WAG Help! Can anyone recommend a good gym near Malmesbury, UK?

[Novelparent]

Hi everyone, my family is in the process of relocating from Sydney to Wiltshire in the UK (arriving in January next year). We're going to live in Wiltshire, near Malmesbury. In addition to trying to find a school, a house and jobs, we're also worrying about our almost-six-year-old's gymnastics. In Sydney, she's part of the IDP programme and I haven't had time to work out how it works in the UK but we would dearly love her to be able to continue there. Can anyone recommend a good gym in the Malmesbury area? I think there might be one at Cirencester and also in Chippenham, but a recommendation would be wonderful.

Thanks in advance,

Clare

 

[Faith]

@Iwannabemargo might be able to help. My geography is poor though!

If she's idp you want a hpc gym. Look at the British gymnastics website, and check out the results for junior & senior British championships, and also the espoirs. Look at the level 4,3&2 compulsory national finals in the spring, and voluntarism in the autum. Those are the competitions she'll be aiming at, so you need a club with a good compulsory/elite track programme. You may well need to travel to get to the right club.

I'd fire off a few emails , explain she's idp (and what idp is!) and see what you get back.

 

[Faith]

Sorry, I have more but keep getting a server error!

 

[Flossyduck]

You have two clubs in Bristol, which train to international level and both have GB squad members - The Academy in Portishead is one of the top clubs in the country, with several GB and England squad members (Ruby Harold, Imogen Cairns and two or three very good juniors/espoirs) and Bristol Hawkes (more central) which is where Claudia Fragapane trains. They would both take getting on for an hour to drive.

Wiltshire school of gymnastics is a bit closer. They are a solid club, who produce good results and get involved in a lot of competitions at various levels, although not yet any real high fliers that I can think of.
And then there are a couple of clubs in Swindon which are smaller and much closer, but still have competitive squads, albeit it not to the same level.

So it depends what you are after. Your daughter is very young and you don't start competing in the UK until the year you turn 8, so she has time. Do you want to get her onto a high level program straight away - in which case you'd probably be better off in Bristol, or do you want to settle in and have her train more locally and maybe consider a move in a year or so?

I'd start with the above and tell them the situation, training hours etc and ask for a trial when you arrive.

 

[COz]

If she's idp you want a hpc gym. Look at the British gymnastics website, and check out the results for junior & senior British championships, and also the espoirs. Look at the level 4,3&2 compulsory national finals in the spring, and voluntarism in the autum.

I only understand about half of that paragraph Is voluntarism a condition that requires medication?

We're just starting to get our heads around how it works here and you're leaving the country!!

@Novelparent's daughter trains with mine @Iwannabemargo and @Tiny Dancer if this is anywhere near your neck of the woods.

 

[Novelparent]

Thanks so much, everyone, for the responses. COz, you know I don't really get the system here either so we can discuss tomorrow! Bristol sounds good although it's possibly a little far, and I think we're all going to be doing a fair bit of adjusting so maybe a gym that's closer in the short term might be better... But I can now go and look at the clubs in a bit more detail, thanks again.

 

[OzZee]

You do need to think of what outcome you think your daughter and your family may hope to achieve. Are you at a club now that has a high level idp program that is aiming for elite - and that is what you are hoping for, or one with a mostly low level program used as a development track for young gymnasts? If that's the case are you considering moving her later?
So whilst you say idp now are you wanting an elite program going forward or not.

 

[Faith]

Voluntarism= voluntaries! Autocorrect

The other thing is here you are at the mercy of each club and individual coach. There is no central pooling of talented kids, you rock up at a club, try out, and the coach will decide what level you compete at. If you're not selected for elite track by the time you're 7 then it's not going to happen.

Even the HPC centres only put 5 or 6 under 7's on the elite track, so you need to be very special. If you're not the whole package it can sometimes be better to pick a smaller club that still has compulsory gymnasts, they don't get the pick of kids so may be willing to put a slightly less stellar kid (maybe less flexible, or not quite such natural form so early) on the compulsory track. Then switch to the bigger gym age 10/11 when they've burnt out all their phenoms .

Key is, if you want to pursue elite, she needs to be training for compulsories, and looking to compete Comp 5 the year she turns 8, or comp 4 the year she turns 9, at a push. If she isn't put on that track, it's all but impossible to get on it later.

If you don't want elite, then look at closer clubs that have a good record in grades and invitationals.

 

[COz]

So elite meaning the kind of level that the U.S. people get to after level 10?
Grades aren't the same as compulsory levels?

 

[Iwannabemargo]

WSG holds all our regional comps, and is quite near to Malmesbury , lovely part of the world BTW.

http://www.wiltshiregymnastics.co.uk/page6.htm

Whilst I don't think they have any phenoms, they do very well regionally. I'm a lot further away from the top end shall we say, we don't do compulsories so probably not the best to ask,

WSG is about 18 miles away, 1/2 hour
Bristol Hawkes is 28 miles, 35 mins
Bristol Acadamy is about 45 miles and 45 mins.

HTH

 

[xrachx]

Well I can personally recommend Bristol Hawks. DD was there for 9 months before we moved, and they were truly amazing. Well worth the time and effort travelling, for any level of gymnast!
Speak to Helen (the HC), she's lovely and will most likely know all about IDP so can offer some advice

 

[floppycat]

Worth travelling to a big name when young. If she loses interest/wants to step down to regional grades rather than elite grades then move to a local club.

 

[homer]

I think it is worth mentioning that in the UK, if you are not on the elite track in a HPC by the time the gymnast is 7 they are very unlikely to ever get on it. In other words start there because you or she can always change your mind and come out of that programme. Its almost impossible to do the other way round.