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History
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Diane Clark and Nikki Linsdell co-founded City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club on 14th September 2002 at Parkside Community College in Cambridge and shortly after co-founded Dynamics Gymnastics. Please read below to find out how we progressed to where we are now: September 2002: The
City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club opened with 80 members across 4
classes. Three General
Gymnastics classes ran from 10am – 1pm on Saturdays and a very small
Sports Acrobatics Squad (you could count the number of members on one
hand) trained on a Thursday and Friday evening. May
2003: By
its third term, all City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club classes, including
the Sports Acrobatics Squad were full.
Over 120 gymnasts were passing through the doors each week.
Spring
and Summer 2003: Following the success and rapid expansion of the City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club, plans were made to open a series of General Gymnastics Clubs around the Cambridge area. The possibility of starting a new club in Linton arose and Diane’s Saffron Walden Gymnastics club of many years was considered for a re-launch. The main problem encountered was finding a name. We wanted something to reflect our partnership but could only come up with Dianics Gymnastics (as in Di and Nick’s Gymnastics) but wide spread enthusiasm for this could not be mustered. Fortunately, a friend of a friend of a friend who works in Marketing came up with the idea of ‘Dynamics Gymnastics’. With a vague connection to our names intact and the addition of a movement connotation, the decision was made! September 2003: Dynamics
Gymnastics – Linton classes began running out of the Linton Village
College gymnasium on Monday evenings. The Tuesday evening Saffron Walden Gymnastics Club underwent a re-launch to become Dynamics Gymnastics – Saffron Walden. By
this point membership of Diane and Nikki’s clubs had risen to 260
gymnasts. January
2004: Due
to the increasing length of our waiting lists, January saw the expansion
of the City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club from 4 classes to 6 classes a
week, including the launch of a new General Gymnastics competition
squad. The Thursday 5 –
7pm extra training session for the Sports Acrobatics Squad became a
recreational class for 5 – 8 year olds from 5 – 6pm and the 6 –
7pm slot became the General Gymnastics Squad training session.
Gymnasts for this squad were recruited from our recreational
gymnasts. With the new
classes, membership of our clubs had expanded to 320. March 2004: Diane and Nikki were recommended by the County PE Advisor to help a PE teacher reform his teaching of Gymnastics within the curriculum. As representatives of Dynamics Gymnastics, we visited Lady Adrian Special School to give the pupils a day-long Gymnastics workshop. July
2004: Trish Maude, Homerton College lecturer and Homerton Gymnastics Club coach (to mention but a few of many accolades), visited the General Gymnastics Squad session. Trish came to collect evidence in order to write Diane and Nikki a recommendation to British Gymnastics to be accepted into the next Tutor/Examiner course in November. She was very complimentary and we have since secured places on the course. With the ability to train and qualify coaches the expansion possibilities for Dynamics Gymnastics in the future are widely opened up. August
2004: A week long Dynamics Gymnastics Holiday Programme gave some current members the opportunity to further improve their gymnastics and trampolining skills whilst many waiting list gymnasts got the opportunity to meet Diane, Nikki and the coaches and to experience Dynamics Gymnastics before commencing regular classes. September
2004: Dynamics Gymnastics – Royston classes began running out of the Greneway School gymnasium on Saturdays from 10am – 1pm. This was the first club to be administered by Diane and Nikki but run by another coach. The City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club recreational classes underwent a re-launch to become Dynamics Gymnastics – Cambridge which took membership of Dynamics Gymnastics to more than 350 gymnasts. The General Gymnastics and Sports Acrobatics (to soon be known as Acrobatics Gymnastics) Squads alone now form the City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club. Gymnasts for both squads continue to be recruited from Dynamics Gymnastics classes. November 2004: Diane and Nikki attended a weekend long course at Lilleshall National Sports Centre to begin the process of becoming British Gymnastics Tutors and Examiners. A long mentoring process lays ahead but we hope to be tutoring