From the moment I first saw Gymnastics on the TV it was all I wanted to do. So this club was my world, my second home and I loved every single moment, well almost!
There is so much more to gymnastics than just flicking and flying around bars, making the perfect landing. This sport is now set up to be perfect for anyone to access through unique and diverse programmes in Gymnastics for all, the dementia project, gym for all, soft play sessions, badges and gym fit, not to mention Disability Gymnastics and trampolining programmes, right through to recreational gymnastics and of course top level competition.
So to begin we take a nostalgic viewpoint with a modern twist to show how this club was way ahead of the times, even though it no longer exists the club call still be celebrated and remembered for what it did for a local community for over 20 years!
So why a club that is no longer running and why Gymnastics ????
The Beginning
From the day that I first watched gymnastics that was all I wanted to do. Nothing else just gymnastics…
The very first day that I eventually got to the top of a long waiting list and was heading to Gymnastics excited more than you could believe there was snow on the ground! I don’t mean just a bit, we’re talking wellington boots high but nothing was stopping me going! At just 6 years old the wait to join seemed like forever. But from that very first day my destiny was found, my happy place, my safe place, joy and happiness, this club was where I grew up, although an individual sport we worked together, spent our childhood together, supporting each other as we progressed. Competing against each other but willing each other on as well.
Clacton Gymnastics club was a club ahead of the times. A leading light and learning as it grew. A wealth of opportunities, determination, passionate coaches and a welcoming environment. This club really kept you hooked. Everyone was welcome, the environment so positive, always well managed and organised. Each session complementing the next, small steps to achieve the basics to perfection which enable the next level of skill to be achieved.
Let us look at my enchanted love of gymnastics, my journey with Clacton gymnastics club that spanned for nearly 20 years before I introduce you to two inspirational gymnasts and the variety of programmes and opportunities for participation and watching that this truly mesmerising sport have to offer.
The commitment of our head coach was the result of so many chances to do so many different things within one sporting club. Networking and linking to provide something unique.
Progress Analysis & Teaching Styles
Everyone started from scratch and progressed at their own pace, working through the grades at their own speed and skills. On ‘testing’ nights skills had to be perfect to get the much needed ticks at each level, with progress managed through a dot to show that you tried, a dotted tick to say nearly there and a full tick completed the move brilliantly, it had to be right. Everything about this was positive and the atmosphere always one of calm but busy, hard working and well organised. The joy of getting 8 ticks and receiving your badge and certificate expertly written in calligraphy pens was always a special moment and moved you one step up the ladder into the next class! I can still feel and visualise how it felt to finally get a challenging move or routine together. Nothing like that sense of achievement.
No one was excluded and no one made to do things they weren’t ready for, although we were obviously pushed a bit, but with skills that are dangerous we always needed to be prepared and ready both mentally and physically and if spotting / catching was needed that’s what we got until we were brave enough to have a go on our own. Trying was rewarded more than actual success in a number of situations and highlighted in every club competition that we did and competitions and displays which we regularly did as a club.
At Home
I would wear out the carpet walking through my beam routines, or my floor routine. Mum made a special cushion for me as I was always upside down! In holidays I used to watch all the big Gymnastics competitions over and over and then try and learn and practice their choreography!
Competition Team
When I was asked to be a part of the competition team I was really excited and scared at the same time. It was like a real honour and we would get to wear leotards that were especially for competition but they always had to be returned. I always remember that we weren’t allowed to wash them. Our coach did them all in one go in case something went wrong and they would all be affected! Competitions were always nerve racking but enjoyable as well although you had to hold your focus a lot longer and we had to adapt to the equipment and sprung floors as we trained on basic ones that had velcro to join them together and everything had to be set up and put down again after each session we had. This had a real element of fun for us.
Injuries and illness
Even through injuries and illness there was still plenty of things to do. Everyone could still do something and this was supported all the time. With gymnastics if you hurt your leg you can generally work a bit on bars, if you hands are ‘ripped’ to shreds from the bars then you can work the other pieces. However, longer term more serious conditions led to tighter restrictions but whenever I was injured I was always there to get my gym fix in anyway that I could.
Trip to Biberach in 1990.
Our first major trip was to Biberach in Germany, through our local Town Twinning programme. This gave us a great opportunity to compete abroad as a team. It was amazing to get selected and remember being the first to get my form back to allow me to go! Strangely, I don’t have many memories of the gymnastics for this trip, apart from the fact that I have a lovely Gold Medal with Biberach 1990 written on it and vague memories of trying out the equipment in a pre-competition session! Although I do remember a lot of experiences that we had with the lady that looked after us.
