If you're considering enrolling your child in a gymnastics program at Skylark Sports, you may be wondering how to choose the right class. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to decide which program is the best fit for your child. Here, we'll provide you with a step-by-step guide to help you choose the perfect gymnastics class for your child.
(more…)Falling down is a natural part of life, and being a Ninja. Whether it's a physical stumble or a setback in our personal or professional lives, we will all experience moments of failure. However, it's not the fall that defines us, but rather how we choose to get back up again.
In fact, falling down and getting back up again is an important aspect of personal growth and development. It teaches us valuable lessons, such as resilience, perseverance, and the power of determination. When we fall, we are forced to confront our limitations and weaknesses, and this can serve as a powerful motivator to improve and become a better version of ourselves.
One of the most important things to remember when we fall is that failure is not final. It's easy to become discouraged and give up, but true success comes from the ability to pick ourselves up and keep going. This means learning from our mistakes, adjusting our approach, and moving forward with renewed determination.
Falling down also teaches us the value of humility. No one is immune to failure, and it's important to remember that even the most successful people have experienced setbacks and failures. In fact, some of the most successful people in history attribute their success to the lessons they learned from their failures. By accepting our own fallibility, we can learn to be more compassionate and understanding towards others, and this can help us build stronger and more meaningful relationships.
Another important aspect of falling and getting up again is the ability to adapt and evolve. Life is constantly changing, and we must learn to adapt and evolve along with it. When we fail, we are forced to look at things from a different perspective, and this can help us see new opportunities and possibilities. By embracing change and being open to new experiences, we can learn to be more flexible and better equipped to handle whatever life throws our way.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill
We dedicate an entire weekly theme to falling and landing in our Ninja classes at Skylark. Placing a huge emphasis on the idea that it's better to break your arm than it is to break your head, in line with modern research which increasingly shows the dangers of head trauma, particularly in young people with developing brains. Children in our Ninja programs, from age 5 through to 18, are all taught the importance of self preservation and overall safety.
Falling down is an inevitable part of life, but it's not the fall that defines us, it's how we choose to get back up again. The ability to fall and get back up again teaches us valuable lessons such as resilience, perseverance, determination, humility, and the ability to adapt and evolve. We teach our Ninjas to not be afraid of failure, but rather see it as a valuable opportunity for growth and self-improvement. Instilling that every time you fall and get back up, you become stronger, more resilient and more capable of handling whatever obstacles come your way.Â
We are so happy that you are considering Skylark Sports being a part of your child’s learning journey this year. Providing opportunities for different types of movement in during childhood is extremely important so we want to take a moment to congratulate you (the adult) on taking charge and providing your child with the best start to life.
Movement isn’t just important for helping children grow physically strong and healthy, it’s also a key factor in their overall development. There is so much research backing this, we won’t bore you with all the details. But trust us when we say ‘good job’.
One thing to remember, especially as children head back into the classroom, is that exercise boosts brain power. Neural pathways in the brain are formed and strengthened through movement, and once these pathways are developed, they can be used for things like reading and writing.
Children need opportunities to learn how to orientate themselves in space. This is called ‘proprioception’. Without good proprioception children find it very hard to sit still and learn. If a child doesn’t instinctively know where their body is in space when they are asked to sit still and listen, they will use their brain power to know where they are, rather than focusing on the instructions being given. Developing proprioception is essential for successful learning in the classroom.
Gymnastics is such a fantastic sport for boosting brain power, developing proprioception and developing confident kids.
1. Gymnastics develops strength, flexibility & coordination. Working on all around muscle strength is fantastic for balance and posture - something kids use to do everyday tasks like climbing stairs and sitting in class. Flexibility helps with injury prevention and coordination gives kids the skills they need to interact with the environment around them.
2. Gymnastics teaches listening skills. Being able to follow instructions- to watch, listen and think independently – comes in very handy for school and life!
3. Gymnastics teaches goal setting from a young age. Gymnasts learn to set goals. The goal may be to walk along the high beam all by themselves, to cartwheel by Christmas, or to make an Australian team one day! Â
4. Gymnastics increases self-esteem and confidence. Through problem solving, working at a task and progressing new skills, gymnastics builds confidence – preparing children to take on any new challenges in life!
5. Gymnastics is FUN!!! Jumping, rolling, tumbling, swinging, leaping, balancing – at gymnastics, there is so much fun in one lesson!
Skylark Sports runs classes from our fully set up facilities in Lynbrook and Mount Waverley. We have BabyGym, KinderGym, Gymnastics, Ninja, Tumbling and Acrobatics classes for children starting from 6 months old. Book a free trial if you live in a surrounding suburb and want to give your little one a great start.
Find out more about booking a free trial at Lynbrook or Mount Waverley.
