Roundtables

FIRST THINGS FIRST…. What is a Round Table?

Great question! Generally speaking, a round table is when you get a group of people together to share their ideas and experiences about a given topic. These can be done in real life at conferences, meetings, gatherings of various kind and they can also be done online using nothing but email.

I’ve been fortunate to be part of a Summer Camp Round Table for a couple years over at Summer Camp Programming and I thought this idea could definitely work with the gymnastics community. So I have to give a shout out to Curt ‘Moose’ Jackson over at www.summercamppro.com for the inspiration!

Why Round Tables Are AWESOME

The beauty of our Round Tables is that they bring together the experts in the field to share their favourite ideas. The more contributors we have, the more ideas we can generate and share – and by doing so we can all be even better gymnastics program providers!

How do the Round Tables Work?

Easy. I send out a call for submissions (be sure you have added yourself to my newsletter so you don’t miss it) and all you need to do is respond with your submission before the cut off date. I will then compile all the ideas and send them out to everyone who participated — and voila! Now you have a resource full of great ideas!

The Nitty Gritty

Please remember the following when submitting to a roundtable:

Be specific. The whole point of a round table is to share your ideas. If your submission is vague, it won’t be helpful to other Rec Gym Pros. Walk us through your ideas & the delivery. The more details the better.
Submit via email, or attached as a Word document or PDF.
Please try your best to use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. I hate editing, so please don’t make me suffer!
Email your submission by the cut-off date.
Only those who participate will receive the compilation. No exceptions.

No Ideas to Share?

I get that sometime we don’t have time, or are out of creative ideas, etc. In order for a Round Table to work, we need folks to share submissions. It’s only fair that you get what you give in these cases and “freeloading” doesn’t help anyone! If you still want to receive the Round Table compilation, you have to contribute. It doesn’t have to be an idea you have actually seen or done in your gym. You are welcome (and encouraged!) to do some research online to discover an idea to share. I do ask that you rewrite in your own words so that it’s not blatant plagiarism… see below for what to do when you borrow an idea.

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

It’s always nice to give credit when credit is due. From a website, conference speaker, a coach from another gym, a youtube video…etc. If you can manage to give credit, that’s awesome. If you don’t remember, don’t sweat it.

Got Visuals?

Pictures or videos or detailed instructions with diagrams or whatever you got – who doesn’t love a picture? Please attach photos to your submission and/or links to videos.

When Will I Get The Compilation?

I aim for a 2 week turn-around after the submission deadline, so I can edit and organize the content.

Does My Name and Email HAVE to be Listed?

First names and emails are credited at the end of each submission so that a) I can give you credit for your sweet ideas and b) so if any other round table participants have questions they can contact you for more information and clarification.

If you do not want your name/email released, please request this in your email submission.

Can I Share It?

You are welcome to share the compilation with coworkers- and encourage them to participate in the next one! The more the merrier!

However, please do not post the compilations on the internet for the world to access or share with a mass group without permission. If people can get the compilation without sharing an idea, eventually we won’t have anything to share – just a bunch of people waiting for nothing.

Ready to Participate?

For the latest Round Table, click HERE.