Coaching
I was always proud of my volunteering as my coach asked me to help her with the beginners in the club. Not able to get my coaching course complete until the year of turning 16, once I committed for a term my fees and insurance were paid instead. This was a proud moment that I could boast to my parents and meant that they could get me the leotards and tracksuits as and when available which was a win, win situation and was a great opportunity as I loved helping the little ones as they started out on their tentative pathways. There was another added bonus. Being asked to do a lot of demonstrations improved my own basic skills that are vital to achieving the harder skills. If you can’t do a forward roll, you won’t be able to do a somersault, without a bunny hop theres no chance of a cartwheel….. think you’ll get what I mean here!
As I moved through my coaching badges it wasn’t long until I was running sessions on my own and during ‘squad’ training I had the ‘second string’ team under my trusted wing which was brilliant. For some reason coaching was something that was so rewarding and exciting. In some ways I was a much better coach than gymnast and preferred working with the group I had since that’s where I used to sit most of the time so I understood how they were feeling.
Fundraising
Fund raising was always essential. Gymnastics equipment was and still remains extremely expensive. Over the years we were a part of the committees drive and determination to look at different ways to raise money, from the obvious sponsored events to jumble sales, displays and the more adventurous. My personal favourite was the parent and gym session. It took a lot of planning but was so much fun and we raised loads. A bit like a ‘bring your child to work day’ but the other way around, being bring your parent to gymnastics day! I don’t think we have ever laughed or smiled as much as we did that week! Parents were fantastic sports as the children led their parents through their training regime. Not wanting to be left out my late Father was desperate to come and it was hilarious. But just shows the level of innovation and the way we all worked together in imaginative ways.
I have a vivid memory one year we were in the middle of our club championship when a brand new beam entered the arena! The fruits of our hardworking fundraising team. Up until then we had a plank of wood with supports at each end that rested on two old fashioned boxes! We were allowed to compete on whichever one we wanted - pointless to say that we chose the new soft one and think I did my best routine ever and landed my first club championship win!
Team Gymnastics
Incredible opportunity to participate in Team Gymnastics. Group of us were able to participate in this purely down to our incredible coach and her drive to get three of us involved in something new. A group of us from local clubs coming together to build a team that could give us ‘older’ gymnasts who in the ‘old’ days were getting to the ‘retirement’ stage of the sport in terms of competition the chance to compete in a new strain of the sport reserved for those who were over 16 years of age. Just making the team was fantastic and then to travel to the National Championships was a really unthinkable situation but to come away with a medal and to have an invite to compete in the European Championships was not something that I could ever have imagined reaching although I had dreamt of it and wished I was could be as good as the Olympic gymnasts! That was never going to happen!
This however was something never to be forgotten. Twelve gymnasts from all over Essex coming together to forge a team. We worked our socks off to be ready for competition as a group, often practicing in community halls, dance studios and any gym that had space! I can still recall the first day that we walked together in our tracksuits, heads held high for our first ‘training’ experience. From the training, working with new coaches, travelling as a team in all our kit, the experience of training slots in the practice gym and the main podium, the huge audience, the team passes which allowed us to go to the canteen whenever we wanted, to walking out behind the GB flag at the closing ceremony. Even just the team travelling in all our special kit and sharing rooms in a youth hostel. I recall this worked well as it happened there were 6 of us quieter ones and 6 a bit more rowdy if you like so the room buddies were great and we were well catered for as well. We featured on TV both locally and on Eurosport in all but the UK which was a real shame. On top we had to get sponsors and raise money to get ourselves there as in those days the funding to compete abroad was limited and our positions subsidised. But we ended up ranked 15th in Europe so a great achievement.
I still have my tracksuit is still sitting in my wardrobe, along with my t-shirts and the clock that hangs proudly that I managed to purchase for my parents. That was back in 1996 and still going strong! Seeing it always makes me smile.
Bringing it all together
Gymnastics was my passion and finding a club that really was my ‘best fit’ has probably been why in some cases although other clubs in other sports have still inspired me and have harnessed very happy memories that I still cherish this remains my number one and I am sure the same goes for other people who have switched between sports and various clubs to find the best place for you to enjoy and thrive.
If something here has made you think about gymnastics for yourself or a family member or friend then there are many options and opportunities for you to get involved in. All levels of participation are available right from babies up to the oldest person, with the ability to access programmes at your own level, speed and time. You are never too old to have a go.
All the information and links that you need are below. There is certainly a lot here as you will see. Just because it’s called ‘Gymnastics’ by no means excludes anyone with a mental health condition, long term medical condition, a physical disability or a learning disability. This sport is highly inclusive and this brings me back to the most important part of this blog going right back to our incredible head coach who ran a club way ahead of it’s time with far less funding opportunities and support mechanisms than are available to coaches right now.