This week we celebrate coach Jack, who has completed his training and is now our newest qualified coach! Coaches at Skylark complete the Skylark Coach in Training Program alongside the National Gymnastics Australia coaching qualification, ensuring your kids are in great hands.
(more…)Leaning to listen and follow instructions is a tricky skill. As a parent of young children, it’s important to have age-appropriate expectations for your child and to give them lots of opportunities to practice so you can be sure they are ready to take on the world. Â
“My child isn’t ready for KinderGym, they don’t listen to the coach."
We hear this quite a lot from new parents after their first few classes. We understand it can be frustrating, but just by being in a structured class you’re giving them the opportunity to develop listening skills. The good news – these skills will transfer to other areas of their life like the home, kinder and eventually school. You’re doing a great thing by giving them the opportunity to learn.Â
You are not wasting your time being in a class before they have learnt to listen. Like all the skills your child has already began to master, listening and understanding directions takes time to learn. As you know from your own life, being able to listen well doesn’t mean you always will!Â
Most toddlers and pre-schoolers will listen and follow instructions some of the time, and that’s ok. Kids learn through experimentation; it’s how they discover the world. Sometimes these experiments line up with what we want from them, and sometimes they are off in their own little world and won’t be coming back to earth for a while. Â
To give you some perspective, the following is considered ‘good listening’. Don't forget that not everyday is going to be a good day.Â
 Listening is just like any other skill we learn in gymnastics; it takes time and regular practice to master. Â
Our KinderGym classes are run from fully equipped gymnastics centres in Lynbrook and Mount Waverley. Classes are grouped by age, relevant to the developmental stages of children under 5. Â
Our KinderGym coaches modify their language and expectations to suit the children in each class. A 2-year-old may listen to 1 instruction at a time, and a 4-year-old can sometimes follow 3 at a time and carry out the direction with minimal reminders. We keep the class structure and flow similar each lesson to help children remember by repetition and familiar situations. Â
Children all learn in their own way, so we allow kids to hear, see and feel each instruction or activity. For example, the instruction is to sit on the spot with hands on head, the coach will say the instruction, do the action and assist kids to place their hands on their head to feel it. Even if your child spends the first 6 weeks exploring the gym for most of the lesson, that’s ok. Encourage them to come back to the group at regular intervals. Each week you’ll notice an increase in their participation and enjoyment, and you’ll start to notice the benefits as well.
Learn more about what happens in weekly KinderGym classes at our Mount Waverley and Lynbrook locations here.  Book a free trial if you live in a surrounding suburb and want to give your little one a great start.
What is it that makes some people more successful than others? Are they just born gifted with talent? Are they luckier than other people? Or maybe, it’s the way that they think…
Gymnastics classes help children learn to move with confidence. Moving with confidence means knowing how to land well and knowing how to fall safely.
Learning to fall safely is important for children because it gives them more confidence to explore the physical world around them. We want our children to be confident that they can climb a tree and get down safely or join in any sport, activity or game being played in the playground. Our KinderGym, Gymnastics and Ninja classes will train children to fall safely so they have the confidence to get back up and try again.
Motorbike landings and forward and backward safety landings don’t need to be restricted to your weekly gymnastics class – they are great skills to practise at home as well. Remember that practise makes progress, so encourage your child to give these activities a go!
A motorbike shape is a strong, safe landing shape that kids can use when jumping off a height. This might be jumping off the beam in gymnastics class, dismounting the slide on the playground, or jumping off a step.
Your child can imagine they are sitting on a motorbike to help them find the correct shape. In KinderGym we have our gymnasts say ‘vroom’ to make it fun!
The following coaching points are reinforced in their weekly KinderGym, Gymnastics or Ninja class at our Mt Waverley and Lynbrook gym centres. Try using the same language or activities at home to practise.
Encourage your child to land in motorbike anywhere you see them jumping! You can set up some fun activities at home for them as well.
Encourage your child to be ‘quiet like a ninja’ as they land. This helps them understand how to absorb the impact, which is important as they start landing from higher heights.
Once your child is confident with their motorbike shape, the next step is to teach them a forwards safety landing. Ideally these should be learnt in your gymnastics class or ninja class first, as we have soft matting to keep them safe while they are learning.
Starting from their knees, have your child fall forwards into a push-up position, then lower down to the floor softly. Some key coaching points that your gymnastics coach or ninja coach will teach your child include:
In our KinderGym, Gymnastics and Ninja classes we focus on making this falling technique second nature. When you fall you don’t have a lot of time to consider how you are going to land. Practising safe falls in a controlled environment means your body knows what to do, even if you brain hasn’t caught up with what is happening!
Your child doesn’t need to be a budding Olympic athlete. Nor do they need to show the athletic and parkour skills seen on many of the TV shows like Ninja Warrior, Ultimate Beastmaster or Sasuke.
