Gym Club FAQs

What should my child wear for gym?

Girls should wear leotards and boys unitards and shorts - these are available to buy. Bare feet, hair tied back and no jewellery. It is not obligatory to wear the club leotard. See the kit section for details of club kit.

Where can I get hold of kit?

We place an order for gym kit once a term so you need to get your order form and payment to us in time for the order to go out – this is advertised on the website. We also try and keep a stock of leotards in the gym so ask the coaches if we have anything to fit your child. The gym coffee bar also keeps a stock of second-hand kit, so it’s worth checking this as well. The coffee bar is open on Friday evenings between 6pm and 8pm and on Saturday mornings between 11.30 and 1.30.

Can I sell second-hand kit?

Yes please, speak to anyone at the coffee bar and they’ll sell second-hand kit on your behalf. Some of the proceeds go to the gym fundraising account, the rest is all yours!

Where do you train?

We train in the gym at Deer Park School. Use the second entrance to the school (not the college/Sundial entrance) and park in the netball courts. The gym block is directly opposite you with the door in the middle of the block. Go in and turn right into the atrium and you will find us.

Can I watch my child do gym?

Parents are not allowed in the gym during normal sessions but we hold an annual display at Christmas and occasionally have parent watching sessions. Coaches will advise parents when these are due.

Why do you want my email address?

We have nearly 200 members so the most efficient way of communicating with members is via email. If we have to cancel a session at late notice we will only notify you by email. We also keep our website up-to-date so will use this to post any notice of cancellations or changes.

Why do you want my mobile number?

We will only use your mobile number if we need to get hold of you urgently, usually during a gym session if your child is unwell or if they have hurt themselves. It is important that you keep us informed if any of your contact details change.

Why do we have to pay for British Gymnastics membership?

Our club is a member of British Gymnastics (BAGA) who provide us with insurance, training and support. It is a condition of our insurance that all our members are registered with BAGA. Registration runs from Sept to Sept and the club manages registration on your behalf.

What happens to my registration form?

These are kept in a secure file in the gym so that if we need to contact you, or if there is a medical emergency, we have all your details to hand. We will ask you to check your details from time to time to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information.

Why can’t I pay my fees to the coaches?

The coaches are very busy with the gymnasts before and during gym sessions and cannot be asked to look after fee payments as well! We have a clear process for fee payment and a contact who can help if you have any problems – Pip Pembroke, membership@cotswoldgymnastics.co.uk or 01285 652258 after 6pm.

Why has my child’s session changed?

We try and place your child into a session which will enable them to work to their best ability. When your child joins the gym club we do not know where their abilities lie so take time to assess them, they also need time to settle into the session. We review the sessions at the end of every term and may move children around to ensure that they are benefitting from the coaching that they receive; sometimes this will mean offering more hours in the gym or simply moving them into a different session. If you’d like to discuss session moves then please arrange to talk to your child’s coach.

Who does what in the gym club?

• Rachel Rogers and Claire Marriott are our Head Coaches. They are responsible for managing the coaching team, organising training plans, allocating gymnasts to sessions and ensuring that all our gymnasts are safe in the gym.
• Coaching Team – Karen Foye, Laura Cove, Lisa Laight, James Sutton and Chris Lambert supported by Emma Legg, Laura Eastman, Emma Lambert and various other gymnasts and parent helpers.
• Child Protection Officer is Adrian Innes – he should be your first point of contact if you have any concerns regarding our treatment of your child.
• Membership Secretary is Pip Pembroke who is responsible for managing the club’s members and the waiting list. She sends out the fees letters and chases payment. She also ensures that our British Gymnastics membership is up-to-date.
• Treasurer is Sarah Illing – she manages club finances but is also our club judge, so is kept busy with judging at competitions that we enter (every club has to put forward a qualified judge at competitions).
• Rosa Hallett is Secretary and has the unenviable task of managing our committee meetings as well as dealing with all our admin.
• Dave Laight is responsible for Fundraising, supported by Sandy Mace who also manages our website.
• Jan Hanley and Adele and Hilary Lawrence run the coffee bar on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. If you feel like making any little cakes for Fridays or Saturdays then these sell very well!

All of these people are volunteers, running the gym club in their spare time so we are always glad of help, especially when fundraising so please come and join us if you’re interested in helping out a bit more.

Please feel free to download these FAQs.