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Club History The Wills family started to run King Edmund Gym Club in the early 80’s. Back then it concentrated on 4-piece gymnastics; the Beam, Bars, Floor and Vault. The gymnasts who trained there competed in the South West Regional Competitions and each year the club was very successful.At every competition the King Edmund gymnasts were setting new standards. Nikki, now Head Coach, was the first to perform a double-back Somersault in competition.As gymnastics developed, new disciplines were brought on the scene such as tumbling. Tony Wills, the President of King Edmunds Acrogymnastics, was not going to let more medal opportunities pass and started training gymnasts in this new discipline.King Edmund Gym Club gymnasts entered their first Sports Acrobatic Tumbling competition in 1985. Subsequently, the club dominated the South West gymnastic scene by taking the majority of 1st places in each competition. The new organisers of the South West events noticed this and introduced a new rule stating that a club had to enter more than one discipline. Tony Wills, once again, took up the challenge and trained his gymnasts in Sports Acrobatics.As a 4-Piece was phased out, Tumbling and Sports Acrobatic became stronger and stronger. In 1988, Nikki became British Senior Tumbling Champion. She also competed in many National and International events; including the Senior World Championships (Ausberg, Germany) in 1990.After a successful career as a gymnast, Nikki decided to concentrate her expertise on coaching. Working alongside her father, Tony Wills, they produced many winning partnerships in various disciplines of Sports Acrobactics and Tumbling. Robert Barton and Cheryl Wilcox (Mixed Pair) became Junior World Champions in 1991 and our Womens Trio took 3rd.Nikki Thorne’s enthusiasm and strong leadership skills won her the 2002 Coach of the year of the year award.In Jan 2006 the club was officially approved as a safe, effective, child friendly club and gained GYMMARK status from British Gymnastics. Coaches Nikki Thorne Head Coach/High Performance/British Coach Tony Wills President/High Performance Coach/British Coach Jan Wills Events and competition organiser/Regional Judge Kellie Chapman Club Coach Michelle Mounsdon Senior Club Coach/Club Judge Sue Carslake Senior Club Coach/Club Judge Jackie Harris Senior Club Coach/Brevett 4 Judge Bert Newman High Performance Coach/Brevett 3 Judge Kay Newman Club Coach/Finance Administrator Elizabeth Mounsdon Club Coach Lucy Newman Club Coach Hannah Keary Club Coach Charlie Marr Club Coach Kirsty Underdown Club Coach Maiken Thorne Assistant Club Coach Marie Grehan Club Welfare Officer Progress Within club Selection from Recreation to Competition groupNikki Thorne, the head coach is always looking out for gymnasts with potential.Being selected to train in the competition group is a great opportunity to advance ones abilities.Taking this step, however, requires a higher degree of commitment. You will be expected to attend all your training sessions as, in the case of Sports Acrobatics, others are relying on you to be able to train.This step up may not be to everyone’s taste so if the gymnast are selected to move but would prefer to stay in Recreation group, it is advisable to talk to one of the coaches and their parents to discuss it further.Selection from Competition group to Top groupThis next step up requires full commitment to the sport. Sports Acrobatics gymnasts work in pairs, trios or fours. This means that attending every training session is essential to ensure one does not let others down.To be selected for this group means the gymnast has the potential to compete in competitions in the South West, around the United Kingdom and possibly abroad.When training in the Top group, as with all training sessions, no jewellery should be worn. Not adhering to this is dangerous and invalidates British Gymnastics insurance. Insurance Before any child can participate in any gymnastics session they must be covered by British Gymnastics insurance. The insurance period runs from the start of October to the end of September.The insurance allows the gymnast to train at any club in the U.K, however, to change the club on the policy, a transfer form needs to be completed. This can be obtained from either club the gymnast is leaving or the one they are going to.As with all insurance, the premium changes annually so the Finance Administrator will advise gymnasts and parents of the cost. Medical Scheme Although injuries in Sports Acrobatics and Tumbling are rare, if a gymnast does injure themselves it is very difficult to find specialised sports injury consultants in the South West.Therefore, we advise that all gymnasts in the