If you think your child could benefit from learning to fall safely we would love to see you in our KinderGym, Gymnastics or Ninja classes. Skylark Sports offers classes for children of all ages and abilities. To learn more call us on 9544 8008 or email us at admin@skylarksports.com.au.
Both our Mt Waverley and Lynbrook gymnastics centres are permanently set up with the latest training equipment including a fully sprung floor, trampolines, bars, beam, ropes, rings and a custom designed Ninja Zone.
Our Mount Waverley gymnastics centre is perfect for families from the surrounding suburbs including Oakleigh, Ashwood, Burwood, Blackburn South, Glen Waverley, Wheelers Hill, Malvern and Mulgrave.
Our new Lynbrook gymnastics centre welcomes families from the surrounding suburbs including Lyndhurst, Cranbourne, Narre Warren, Hampton Park, Clyde, Dandenong, Hallam, Beaconsfield and Berwick.
If you look closely, you'll see handstands everywhere in gymnastics. So it's really important to get our shape strong from right at the beginning.
At Skylark Sports we believe that positive risk taking is an essential element of childhood, one that is often overlooked in an effort to keep kids safe. Children need daily opportunities to take reasonable risks and challenge themselves (both physically and mentally) because it helps them develop into happy, capable, resilient children.
While children are learning through risk taking we can help foster their independent thinking and self-reflection. We can encourage them to notice obstacles and barriers, and develop strategies to overcome them. Using phrases like ‘notice how…’ rather than ‘watch out’ or ‘be careful’, can help them identify and overcome obstacles in the moment, which sets them up for future success.
When children learn to safely manage risk they develop confidence in their own ability and are more likely to be willing to give things a go. Children who know who to safely manage risk are able to better cope with challenging situations. This contributes to their overall wellbeing. We also know that children who learn to manage risk become teens and adults who know how to manage risk. Giving children a chance to practice this skill in a safe and nurturing environment is important for their long term development.
In our KinderGym, Gymnastics and Ninja classes at our Mount Waverley and Lynbrook gymnastics clubs, we set up activities that encourage measured risk taking. We want children to feel their heart rate increase, to feel a little bit scared, and then to take a big breath and give it a go. Our qualified coaches are there to cheer them on, and catch them when they fall.
We know that children learn by doing, so our KinderGym, Gymnastics and Ninja classes have been developed to minimise waiting time and ensure that everyone gets a go. We know that children have different preferences when it comes to receiving instructions. Our coaches have received training in delivering instructions visually, auditorily and kinaesthetically. This helps children understand the instructions quickly so they can get on with the gymnastics and ninja activities, developing their ability to manage risk in a fun environment.
Positive risk taking is very closely aligned with developing a growth mindset. One of our club values is to have and teach a growth mindset, to ensure that all children learn that their abilities are not pre-determined – they can achieve what they work hard for.
| They say | We say |
| I can’t do it…. | You can’t do it yet….let’s practice. |
| I’m shy… | Let’s practice being brave! |
| I’m scared…. | That’s ok, fear is your brains way of telling your body to be careful…let me help you break it down. |
| I’m bored…. | Here’s a challenge for you…. |
| (Parent says from the sidelines….) Concentrate! Be careful! | Notice how when you turn your head your body changes direction. Let’s focus on putting one foot in front of the other. |
| I made a mistake… | Everyone makes mistakes, they help you learn. |
Skylark Sports offers KinderGym, Gymnastics, Ninja, Tumbling and Acrobatics classes for children of all ages. We also run school holiday programs and birthday parties because we know how much children love to move!
If you think your child could benefit from learning to manage risk safely we would love to see you in our KinderGym, Gymnastics or Ninja classes. Skylark Sports offers classes for children of all ages and abilities. To learn more call us on 9544 8008 or email us at admin@skylarksports.com.au or visit our customer portal to book a trial class.
Both our Mt Waverley and Lynbrook gymnastics centres are permanently set up with the latest training equipment including a fully sprung floor, trampolines, bars, beam, ropes, rings and a custom designed Ninja Zone.
Our Mount Waverley gymnastics centre is perfect for families from the surrounding suburbs including Oakleigh, Ashwood, Burwood, Blackburn South, Glen Waverley, Wheelers Hill, Malvern and Mulgrave.
Our new Lynbrook gymnastics centre welcomes families from the surrounding suburbs including Lyndhurst, Cranbourne, Narre Warren, Hampton Park, Clyde, Dandenong, Hallam, Beaconsfield and Berwick.
At Skylark our ninja classes are a fun fusion of parkour, gymnastics, obstacle training and stage fighting. Each of those sports has different footwear requirements, so it can be tricky for parents to know what’s best for their ninjas to wear on their feet. Never fear, we’ve made it easy to find the perfect pair so your ninja can make the most of their training.
