It’s appropriately been a balancing act for Delta Gymnastics as the long-running non-profit society has welcomed back young athletes while following strict COVID-19 safety measures.
The pandemic hit the 45-year-old Ladner-based club hard back in March.
The impressive facility was closed for about three months. The 2020 Delta Invitational, the club’s biggest fundraising event of the year, was cancelled, as was the opportunity to host the Western Canadian Championships.
The complete shutdown resulted in temporary layoffs for all 55 staff members. The club was finally allowed to re-open in mid-June with a capacity of no more than 50 under phase two of Gymnastics BC’s re-start plan.
Four returned to oversee the limited operations. They include Sharon Gillespie (business manager), Jen Dober (technical director) and Jen Watts (senior program director). Since then, small groups of competitive gymnasts have returned for daily training, up to three hours in duration. Equipment is sanitized throughout the sessions as the groups move to different parts of the gym. A thorough cleaning is then done when the session has concluded. Access to the facility is limited and the parents viewing upstairs is closed for now.
The club was also able to run limited summer camp rooms with 10 participants. Normally those numbers ranged from 24 to 36.
“We are hoping to build up everyone’s confidence of what we have done through the summer. Our system has proven to be very safe and it’s something we are very proud of,” said Dober. “We have had no issues and we have been doing this for 10 weeks. We are ready to do more as soon as we are allowed by viaSport and Gymnastics BC."
“When the kids first came back they were quite withdrawn and subdued. Their personalities weren’t coming out. Now a few weeks being back in a social environment and they seem like themselves again. The mental health aspect of being back is so good. They are excited to see other kids again and the parents have noticed a big difference as well.”
“The benefits for the kids have been huge,” added Watts. “They were in quarantine for so long and not able to get out and do anything.”
Registration is now underway for the fall season that will have its limitations but is still accommodating a wide range of age and skill groups, from 18-months old to seniors.
“We are also doing a couple of different things in the fall to make our classes more accessible,” added Dober. “There is the option of just two months at a time where normally a program would be a year-long.
“We know some people our concerned about making a long term commitment. They may still be nervous or are not in a financial position right now so now they have the option where they can do it in November instead. It’s something we’ve never done before. We’re hoping to make people feel more and more comfortable about coming back.”
The club is also busy brainstorming to come up with different fundraising ideas to replace past pre-COVID-19 events, although the popular Chocolate Drive is still a go.
“We’re trying to find different ways to fundraise amid COVID-19,” added Gillespie. “We are having to think outside of the box.”
For more information on Delta Gymnastics fall programs visit here.
