FORT MYERS, Fla. — Do you worry about your child’s mental health and confidence? You’re not alone.
Senior Reporter Emily Young learns how one local gym is changing lives:
As parents across Southwest Florida look for ways to help their children build resilience and step away from screens, one Fort Myers gym is offering something different — teaching kids how to fall, get back up and keep going, both on the course and in real life.
At Ultimate Ninjas Academy Fort Myers, the focus goes far beyond obstacle courses. Coaches said they are helping children develop confidence, perseverance and lifelong skills in an environment designed to challenge and support them at the same time.
For many parents, watching a child struggle can feel heartbreaking, especially when they aren’t sure how to help.
Amanda Coone knows that feeling well.
Her 6-year-old son, Noah, was born with Hypotonia. It's a low muscle tone condition that affects his neck, chest and arms. She said when things got difficult, he would often shut down. He doubted himself. He gave up before he even tried.
But that’s not the case anymore.
Now, Amanda said Noah is hanging from monkey bars — holding his own body weight — something that once felt impossible. He's climbing rock walls, balancing across narrow beams, and jumping to platforms that require both strength and courage.
Coaches break each obstacle into small steps — so every time he makes it a little farther, or holds on a little longer, he builds proof that he can do hard things.
For the first time, she said, he truly believes in himself — and she calls that absolutely priceless.
“Instead of being afraid of other human interaction which I feel like that's what happening with kids right now, they don't know how to connect with other people and talk about things so they get in their head. But when you're here that's all you do,” Amanda said.
Parents said the gym creates more than physical strength. It builds connection. Every obstacle is approached as a team effort, with kids cheering one another on and learning how to push through challenges together.
In a time when many children feel isolated or overwhelmed, families said this space offers something powerful: community, movement, a safe place to fail — and most importantly, hope.
For kids like Noah, that hope is turning into confidence — one obstacle at a time.
