What I’ve Learned About the Gymnastics Industry After Five Years Running a Club Full-Time

Five years ago, I began working full-time in the gymnastics club my wife and I set up a decade ago. My background is not in gymnastics, rather corporate management, and running my own business for over 20 years. Yet, before this, I had never run a gymnastics club in a hands-on way. The last five years have been both enlightening and, at times, frustrating.

This blog is not a complaint—it’s a set of honest observations based on lived experience. My hope is that by sharing them, we can start more open conversations, find solutions together, and ultimately help move our sport forward.

1. Resource – Coaching IS a Career

Before COVID, our club employed around 10 part-time staff. Today, we have nearly 80. Nine are full-time and the rest are part-time. That growth has been extraordinary—but even more important has been the cultural shift around what it means to be a coach.

For the first two years, I spent much of my time convincing our full-time staff that coaching could be a real career—that you could follow your passion and still earn a comfortable living. There was a deeply ingrained perception that coaching wasn’t a “proper job.” That perception was reinforced by the stories we heard in interviews: coaches working seven-day weeks, not being paid for competitions or CPD, having to fund their own petrol, not receiving holiday pay, and never being given a performance review.

Some of these practices are not just unfair—they're illegal.

We made it a mission to do things differently. Our coaches are now respected, listened to, and rewarded. Recently, one of our coaches bought their first house. That moment symbolised everything we’ve been working toward: a sustainable, respected profession.

But we need national support too. There is no coherent strategy or campaign to attract new people into coaching—and this is a crisis waiting to happen. A national recruitment drive is urgently needed.

2. The Governing Body – British Gymnastics Needs Our Support

Every sport needs a strong and effective governing body. Over the past decade, British Gymnastics has faced significant challenges. Their focus, understandably, has had to be elsewhere—but it’s left a void. That vacuum has been filled by new organisations like IGA and NGA.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Competition encourages innovation and responsiveness, and it often leads to better outcomes for the customer. But I also believe that British Gymnastics remains the organisation best placed to lead the future of our sport—if it evolves.

In my conversations with some of BG’s new directors, I’ve sensed a genuine desire to make things better. They want to listen. They want to improve. They know change is needed.

We must also recognise that British Gymnastics, like many clubs, answers to numerous stakeholders, which makes fast change difficult. But if we want better services, structures, and support, then we as clubs need to engage constructively—not just criticise from the sidelines.

3. Regional Structures – How do we get the most from them?

British Gymnastics’ regional structures are not directly accountable to the governing body, yet they are responsible for delivering regional competition calendars and development initiatives. From what I’ve seen, this disconnect creates significant challenges.

While many dedicated people are working tirelessly at regional level, decisions are still being made that do not serve the wider needs of the sport. Competitions are being run on minimal staffing, lasting far too long, and often yielding inaccurate results.

In one instance, our club owner—despite leading the most successful club in the region—was not voted onto a regional committee. It quite literally makes no sense. When the most capable people are excluded from decision-making, progress becomes impossible.

This may not be the experience in every region, but it highlights a serious issue: if regions are delivering BG’s plans, they must be held to account. Without proper governance and oversight, standards will remain inconsistent—and often ineffective.

4. Club Committees – Need to be enablers

Having served on numerous committees across different sectors, I can say with confidence that they often attract a certain type of individual. Rather than serving as supportive, collaborative bodies, they can become arenas for egos and personalities to dominate.

In gymnastics, I’ve seen committee members making strategic and financial decisions about clubs they have little operational understanding of—while the coaches, who are experts in the delivery and direction of the club, are sidelined.

The dynamic is backwards. Coaches should be leading the conversation: defining strategy, identifying barriers, and receiving support to implement their vision. Committees should exist to enable, not control.

British Gymnastics needs to issue clearer, stronger guidance on how committees should operate—especially within member-led clubs. Clubs must also have access to independent support when conflicts of interest or dysfunctional committee dynamics are affecting their operations.

5. Competitions – Still Stuck in the Past

I’ve never encountered a sport with such a limited and outdated competition structure. There aren’t enough events. Many are scored using spreadsheets. Competitions are often painfully long—and still, too often, produce incorrect results.

We’ve had coaches asked to judge for 12 hours straight, on consecutive days. That’s completely unacceptable.

What we need is a modern, scalable, localised competition structure. We need more events, delivered consistently with trained staff, reliable scoring systems, and—importantly—fair pay for everyone involved.

We’re currently developing the National Gymnastics League to address some of these issues. It’s just one initiative, but it’s designed to make competitions more accessible, more rewarding, and more sustainable for everyone.

6. Parents – Incredible, But Increasingly Complex

Let me start by saying: the vast majority of parents we work with are fantastic. They’re supportive, engaged, and passionate about their children’s development.

But there’s a small, growing group of parents whose behaviour is increasingly concerning. As a parent who’s had children compete at the highest levels of swimming, I understand the pressure. But as a club owner, I’ve seen how damaging things can become when that passion crosses a line.

Many club leaders are now unsure what they can and can’t say. There’s a real fear of getting it wrong—which leads to silence and avoidance instead of resolution.

The danger of allowing this to go unchecked is that coaches begin to feel vulnerable, isolated, and unsupported. When coaches don’t feel protected by their club, or confident that clear boundaries are in place, they may choose to leave the profession altogether. This, without doubt, is one of the major reasons we are seeing coaches exit the industry—and it needs to change.

On a positive note, I want to give real credit to the British Gymnastics Welfare and Safeguarding Team. My experience with them has been nothing short of excellent—supportive, responsive, and clear.

Still, this is a wider community issue. We need to develop and share best practices, empower clubs to manage concerns confidently, and remember that we’re all in this together.

7. Pathways – Clarity, Communication, and What’s Best for the Child

One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is the need to be crystal clear about the expectations and purpose of each of our club’s pathways BEFORE gymnasts join.

We offer a range of options, from recreational to competitive, but the reality is that the vast majority of children will thrive best in a recreational setting. It provides structure, physical development, fun, and life skills—all without the pressure and commitment that comes with a competitive environment.

The moment a gymnast steps outside the recreational pathway and into a competitive one, inclusion becomes contingent on multiple factors: ability, attitude, attendance, parent support, communication, and emotional readiness. This needs to be understood upfront. Competitive gymnastics is not a right—it’s earned, and it isn’t the right fit for everyone at every stage.

As clubs, we need to be steadfast in ensuring each gymnast is on the pathway that’s most appropriate for them—not just technically, but developmentally and emotionally. And we need to be open and honest about this with families.

There’s no shame in transitioning between pathways. In fact, we should shift the narrative to one of “when”, not “if,” children change direction in their gymnastics journey. Whether it’s moving up, across, or even stepping away from the sport, our job is to make these transitions as smooth and supportive as possible—even when that means moving to a different group, or sometimes even another club.

It’s in everyone’s best interest—especially the child’s—that we communicate clearly, manage expectations, and work together as adults to prioritise what truly matters: the child’s wellbeing and long-term love of the sport.

Summary

These are my personal reflections from five years working full-time in gymnastics club management. I say this not as an outsider, but as someone who loves this sport and wants to see it thrive.

We have passionate coaches, talented gymnasts, and committed parents. But we also have structural challenges, outdated systems, and a serious need for change.

Let’s stop working in silos. Let’s share ideas, pool resources, and speak honestly about what’s working—and what’s not.

Because when we get this right, the potential of British gymnastics is extraordinary.