “They’re packing their own gear and reminding me about water.”
- “Teachers are telling us they’re speaking up more in class.”
On our end, we see:
- Cleaner etiquette and better sportsmanship at events
- Kids who step in to help new students, unprompted
- More controlled, technical rolling (less wild flailing, more awareness)
- Teens who can handle feedback, pressure, and leadership responsibilities
That’s the whole point.
Do They Have to Compete?
Nope.
We use competition-style rules, scoring, and coaching as a teaching tool—but the Leadership Program is about growth, not medals.
If your child does want to compete, the Leadership path pairs perfectly with our Submission Samurai competition team. If not, they still get all the communication, teaching, lifestyle, and leadership benefits.
How to Get Your Child on the Leadership Path
If your child is already training with us at SBG Bend:
- Talk to their coach after class and ask if they’re ready for the Growing Gorillas Leadership Team.
- Stop by the front desk and ask about adding the Leadership Team upgrade to your membership.
- Tell your child why you’re doing it: because you see leadership potential in them—not because they need to be “perfect.”
If you’re not a member yet:
- Book a free trial kids BJJ class, come see the gym, and ask about the Leadership Team while you’re here.
From White Belt to Role Model
Stripes on your child’s belt are great.
But the real win is when they:
- Look a new kid in the eye and say, “Hey, I’ll be your partner—let me show you how this works.”
- Lose a match, take a breath, and ask, “What can I fix for next time?”
- Start choosing better food, better sleep, and better use of their time because they understand the “why.”
That’s what the Growing Gorillas Leadership Team is built to create.
If you want your child to learn to fight well and live well, not just collect belts, the Leadership Program is the next step.
