Welcome to Team UP’s 2024-25 competitive Ninja Team! Our new training schedule begins on Tuesday, September 3rd. Team UP is a yearly commitment running from September through August, with the regular season starting in September and the post-season concluding towards the end of June (March for Tier 2).

All competitions listed on our Team Schedule are required and take priority over any other ninja-related activities or events. Please sign up for all competitions on our schedule promptly to avoid missing out due to full registrations. Any scheduling conflicts or potential absences should be communicated as soon as possible.

We will have a system in place to log and track competition participation, partly to make it easier for coaches to prepare weekend schedules, as well as to keep track of results.

We recommend staying close to our Team competition schedule during off weekends, as we will host various activities throughout the season, especially on weekends, to maximize our team's performance and growth. Please limit each team member’s overall competition participation to no more than 12-15 competitions to prevent burnout unless approved by Coach Thomas.

Competitive Fee covers both travel costs & coaching fees for Team coaches. Tier 1 Regular season - $150, Tier 2 Regular season, $75, Tier 1 & 2 regular season - $175. This also includes one Team T-shirt, additional options will be available through the online store. The competitive fee is not refundable. Regionals & Worlds will be a separate amount. *Note that a $30 membership fee will not be included this year in the competitive fee, a one-time fee will be charged (one per family) along with every active member on December 31st, 2024 and this fee will last all of 2025.

Practice is 2 days a week, 1.5 hours practice at $150 a month tuition. Athletes should arrive on time and be ready to work. Note that our gym will be very busy this school year and we strongly encourage the Team to be dropped off for practice, especially during peak hours (est. 5:15-6:30 pm). If drop-off is not possible please limit one car per family. Team will not have makeup classes unless a class is canceled due to an emergency. However, we will provide a code for Open Gym that can be used as a makeup for classes missed due to illness. This code is limited to one monthly use and should be used for illness-related absences only. The cancelation fee for Team is a flat $150 and must be made before the next month’s tuition is charged (the last day of each month).

Thomas, A.J., and Jasper will be our core Team coaches this season for both practice and competition. We also have several backup coaches to assist with any scheduling conflicts, illness, or emergencies throughout the year, including Josiah, Zac, John, Laura, Kristen, and potentially some new hires down the road.

Only UP-approved coaches are permitted to coach Team athletes in any official UP or WNL event. While WNL coaching certification is required to coach at these events, it alone does not meet all of our requirements. We prefer a trained coach from our team or one hand-selected from another team to guide our athletes.

Side-line coaching is not permitted at any time. This includes before, during, and after practice, open gym, and competitions. Please be especially considerate of team athletes who are not your own.

We will offer extra skill classes, including competition prep sessions, throughout the season. While these are not required, they are strongly encouraged and should still take priority over any other ninja-related activities or events.

Open Gym is half-price for all team members using a code provided at the beginning of the school year session. This code is intended for use by Team members only and their immediate family members who are currently enrolled in classes at UP.

Private Lessons are available to schedule with Thomas, A.J., and other coaches. Pricing and scheduling for these lessons will be variable, depending on coach availability and the specific needs of the athlete. Please reach out directly to coordinate a time that works best.

Team practice will continue through the summer (June through August). Pricing and payment structures will be adjusted accordingly. The total cost will be reduced to account for WNL Worlds, family vacations, and the adjusted schedule for July and August post-Worlds. This will be a one-time fee for the entire summer instead of a monthly fee. Please note that the Team-only camp will have a separate cost, and all available Team members are expected to attend.

We will be using the "Heja" app to communicate all team information this year. A link and instructions for the app will be sent out after registration is complete. The Facebook Parent Group 👈 will also remain active, allowing parents to communicate and share social team events.