Our year in a nutshell…
I think I’ve said this before, but I really mean it for 2022: this was the BEST YEAR YET!
Some epic stuff happened around here in 2022.
The biggest thing on the backend of Rec Gym Pros is that it became my full time gig!
I couldn’t have done this without the incredible support of our community over the previous 5 years of side hustling! With more time to focus on RGP, we forged ahead on several projects I just didn’t have time (or energy) for before. It’s been deeply fulfilling and incredibly exhausting all at the same time!
What we did in 2022!
The Launch of Rec Director 101: Intro to Rec Directing!
We kicked off our first online course to help new (and new-ish) rec directors learn the basics of leading a program + staff team! We are so grateful to have met and supported over 40 incredible rec gym pros during the 3 cohorts we ran this year!
LIT Train the Trainer – Pilot Course
After YEARS of talking about sharing my Teen Leadership (& Pre-Coach Training) Program – it finally happened!
The one day course provided our inaugural class with the framework and tools to lead a meaningful LIT program at their own gyms that will develop leaders in their community – AND to build themselves a solid pool of applicants for coaching positions at their gym!
Two Virtual Masterminds
We ran two online events to intentionally bring together rec gym professionals to discuss current issues, swap best practices, brainstorm solutions, innovate new ideas and feel a little less alone!
REFRESH Rec Retreat
We had the BEST time at our conference in May!
With attendees from across Canada, USA, Mexico & Australia making the trip to connect with our community and learn from our rock star speakers – it felt amazing to gather, share & learn together in person!
PS – We’d love for you to join us for Refresh 2023!!
SO MANY Fun Conferences + Coach Training Clinics!
What a fun whirlwind hopping between conferences and gym clubs all over the place to run rec coach development clinics and director summits. From Toronto, to Winnipeg, Halifax, Oregon, Tampa, Simcoe, Thunder Bay and countless more virtually on webinars — it was a busy year in the best way and I met so many wonderful people.
I love to travel, so this part of RGP is a total blast!
(PS – I’m booking for 2023 if any clubs are interested)
As always – thank you all for the support on this journey.
The best thing about 2022 was the chance to connect more and more with awesome people in our community 💕
I’m pumped for 2023 and cannot wait to share what we have planned 🙂
But first…
The Top 15 Posts of 2022
Our top posts are based on the overall engagement rate on our Instagram (22.6K followers) and Facebook Page (15K). This means looking at the total number of likes, comments, saves, shares, reposts, etc.
Here we go with the countdown…
Number 15….
Getting creative with foam cubes to gradually lead up to vertical cartwheels with @coach_karen_smiles!
Number 14…
Front support cone stack game from @recgympros! Race in partners to see which team can stack cones the fastest — easy, fun and great for core/arm strength!
Number 13…
A little something for the boys from @fundygymnastics – a great intro to pommel work!
Number 12…
A great station by @mtnbrookgymnastics that makes for a fun challenge while working on core strength, coordination and body control!
Number 11…
Front aerials aren’t the most common skill to teach in rec gym… but this drill by @bouncegymnasticsco is an awesome way to introduce them!! And bonus – no spotting needed!
Number 10…
Here’s a clever one from @east_gymnastics … Acting out “Head & shoulders, knees & toes” while hanging is fun while practicing re-gripping, grip endurance and strength!
Number 9…
Getting your feet right on the spring board is tricky (one foot to two feet – aka assemblé)! Swipe through these stations by @saga.sports.wi that helps to introduce the concept.
My personal fav is the one with the agility ladder. If you don’t have the ladder in your gym, try recreating it with chalk/velcro lines, different colour poly spots, or small hula hoops!
Number 8…
Can you see all the learning happening with this one activity!? This one by @thelittlegymcamberley helps with motor planning, balance, coordination, and provides some really cool sensory experiences with the scarves and bells the kids kick. Very clever!
Number 7…
This cartwheel drill from @ustoogymnastics for a beginner that can give them a slow-mo feeling of the motion of the skill – where their hands/feet go, etc. More advanced kids can cartwheel their legs over the rainbow mat, working towards getting their cartwheel more and more vertical/over the top!
Number 6…
I love when a fun one like this by @parkes_gymnastics makes the top 10! Plus I’m sure it’s harder than it looks 😉
Number 5…
Helping those kiddos stand up reaching high by holding a pool noodle with @kindygym !
Number 4…
How many cartwheel drills can you fit in a minute long video?! Get inspired by all the options shared by @thelittlegymhamptonteddington ! They also have a great caption to educate parents on the stages of cartwheel development — click the “view more on instagram” link below the embedded video to read it.
Number 3…
Get creative with your back handspring stations with this beam area set up by @bailies_gymnastics !
Number 2…
A wacky challenge that works great as “sneaky conditioning” by @bailies_gymnastics . You may consider removing the ankle weights for rec kiddos.
Number 1…
The hip pullover drill from @louisvillegymnastics that broke the GYMternet!!!
It’s all about work smarter, not harder! What a cool way to give kids a taste of independent success on a skill that is notoriously challenging to learn for beginners!
This drill is BRILLIANT… and you all must agree because it blew every single stat in our history completely out of the water (likes, views, saves, shares, engagement, etc).
On our Instagram alone, at the time of publishing this, the post has 11,093 likes and has been shared 2,762 times.
To give a little comparison, last year’s #1 post (which interestingly was also a hip pullover drill) presently has 1887 likes and 686 shares. You can see the difference!
Our friends at @louisvillegymnastics sent us a “version 2” of this drill in case you don’t have the rainbow mat. It was also posted on RGP and technically ranked as our 2nd most popular post of 2022 – but I figured it made sense to combine them.
Here it is:
And there you have it! The top 15 posts on Rec Gym Pros for 2022!
Don’t forget that if you have cool drills posted up on social media, we want to see them! Be sure to tag us at @recgympros! Maybe you’ll make it on the ‘23 list! 🙂
Wishing all of you a happy & healthy 2023!
SAVE THE DATE FOR REFRESH 2023!
Registration opens in mid-January!
Click your country for the best link:
Canada, USA, Australia/NZ, UK
