A gymnastics coach has been putting her pupils through their paces online during lockdown to keep them motivated and focused.
Lauren Siddle has kept her 19 charges at Penrith Gymnastics Club in tip-top shape during the coronavirus crisis by leading three sessions a week on web conferencing platform Zoom.
And she has also got parents involved by putting on one session a week in which they can participate.
“It was important to continue with the sessions because, after a couple of weeks without gymnastics, the children start to lose strength and flexibility,” said Lauren, who runs the Sands shop, in Penrith, Joma Jewellery, in Carlisle and Katie Loxton, in Chichester.
“It’s kept them focused. Before lockdown there were some children who were getting a little discouraged but they have really turned it around and cannot wait for classes to start up again,” she said.
Lauren, 31, has also set the children different gymnastic challenges each week over video-sharing social networking service TikTok.
This has introduced an element of competition between the youngsters, who have been challenged to perform dance, holding handstands, bridges, splits and squats.
“A lot of the parents know what I do for a living and have asked me how I make time for it,” said Lauren, who is head coach of the club’s artistic squad. “I love it and what the children get out of it.
“It has meant they have not missed any sessions. I have had all 19 children, very much three days a week, since lockdown began. All the parents have been really supportive.”
Julie Wharton, whose daughter Nicole attends the club, said all the parents think that what the coaches at Penrith Gymnastics Club have done over the period of lockdown is “simply amazing.”
“They have, over the last few difficult months, given up so much of their own time to keep the gymnasts mentally focused, fit and most of all kept them in touch with their friends,” she said.
“It has given them some sort of normality through these difficult times. The compassion and commitment has been overwhelming to us all. We cannot thank them enough.”
