Children across the state are in for an exciting event this weekend as the first ever State Ninja Games comes to Westfield. Ninja athletes will converge on the IMMI Conference Center on Sunday for the first-ever event of its size, with over 100 participants from 15 Indiana gyms. Ninja participants will represent their home gym at the competition, where athletes ages 3 to 13 jumping, kicking and spinning their way to victory.
The Ninja Games is part of the wildly successful youth athletics craze, NinjaZone, which is gaining international attention with over 300 locations around the world. There are currently 15 NinjaZone facilities in Indiana, and each has been invited to participate in the main event on Sunday, Feb. 24 – the first ever State Ninja Games competition.
Ninja warriors from across Indiana will compete this weekend in Westfield. (Photo provided)
During the event, the children will run through several obstacle courses designed to test skill, speed, determination and sportsmanship. Ninjas participate in groups based on skill level, beginning with the youngest athletes – the Lil’ Ninjas, ages 3 to 5 – and progressing up through colored headband levels: White, yellow, green, blue and purple. Observers of the Ninja Games will see everything from a simple forward roll to impressive mid-air twists and flips. To say this competition has kids ‘flipping off the walls’ is an understatement.
NinjaZone is the brainchild of longtime gymnastics gym owner and 2018 Indianapolis Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, Casey Wright. Established in 2015 in Carmel, the excitement of “Ninja Sport” spread quickly, and the NinjaZone licensing program now has over 300 locations in 43 states, in eight countries, on four continents. The Ninja Games is the competitive arm of this new sport, hosted in NinjaZone licensed facilities. The competition adds another level of excitement to the already fast-paced and skill-rich curriculum that gyms are used to executing, within their weekly NinjaZone classes. The Ninja Games often involves one or several gyms in a close geographical area, but this state-wide event is the first of this kind, anywhere.
“I think state and regional Ninja Games competitions will begin popping up more frequently now, as we continue to grow as a company, and excitement continues to build around the sport,” said Audra Dittlinger, Director of Licensing and Support for NinjaZone. “We’re looking forward to having a national event in the near future, as well.”
Sunday’s Ninja Games is part of a complete “ninja-fied” weekend, beginning on Friday, Feb. 22 with the kickoff of NinjaCon, the annual conference for coaches and owners of Ninja Sport facilities, powered by Ninja Sports International. NinjaCon focuses on skill-building, coaching best practices, early and middle child development and education, as well as business and professional development. NinjaCon is in its second year and will host over 150 owners and coaches from all over the country this weekend.
To learn more about NinjaZone and the Ninja Games, visit theninjazone.com and ninjasportsinternational.com. Follow NinjaCon 2019 on social media using #NinjaCon2019.