Did 2023 absolutely fly by at warp speed for everyone? Just me? 😅
But seriously – this year was a total blast. It’s officially been 2 years since taking Rec Gym Pros full time, and I’ve never been more grateful for all the support.
Without a doubt, my favourite part of this gig is meeting so many wonderful humans in the industry. There is something magical that happens when you put a bunch of rec people in a room – and that inspires me more than you’ll ever know!
RGP’s 2023 Highlights:
Refresh Rec Retreat 2023!
As always — this was my FAV weekend of the whole year!
With 80 rec-focused attendees from across North America making the trip to connect with our community and learn from our incredible speakers – it was absolutely magical and a total blast to play, share & learn together!
PS – we’d love if you joined us for Refresh 2024! 😉
Rec Director 101 Success!
Our “Intro to Rec Directing” online course was a blast again this year! We had two incredible groups of passionate, curious and dedicated rec managers who really put in the work to level up their skills to run great programs and gain confidence in leading their staff teams! We love being part of their journeys!
We plan to run two new cohorts in 2024 (with start dates in March and October). Get notified when registration opens by adding your info here.
So many great clinics & events!
We took the show on the road to over 20 gyms & conferences in 2023! From several clubs in Ontario (where I’m based) to places like Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and California!
Running coach & leadership training brings me so much joy — and I’m grateful for every organization that invested in their programs & staff to bring me out in 2023!
The Joy in Gymming Podcast!
Launching this new podcast with my pals Sarah & Tony has been such a thrill! I love getting to “talk shop” with these two and having a new way to connect with the rec community!
Our meet-up in San Jose is one of my top memories from 2023 (it was a perfect manifestation of JOY in gymming!). I suspect we’ll do another one at US National Congress in June – see you there!
The RGP Collective Beta-Launch!
In December, we quietly launched our new online community, the RGP Collective, to a small group of beta-testers!
It’s no secret that RGP is all about bringing together the rec gym community – and this is a new (and super intentional) way to make that happen virtually. Our mission is to provide unparalleled access to rec-specific support, resources, education and so much more!
Wanna learn more & get on the list for the official launch in the coming weeks? Pop your email here.
Thank you again for a fabulous 2023 — and look out 2024!
We’ve hit the ground running 😉
The Top Posts of 2023!
Let’s give a big shout out to all the gyms, coaches and content creators who made this year’s list! Woohoo!
The rankings below are based on the overall engagement rate from our social media accounts (Instagram with 31K followers and Facebook with 36K).
Engagement rates take all interactions with content into consideration – so things like comments, reactions, saves, shares, reposts, etc.
Here we go with the countdown!
#10 – Flyaway Fun!
This preschool bars station by @cgatinyhumans was a huge hit! Be sure to study how to spot it safely, but once you get the hang of it the kids will have a total blast “flipping off the bar”!
#9 – Board Approach, Baby!
We all know how tricky it can be for little ones to figure out the “take off one foot, land on two” concept needed for vault — but @flip2itsportscenter was really on to something with this drill! What a clever way to introduce this skill! (PS, we love those stepping stones!)
#8 – Helicopter, Helicopter…
This game by @s.p.o.r.t.gymnastics is HILARIOUS. You can just see how much the kids are loving it… AND with wipeouts like that, you know it’s just as fun for the coaches! LOL
#7 – Climb On + Straddle Off!
There are so many things I love about this popular clip by @gymcoachmel — like how the gymnasts can do it all by themselves (can you say confidence-building!?) and how it looks like they used every panel mat in the gym 😉
#6 – Flippin’ Babies!
I’m a sucker for a good caregiver-child bonding activity — and this one from @rockntumble delivers! Plus, it’s great for kiddos to experience going upside down in a supported way. Pay special attention when you teach adults how to spot this one (this shows a great example how).
#5 – Front Hip Circle Drill
Front hip circles are notoriously difficult to teach and learn, so it’s no wonder that @gymcoachjulia‘s drill was popular! It’s smart in how it allows gymnasts to find the entry shape and experiment with how to work with gravity on the wrap & end of the skill.
#4 – Toe Point Push
This one by @starzgymnasticsacademy is one of those drills that is both rec & team friendly because it works some super important basics for more advanced levels, it’s also just plain fun for your average rec kiddo!
#3 – Partner Ball Pass
We’re always on the look out for how to make conditioning a little more fun – and this partner activity by @havengymnastics fits the bill!
#2 – Rock Paper Scissors Chase
This might be one of the first times a Rec Gym Pros original post cracked the top 5! But we have to give props to my friends at @tntgymnasticswi playing this game like pros and letting me record them!
PS – there was a little controversy in the comments — the version I posted was “level 2” — where the winner had to run away (this is so counter-intuitive so that’s what makes it harder than the more natural “level one” where the winner is the chaser).
#1 – Caterpillar Relay!
Holy moly – this game shared from @howardgreensupermovers went mega viral! Did you know that across all our social accounts it was seen by over 10 million people?! Wild!
And we love that it’s not technically a gymnastics video – the original creator is actually a tennis coach – but there is so much knowledge, creativity and inspiration out there that we can bring back into the gym. We just have to be open to finding it in unexpected places!
Honourable Mentions…
Here are a handful of brilliant coaches & content creators out there that have inspired me over the year. They may not have cracked the top 10, but they still impressed me with their clever ideas and passion for what they do!
And that’s it!
Congrats to everyone who made this year’s list!
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 and maybe we’ll see you on 2024’s list! 😉
Wishing all of you a happy & healthy 2024!
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Registration opens at the end of January!
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