 Hi everyone,
I am Coach Kelesa and this is my story about moving to Australia, and how I became a Coach at FCGC. I first arrived in Australia in March 2018 for a 3 week holiday, traveling from the other side of the world from my home town of Sligo in Ireland. I immediately fell in love with everything about Melbourne and I knew I had to make living there a possibility. When I arrived home after my trip I investigated the visa process to move to Melbourne and it all happened very fast from there. After interviewing with FCGC via Skype, we got the ball rolling and worked quickly through the visa process. Within only 3 months I was back in Melbourne! I have been involved personally in gymnastics from the young age of 5, having competed both at national and an international level. After finishing as an athlete, I went on to coach and have now been coaching for 19 years. Gymnastics has been a huge part of my life and to be here in Australia working in a job that I love so much is a dream come true. I come from an Acrobatics and Tumbling background. This meant moving to FCGC would give me the opportunity to expand my gymnastics knowledge and learn about Artistic gymnastics, which I had never been able to do before. Having always wanted to learn this discipline, I was so happy when I was offered training when I got to FCGC. I've really enjoyed it so far and can't wait to get more knowledge in that area. I've been made to feel so welcome since arriving here in July. All the staff are so helpful and really chatty, happy people to work with. It's made my move here so much easier. Australia has been the dream come true for me in every way and I'm working in my dream job, surrounded by positive happy people. I couldn’t want anything more. I have met some amazing people while I have been here at FCGC, and all though the weather may not have been that great in winter... it's been lovely to see the blue skies every day! I know I will miss my family and friends. With them being so far away, it's not that easy to jump on a plane and fly home for the weekend! However, Australia has captured my heart when I first came here for a holiday and right now I've got to follow it. I'm excited to see what the future has in store for me on this amazing adventure. At the end of October I will be returning to Ireland for a quick trip, but won’t worry! I will be back in Melbourne before the end of the year and I am so excited to see all of FCGCs gymnasts perform at the End of Year Display. - Coach Kelesa FCGC COACH
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 As adults it’s easy to forget how important play, creativity and imagination is to a child and their learning experience. It’s helpful to keep in mind that playfulness is a good learning tool within itself, as well as a good motivational tool.
Often when children get tired they tend to get restless, which can then lead into undesirable behavior in a class setting. This can be a good opportunity to utilize some creativity to refocus the class or student to the task at hand. Gymnastics is a very fun sport. Especially so for children. We are asking them to hang off of bars, swing, run, jump and roll around. Imagination could be the best coaching tool we all posses. When we have students hanging off of a bar who are getting tired, or have sore hands. As coaches, we might say things like “pretend there are crocodiles underneath you!” Or the Coaches might utilize a game, where they have to swing and land as still as possible in their motorbike shape. If they move or wobble, they will be seen by the hungry giant! If you were to ask a group of students where their favourite area was in the gym, it is very likely most would agree that the trampoline and the foam pit are their favourites. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s bouncy and colourful. The foam pit is also super exciting as it is squishy and they can sink and almost swim through it. With all those exciting qualities it can be a challenge occasionally to encourage a gymnast to get out of the foam pit swiftly. More games and imagination can be used to progress with the classes rotations. Setting time limits in a fun way, by counting down from 10 to get out of the foam pit or else "the sharks might spot you", for example. Another alternative could be asking each gymnast to stack a single foam block on top of each other outside of the foam pit to build a high tower, as a team! So they will have to be quick to get out of the foam pit, to place it onto the tower! There are endless ways to try and keep gymnasts of all ages engaged through imagination. Almost any game or activity can be changed to adapt to a particular interest of the gymnast. Do you have any fun ideas or games you use inside or outside of the Gym? Let us know in the comments below. Signing off for now, Coach Maygan.  It’s getting close to the start of Term 4. How fast has everything seemed to of gone this year? Sometimes it’s overwhelming how fast time seems to pass. Especially towards the end of the year. We suddenly find we have all these birthday parties, family events, holiday parties, end of year celebrations and more we would like to attend!