competition group take out the Medical service offered by British Gymnastics. This service ensures that the gymnast receives the proper treatment and help to get them back to health. Training Dress To avoid any injuries, gymnasts must be dressed suitably for training. Hair must be tied back no jewellery is be worn.Boys should wear either shorts and t-shirt or their leotards.Girls should wear their leotards. Competition Dress To represent King Edmund Gym Club at competitions, each gymnast must have the appropriate clothing.Boys need:-Club leotard / Shorts&Club Tracksuit.Hair must be tidy and jewellery must be removed. Girls need:-Club leotard&Club Tracksuit.Hair must be in a bun with no fringe and all jewellery must be removed. Behaviour Gymnasts representing King Edmund Gym Club at competitions or public events are expected to be on their best behaviour. Any reports of foul or abusive language will be taken very seriously and the gymnast reported will be told to leave the club.This zero-tolerance policy ensures the reputation of the club is upheld. Fundraising King Edmund Gym Club often performs Sports Acrobactic tricks at local events. This is an effective fundraising technique that the gymnasts take part in.The gymnasts are the main beneficiary of the fundraising events as it pays for items such as new equipment. All gymnasts are therefore expected to take part in these events. Media All publicity relating to each gymnast is to be handled by the Club. This is not to be undertaken by friends or family of the gymnast.Please contact a member a member of staff regarding proposals for media articles.No sponsorship of the club or an individual gymnast should be arranged without the consent of the Head coach or President of the club. Fees Fees for Top group gymnasts need to be paid one month in advance.Refunds for missed sessions will only be honoured when there are mitigating circumstances.A 14 day holiday period is allowed where fees do not have to be paid.There is no grace period with fees. If a gymnast has not paid, they will not be allowed to train.Please contact Kay Newman on 01454- 320662 if a gymnast will not be attending training.King Edmund Gym Club reserves the right to change the fees policy. Diet Information is available regarding the correct foods needed for gymnasts to stay healthy. Extra Training In the lead up to competitions, coaches often increase the number of training hours to ensure the gymnasts are prepared. Depending on the time of year, this may mean taking time out of school. Head teachers are usually understanding of the situation and make arrangements for the time off. However, if this clashes with events such as exams, notify a coach and they will advise a course of action. The education welfare officer can also help with any issues.Extra training sessions may also mean a change of venue. The hiring of the venue is to be paid for by the gymnasts. Additional Expenses Sports Acrobatics involves dance routines when performed in competition. At higher levels of the sport, i.e. international Competitions, the routines need to be of a higher standard. This sometimes means paying for a choreographer to create the routines for you. These expenses need to be distributed between the partnership.Travel, accommodation and food to all competitions are to be paid for by the gymnast. This includes flights to international events. Grievance Procedure In the rare instance of social issues arising between a gymnast and a coach or between gymnasts, the club has adopted an open door policy. Parents and gymnasts may talk to coaches to resolve any issues they have.The first place they air an issue is by talking to Kay Newman (Admin) in person who will arrange a discussion with one of the coaches.Please do not ring any of the coaches on their personal landline or mobile telephone numbers. Holidays Wherever possible, gymnasts should ensure their family holidays are synchronised with their Sports Acrobatics partner/s. This reduces the time that gymnasts are left training without a partner. Parents cooperation is essential for this. Welfare Officer Any bullying or any form of abuse should be reported to the welfare officer. Marie Grehan 07764 857 263 Final Word The club endeavours to help gymnasts reach their goals. The three key ingredients to this success are hard work, World Class coaching and 100% support from the parents.Please use the contact numbers below if you have any questions or queries regarding the club. Nikki Thorne 07930 325 025 Kay Newman 07890 521 294 You will find information relating to the King Edmund Gym Club, including News, events ,Photo galleries, results and forums on the website. Go to WWW.acro-gymnastics.co.uk
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