General Gymnastics Assistant Coaches in the not too distant future. January 2005: Dynamics Gymnastics - Pre-School classes commenced at 9.30am on Saturday mornings at Parkside Community College in Cambridge. January 22nd 2005: Four of our trainee coaches became qualified at assistant level after a gruelling hour and a half practical exam. Diane and Nikki observed the examination as part of the mentoring process to become tutors and examiners. March 19th 2005: The City of Cambridge Acrobatics Gymnastics Squad came to an end marked by a display celebrating the success the Squad had over the two and a half years training. The most notable achievements during that time included becoming Eastern Counties Team Champions in 2004 and Hayley Plater, Vicky Way, Adam Williams, Harry Kitson, Matthew Dye, Robert Woolfe and Sophie Clark representing the club and Eastern Region in the National Sports Acrobatics Finals in 2004 with the highlight of Rob returning as National Level 3 Tumbling Champion (15+ years)! Unfortunately,
the judging criteria changes are putting Acrobatics Gymnastics somewhat
out of reach for a squad which trains for only two hours a week in a non
purpose built facility. We are extremely proud of all the
gymnasts and their amazing, unexpected achievements during their time as
Acro Squad members and now wish them continued success as they return to
General Gymnastics competitions! July 2005: The City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club and Dynamics Gymnastics Club were invited by the County PE Advisor Ann-Marie Latham to be involved in a video project. A selection of primary aged gymnasts were filmed performing conditioning phrases, progressions for the basic floor skills and core tasks. The recorded material will be edited to make a Gymnastics video resource to support primary school teachers in delivering the Key Stage 1 and 2 National Curriculum. September 2005: Changes to the Dynamics Gymnastics week saw Rob Woolfe and Kayleigh Tucker take over the running of Dynamics Gymnastics Cambridge, Saffron Walden and Royston. A shuffling about of the current classes has made way for a new Dynamics Gymnastics - Cambridge session for 9+ year olds on a Thursday evening from 6 - 7pm. This new class will raise the number of Dynamics Gymnasts to over 400. November 2005: Diane and Nikki ran their first British Gymnastics General Gymnastics Assistant Coaching Course. Twelve trainee coaches from around the region attended the course and are currently involved in completing their mentored hours before the final examination in February. February 2006: City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club hosted the practical examination for the General Gymnastics Assistant Coaching Course held in November 2005. We are pleased to announce that all 12 trainee coaches passed the exam resulting in 5 newly qualified Dynamics Gymnastics coaches. July 2006: It was with regret that July saw the announcement that Dynamics Gymnastics - Royston was to close due to a staff shortage. With an abundance of coaching staff in Cambridge, however, plans for new Saturday afternoon classes commenced. September 2006: General Gymnastics Club Coach Kayleigh Tucker begins the role of Dynamics Gymnastics Class Manager leaving Diane and Nikki working behind the scenes. In addition to this, the Cambridge classes were expanded from 6 to 8 sessions per week with 2 new Saturday afternoon classes. Total membership of Dynamics Gymnastics and City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club is now over 475 gymnasts. November 2006: Further developments to Dynamics Gymnastics have been put on hold for a while due to the birth of Nikki's daughter Isla. July 2007: Our set of five trainee coaches from the past year all completed and passed the assistant coach examination, raising our number of qualified staff for the coming year to18. It is with regret that we have to announce, however, that Club Coach and Coach Development officer Rob Woolfe will be leaving us to embark on entertaining holiday makers on a 7 month Caribbean Cruise having completed a very successful 3 years at Cambridge Performing Arts (we can't see why???). In addition to this, Club coach Aimee Clark will be heading off to university to study Law in Coventry. We wish both every success for the future and will warmly welcome both back to coach on the rare occasions they are back in town! Sept 2007: Diane and Nikki are celebrating five years of providing General Gymnastics classes as City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club and Dynamics Gymnastics. October 2007: We extended our holiday programme provision to include 3 days at half term. After a successful few days, we aim to put on 3 day courses every half term from now. January 2008: With Kayleigh's