As we approach our return to Gymnastics and to school, let’s take a breathe and prepare ourselves for the return to consistency and routines in our day to day life. Routines are important to children and their development, as it allows for predictability in their lives. In turn this helps them to feel secure, safe and significantly less anxious. Routines either daily, or weekly will also aid in the development of independent gymnasts, self confidence and assist in a smooth transition between activities. Re-establishing a routine doesn’t have to be sudden, or intrusive. In fact a slow progressive approach is more likely to be successful and sustainable. It’s also recommended to start introducing elements of a routine back into the household 1-2 weeks before reintroduction to Gymnastics or school. Here’s some helpful ideas you might like to use in your routines: • Bedtime and Wake Up time - We all know sleep is important, but sometimes we neglect an extra hour of sleep here or there for one reason or another. Especially with a more relaxed mood of the holidays. However in our Gymnasts, sleep is ever so important. When they are sleeping their bodies can heal sore/tired muscles, re-energise and grow. Adequate amounts of sleep also contribute significantly to emotion regulation, concentration, problem solving, communication, creativity and motor coordination. The Australian Centre for Education in Sleep recommends 10–12 hours of sleep for Primary Aged children and 8-10 hours of sleep for High School Students. Engage in an open conversation with your Gymnast about sleep expectations, bed time arrangements and work towards a happy and refreshed household. Remember, slow introduction of a routine will be the most successful. Try slowly reducing the "staying up" bed time by 10-20 minutes a night until you have reached your desired and agreed upon bedtime. • Routine Charts - Visual aids are also another clever and creative way you can re-introduce elements of a routine. As well as a personal way you can assign responsibility and independence in your Gymnast. For example, if you have agreed to assign your gymnasts the responsibility of packing their gymnastics bag the night before class... you may have a chart they can tick once they have packed all the required items. Leotards, water bottle, hair ties, leggings, etc. • After School Routine - Maintaining a consistent after school routine can be greatly beneficial, no matter what your routine may consist of. Keep in mind your gymnasts needs, take the time to organise a personal routine for your household. If you have a gymnastics class every Wednesday evening for example, you might decide to incorporate a snack time, a rest time, a minimal electronic time, travel time, and an allocated waiting time at the Gym so everybody is prepared, relaxed and set up for success. Aim to give yourself and your gymnast time to recuperate. When you are feeling rushed, chances are your gymnast will be feeling it too! • Time Telling - We live in a very digital and modern age, which can be full of fantastic learning tools and opportunities. However, we can still use things like analogue clocks to aid in self-management, time awareness, maths and fractions. Allocate times for each task, play time, and departure time. Display them as paper cut outs or as a real clock where it will be visible. Ask your child/gymnast questions, or inform them of a specific time that an event needs to occur. Watch over time to see improvements of self management, as they will be able to predict their routines and complete all tasks according to expectations. These are just some ideas you might like to try, and there are many more ideas out there to be discovered as well! Get involved with your gymnasts, and work together to establish a reasonable routine for everyone in the household. What do you think of these ideas? Do you have any techniques you believe to have assisted your Gymnast? Let us know in the comments. Signing off for now, Coach Maygan  What a fantastic weekend full of competitions we had here at FCGC. It was so good to see all our gymnasts “big” and “smaller” show off their skills, and be acknowledged for their hard work. If you couldn’t make it down, it was a great turn out! We had many other clubs compete at our venue over Saturday and Sunday. It really helps to build the sense of community within this sport.
We had our Adults Gymstar Open Comp on Saturday, and our 1-4 competition/meet on Sunday. It was jam packed with hard working gymnasts and fun, exciting routines. Next competition season, try to head down to support our gymnasts, and enjoy the opportunity to watch a great social sport for yourselves! If you’ve ever thought about entering yourself or a gymnast into a Gymstar Comp, you are already on the right path. It can be a daunting thing to think about! The most frequent things we hear from our gymnasts are things such as “who’s going to be there?”, “I’ll be embarrassed”, “I’m scared of the judges”, “I’ve never been to that gym before, It’s too scary” and many more. As valid as these concerns may be, it’s also best to think about why we might be concerned with them in the first place. There just might be a solution to help ease and comfort the gymnast, and get them excited to perform their routines. Let’s address some of these concerns together!
Remember if you’re feeling nervous and unsure, talk to a coach about it. They will be more than happy to talk to you, and think of ways to help you feel at ease. Our coaches may even be able to introduce you to other gymnasts and coaches who will be there on the day. Not to mention you can receive awards, medals and lollies on the day! Have you attended a competition, meet or challenge this season as a gymnast or a participant? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments. Signing off for now, Coach Maygan  Keeping your little gymnasts active over the school holidays is a wonderful way to keep them entertained and healthy. It is also a terrific way to keep them progressing in their gymnastic journey. Gymnastics doesn’t need to stop because they are not currently in the gym. Here are some ideas on how to keep practising skills for their return to the Gym in Term 4:
What are some fun holidays activities you like to do with your friends or family? Let us know in the comments! Signing off for now, Coach Maygan  Working with Toddlers is a very rewarding experience, but of course it can be a challenge at times. It is such a joy to be able to come in to work, knowing you can help these little people to grow and learn in a safe fun environment.
