Judge Al Davies and Crossfit for Change coach Jessica Cook speak to the children before starting their workout. T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — When you think of exercise you don’t typically think of children on probation.

Crossfit for Change has changed the game when it comes to physical fitness, leading to Belmont County children getting their lives back on the right track.

Crossfit for Change is a crossfit program operated through the Belmont County Juvenile Court system. It offers children involved in the juvenile justice system the chance to become physically fit, working out side-by-side with probation officers. It creates a safe place for the youth to talk about problems and have a positive role model.

On Thursday, Gulfport Energy donated a $5,000 check to Crossfit for Change to help fund the program.

“We’ve been very blessed by Gulfport Energy. This is the second year that they have donated $5,000 to our class,” Belmont County Juvenile Court Probation Officer and Crossfit for Change Coordinator Courtney Cook said. “We use that money for equipment, any extra clothing, food. We feed everyone at Crossfit after every workout, we give them a healthy snack or a meal to make sure that before they go home, they’re energized and replenished. We talk a lot about nutrition with them. And so that money really, really helps our program a ton.

“Our program is pretty much funded through grants and donations from the Mental Health and Recovery Board here in Belmont County and Gulfport,” Cook added. “Without them it really wouldn’t be possible.”

The program runs for five months and is usually set up so that the children complete the program and their probation simultaneously.

“One of my probation officers came to me with the idea for this program several years ago. There was only one other juvenile court in the state of Ohio at that time that had a Crossfit program. I love the idea, so we put it together. I’ve got a phenomenal staff, and it’s a well oiled machine now that we’ve been doing for three years,” Belmont County Juvenile Court Judge Al Davies said. “We have a lot of great programs in the juvenile court to help kids and families, but I’ve got to say this one, Crossfit for Change, is probably my favorite because it hits so many areas in a child’s development. It helps them physically, obviously, it helps them emotionally, and it helps them mentally.

“They’re working side by side with their probation officer, seeing their probation officer in a different light and they’re making friends with other kids that are in the program,” Davies added. “It’s just a wonderful thing to see the progression in these kids.”

He added that there is one of two ways that the children will enter the program: he will either order them into the program during criminal proceedings or their probation officer may decide to order them into the program.

He said that he’s given probation officers the authority to assign children into the program.

Davies then said that Crossfit for Change would not be possible without the tremendous support from its sponsors who are able to help fund the program.

He thanked Gulfport Energy, United Way, and the Belmont, Harrison, Monroe Mental Health and Recovery Board for helping fund the program as well as OV Crossfit for providing a location to host the program.