commitments increasing as she begins her training to become a primary school teacher, the role of Head Coach is now split between Kayleigh and Viktoria Markovics. Kayleigh will continue as Head Coach of Dynamics Gymnastics - Linton and Dynamics Gymnastics - Cambridge on a Saturday and City of Cambridge Gymnastics Club. Viktoria will take over as Head Coach of Dynamics Gymnastics - Saffron Walden and Dynamics Gymnastics - Cambridge on a Thursday. April 2008: Viktoria took over as Dynamics Gymnastics Class Manager for all classes with her husband Tibor Vad as her assistant. October 2008: Nikki and Diane attend a British Gymnastics Tutor update course to be able to deliver the new UKCC endorsed Level 1 General Gymnastics Coach Course. April 2009: Nikki and Diane organise and tutor the new Award Scheme Coach course to qualify 9 trainee coaches as Award Scheme Coaches. April 2009: Nikki and Diane welcome Viktoria and Tibor as co-owners of Dynamics Gymnastics. Viktoria and Tibor take on the administration of the clubs in addition to continuing as class managers. Diane continues in her role as accountant and having responsibility for staffing the classes. Together Diane and Nikki work on coach recruitment and development and Nikki also changes the focus of her role to develop school/club links and Dynamics Gymnastics policies. July 2009: Nikki tutors a second Award Scheme Coach course qualifying 11 teenagers (including 4 of our own trainees) as Award Scheme Coaches. Sept 2009: Dynamics Gymnastics is very excited to welcome General Gymnastics Club Coach Rob Woolfe back into the gym. Rob is back home taking a break from his dancing career having spent the last year working on cruise ships. We appreciate he may not be home for long so intend to make the most of the time we have him for! Dynamics Gymnastics - Linton classes expands from 2 sessions to 3 sessions on a Monday evening. The building of the new school gym at the village college has allowed us the opportunity to expand in this way. We look forward to starting the new term in a new facility and with increased membership of Dynamics Gymnastics - now approximately 440 gymnasts. January 2010: Nikki completed the British Gymnastics Club Management training module which aims to update those running gymnastics clubs of their legal and ethical responsibilities. Since the course, Nikki has been hard at work developing Dynamics Gymnastics policies and procedures and full details will be published on the website upon completion. May 2010: The first summer Holiday Programme outside of Cambridge is booked for 9th - 13th of August at Linton Village College. Click here for more information and an application form. July 2010: On Friday 9th July, parents of City of Cambridge gymnasts were invited to watch a display to mark the end of the competition classes. A new gymnastics facility is due to be developed at Netherhall School in the City and a new competition club is due to open there in the near future. From September, our Friday session will now be a 2 hour Dynamics Gymnastics class for gymnasts who have completed the British Gymnastics Proficiency Award Scheme badges 8 - 1 and who are now working on Dynamics Gymnastics Award Scheme. Any gymnasts in this class who are interested in competing will be directed to the new competition classes at Netherhall School. July 2010: Viktoria and Nikki attended a British Gymnastics Coach Mentor training day. This will help us provide effective mentoring between the course and exam for any of our coaches who embark on enhancing their coaching qualifications. August 2010: Nikki attended a one day training course at Lilleshall National Sports Centre to train as a tutor for the British Gymnastics Club Management Course. Sept 2010: With a new look Friday 5 - 7pm Dynamics Gymnastics Class in which gymnasts who have completed the British Gymnastics Proficiency Award Scheme badges 8 - 1 get to work on the Dynamics Gymnastics Award Scheme, the total membership of Dynamics Gymnastics now stands at approx 475 gymnasts. January 2011: Viktoria and Tibi became proud parents to baby son Marcell! April 2011: Nikki departed as co-owner of Dynamics Gymnastics to further her work as an Educational and General Gymnastics consultant with a view to developing already established links with the Local Authority, School Sports Partnerships and individual schools and teachers. With the recent introduction of the British Gymnastics Award Scheme Course for teachers, Nikki is now running regular courses to provide teachers with a qualification to deliver extra-curricular gymnastics in schools. Please contact us if you would like us to put you in contact with Nikki regarding curricular or extra-curricular gymnastics in schools.
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