While I am helping our little gymnasts to learn new social skills, gymnastic skills and character growth... they are also helping me to learn. Here a few things I have learnt:
Have you got a child enrolled in one of our Play Skills programs? Have they taught you anything? Let us know in the comments! Signing out for now, Coach Maygan  Yet. It is such a small word, with such a big impact.
There are two very common forms of mind set we often see. A “Fixed Mind-Set” and a “Growth Mind-Set”. The way we view ourselves and our achievements can be reflected back to either of these two forms of mind sets. Having a fixed mind set can mean you think of yourself as is, without much room for growth. A growth mind set can mean you think of yourself as changing, and believe your skills will change and grow as you learn. The use of our language can directly impact others, and ourselves when it comes to our developmental learning and our motivation! Using phrases like “yet” or “not just yet” can really set a goal and boost ones motivational levels. If a gymnasts says “I can’t do that!”, it’s best to encourage them to say “I can’t do that - yet!” It also means that with guidance they will continue to learn, and persist in their journey to succeed. This simple change of language shifts their mindset from fixed, to a growth mind-set. Which will encourage them to learn over time. It is very important we are helping our gymnasts to keep in mind that every attempt they make, will contribute to their long term learning and their goals. Sometimes it can be challenging for our gymnasts to understand this concept. With help from their coaches and their trusted adults, we can guide them to the understanding that patience, persistence and perseverance in our actions and our words will set them up for success! What do you think about today’s blog post? Please comment any of your experiences with positive language, and the power of “yet” below, we would love to hear your stories. Signing off for now, Coach Maygan.  We all want to get the most out of our training! Even if we do all have some off days occasionally. So here is some advice from other gymnasts on how to make your personal training great, BEFORE you even enter the gym:
Signing out for now, Coach Maygan  If you have ever considered trying out Adult Gymnastics, this post is for you!
I am certain you always hear people talk about the physical benefits of gymnastics, or any other sport. I am also almost certain you could name many benefits yourself. So what else could be a benefit of gymnastics that you may not have considered? Mental Benefits. The way you approach new challenges will be a true determining factor for most things in your life. Especially so with Adult Gymnastics. If you haven't come from a gymnastics background it can be daunting! Even if you used to partake in gymnastics as a child, it can be overwhelming returning to an activity after many years. Studies have shown that being involved in regular physical activity is beneficial for improving your focus, learning and concentration capacity. With these natural added benefits on your side, your attitude and mental toughness will be ready to be tested. The only thing really stopping you from learning that back tuck is, well your own thought process. The ability to maintain focus and determination to complete new skills - despite how scary, is a mental skill of its own! Your discipline can be trained, just like your muscles. It is something we all struggle with in our daily lives. Through gymnastics, you can learn to push yourself beyond your ‘giving up’ point. You will learn to succeed in the face of adversity. However, your mentality to never quit, despite the results... is what makes Adult Gymnastics special. These important skills will carry over to your everyday life. Gymnastics will really teach you, “Skills for Life”. Of course, there are other numerous benefits such as:
Have you considered Adult Gymnastics before? What is interesting to you about Adult Gymnastics? Leave a comment, let us know! Signing out for now, Maygan  Welcome Kelesa!Today is an exiting day at FCGC as our first sponsored international coach starts with us!
Over the last three months FCGC has been working closing with Kelesa and an international migration agency to get the appropriate visas approved to allow Kelesa to move from Ireland to Australia to work at FCGC. So why? As we know FCGC is going through a growth period. As a part of this we need to hire new staff but also bring new ideas and talents to our club to allow us to grow and expend in new ways. We have looked literally all over the world to find the people who we believe can assist in moving our club forwards. Kelesa comes to us from running her own club in Ireland where she had a strong focus on creating positive experiences for her gymnasts. She has worked closely in delivering gymnastics to schools and the local community and we are sure she will add great value to our growing club. Kelesa will be in the gym Monday - Friday so make sure if you spot her you say hi and welcome her into our community. |
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PHONE
(03) 9315 4010 |
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EMAIL
info@fcgc.com.au |
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