Programme
The Foundations of a Gymnastics Club checklist covered creating an exciting timetable that showcases what your club has to offer, and marketing your offer to the community to recruit members. The Developing a Gymnastics club checklist ensured that the programme you offer meets operational requirements for safety and that it promotes a positive gymnast experience! In this section we will highlight some areas to help you ensure that your programme is the best it can be. This includes areas such as encouraging youth voice in your clubs and ensuring that your programmes are inclusive.
Youth voice:
Providing an inclusive and progressive programme:
British Gymnastics believes that gymnastics should be open and accessible to anyone who wants to be involved, whether that’s a gymnast, a coach, an official, a volunteer or a fan. Ensuring that your programme is inclusive means that you are offering gymnastics opportunities for your whole community.
Having a programme that allows for progression will aid retention of your gymnasts. If your gymnasts don’t see progression, or there are no opportunities for progression they will become bored which may cause them to leave. Progression doesn’t always have to mean just offering higher skill level sessions, but can also include offering a variety of other opportunities such as competitions, festivals, and displays to keep gymnasts feeling motivated.
Assessing my club…
Do you ensure that the children have a voice within your club and that your club has a child centred approach?
Try to think of different ways in which you can involve young people in your club and ensure that they are heard. The Youth Sport Trust has a toolkit with some real life examples of how several different schools engaged with their pupils to help make decisions.
It is important to ensure that the gymnasts are at the centre of all decisions made within your club. One way to ensure this is to ensure that your gymnasts have a voice and their opinions are listened to and valued when decisions are being made that affect them.
Does your club gather feedback from its members?
When acting on feedback from members, ensure that you regularly refer to your club vision and values to help keep your club ethos alive.
Feedback from your club members is important to ensure that you are meeting the needs of your customers, this is essential for the growth and success of your business.
Do you provide opportunities for gymnast as they grow?
As your gymnasts grow they may want to becoming a young leader within your club, or become an apprentice as a school leaver. British Gymnastics have two great programmes to support you in these areas; The My Leadership Programme, and the Apprenticeship Programme
It is important to think about ongoing opportunities for your gymnasts to keep them wanting to be involved with gymnastics. Goal setting can help you with this process. You may also want to consider what opportuniies you can offer, such as competitions and festivals.
Is your gymnastics offer fully inclusive?
The Activity Alliance have some great resources to aid clubs with inclusivity.
British Gymnastics believes that gymnastics should be open and accessible to anyone who wants to be involved, whether that’s a gymnast, a coach, an official, a volunteer or a fan. Our dedicated equality, diversity & inclusion webpage is there to support you with becoming more inclusive.
Does your programme offer opportunity for progression and recognition?
As well as a progressive programme and recognition for your gymnasts, it is also important to think about additional opportunities to keep them engaged. You might want to consider entering festivals or competitions.
Having a programme that allows for progression and recognition will aid retention of your gymnasts. If your gymnasts don’t see progression, or are not recognised for their achievements, they will become bored which may cause them to leave. British Gymnastics have a programme and award scheme exclusive to registered clubs. Rise Gymnastics Programme and Award Scheme is a fun packed programme and award scheme that provides a progressive journey through recreational gymnastics. There is also a competition framework that clubs can use.
Do you have a coach development plan in place to meet the needs of your gymnasts as they progress?
It is also important to have a coach development plan in place to aid with job satisfaction of your coaches. CPD will keep your coaches engaged and motivated, as well as ensuring your programme meets the needs of your gymnasts. UK Coaching have some great resources to aid your coaches development.
Developing your coaches will ensure that they have the correct qualifications to coach the level of skill and gymnastics discipline required. Coaches can only coach within the syllabus of their current qualification, it is important to refer to these when making changes to your programme.
Do you understand how to make the most of your coaches and space for maximum gymnast capacity?
Try thinking about the different sessions and activities that could offer, for example you may want to consider adding preschool sessions or freestyle sessions. It is important to assess your community to ensure that your sessions and offering meet their needs.
By using your coaches and space effectively to maximise gymnast capacity, this will not only benefit you financially, but ensures that you can offer more children in your community the opportunity to take part in gymnastics.
Do you provide adequate information to ensure your staff are aware of the following:
*Best practice for Flexibility Training
*Handling pain and injury of gymnasts
*How to manage gymnast hydration
*Best practice for weight management of gymnasts
*Best practice for Academic education of gymnasts
Do your staff know your clubs process and policy for each of these areas?
As well as ensuring that your staff understand each of the policies, it is important to ensure that these are put in to practice, and that your clubs procedures and policies regarding these areas are followed at all times.
Flexibility training – best practice and guidelines
Pain & injury – gymnastics best practice and guidelines
Hydration – best practice and guidelines
It is important to provide adequate information and training to ensure that all of your staff understand the areas listed, and that they are also familiar with your clubs process for each area.
Flexibility training – best practice and guidelines
Pain & injury – gymnastics best practice and guidelines
Hydration – best practice and guidelines
Remember
Action
Take a look at your My Leadership Academy webpage for more information on setting up a leadership academy.
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Call the Club line 0345 5150680* memberservices@british-gymnastics.org For more information about member benefits visit https://www.british-gymnastics.org/member-benefits