The biggest sadness/void though is that there is no club to return to. With new programmes allowing participation at all levels that are geared towards those with long term health conditions and disabilities it’s a real shame, but for the years it lasted it was something very special to be a part of and not anything that can be replaced. However, let’s now get you inspired and show you how you really can find gymnastics accessible to you.
With the popularity of the sport growing fast in this country with the success of our elite athletes and the amazing input from top coaches just watching can be incredible and at times a bit scary! If you’ve never watched a Men’s High Bar Final then you are really missing out! Have a look at this one for a start! https://youtu.be/606MB0GFsgg
Two Truly Inspirational Gymnasts
Just to show what can be achieved in gymnastics is a total inspiration in Canadian Gymnast Nathan Gafuik. Our first connection was through an Addison’s disease (when the adrenal glands no longer produce cortisol that is essential for dealing with stress placed upon the body. It takes a lot of careful monitoring and the need to take steroid medication to replace the cortisol. It is a potentially life threatening condition) twitter chat but his resume is outstanding! Of course we aren’t all going to get to Nathan’s Level, especially us oldies but it does show that a long term health condition in some cases can be managed and allow participation to a high level. There is a great article about how he has managed the additional challenges he has had to face using this link;
Another inspiration is Simone Biles who suffers from ADHD. Simone is an incredible gymnast and in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics she is head and shoulders above everyone else but only recently were we to learn that she had ADHD which was raised because Russian Hackers revealed she had tested positive for Ritalin, a medication readily used. The full story can be read below;
If you want to read more about her then head to her official site and at the link below you can even read a free chapter of her book.
Now let’s get you started!
These links are all from the British Gymnastics Site and the italics are direct quotes to ensure you get the best description of each programme featured and there are more! These are just a few of the most relevant ones;
Club search
If you are ready to leap in then this link will take you directly to the club search;
Gymnastics For All
‘Gymnastics for All is about 'More Opportunities for More People' and offers a wide range of experiences for participants and spectators while providing the opportunity to focus on fun, fitness, friendship and fundamentals………..Gymnastics for All also provides opportunities for international representation. Every four years the World Gymnaestrada sees in excess of 20,000 Gymnastics for All enthusiasts the world over, come together to perform routines of national and cultural significance in front of adorning fans from all corners of the globe. With age and ability no barriers to participation, the World Gymnaestrada epitomises the philosophy of Gymnastics for All’.
Adult’s Gymnastics / Competition.
Want to compete? You can’t do much better than the National Championships;
‘A competition open to anyone aged 18 and over, regardless of experience or ability, with the opportunity to socialise and compete. The event creates a fun and relaxed atmosphere where competitors can meet like-minded people whilst showcasing their gymnastics skills to one another. It is a multi-discipline event where competitors can enter Acrobatic, Men’s Artistic, Trampoline, Tumbling or Women’s Artistic competitions. Adults may even choose to enter several disciplines. To get involved, why not join our ‘Adult Gymnastics’ Facebook group and become part of this fantastic community’.(https://www.british-gymnastics.org/clubs/gymnastics-for-all-activities/adult-gymnastics)
Disability Gymnastics
British Gymnastics strongly support integration of gymnasts into clubs who are well prepared. However, there are options to attend dedicated sessions if that is your preference. Could be less intimidating, especially if you have mental health problems.
‘Mainstream gymnastics can be adapted to include people with a physical or learning disability, sensory impairments or health conditions’ (https://www.british-gymnastics.org/discover/disability-gymnastics)
You can search for a club and disability sessions here: https://www.british-gymnastics.org/discover/disability-gymnastics where you can also watch a great video of what’s on offer!
Gym Fit
‘GymFit is a programme which can be used to improve the general fitness and physical condition of your participants via a series of fun and challenging exercise work cards. There are beginner, intermediate and advanced work cards which work the upper body, lower body, core and cardio vascular system. The programme is flexible in application and is suitable for a wide range of ability groups. It can be adapted for use by small or large groups, individuals and disabled participants’.
Love to Move
‘This is a chair-based age and dementia friendly gymnastics exercise programme, developed by the British Gymnastics Foundation. Specially designed to get older people moving and functioning better, the programme is proving particularly beneficial for people living with dementia’.
You can download a booklet here and access some online sessions to follow;
For any additional information you can follow this link; britishgymnasticsfoundation.org
Whatever you choose - good luck and enjoy!!
Coming up next time - We take a close look at two very different Swimming Clubs and the impact they have on the community as well as exploring which is best a large club or a small one? Does it matter?