In March, we asked parents what matters most when choosing activity providers for their children. While keeping the kids happy and costs manageable ranked high, a massive 87% of parents also highlighted the importance of effective communication and staying in the loop. For gymnastics clubs, engaging parents and keeping them informed is key in boosting engagement and loyalty, but you don’t need to spend hours doing it!
So, here are 11 ways to keep parents in the know and fully involved in their child’s gymnastics journey (without spending hours):
1. Personalised progress updates
Parents love to hear about their child’s progress but often don’t have time to chat after each class. A quick, personalised update by email or SMS can be a game-changer. Share what skills their child worked on, any milestones achieved, what’s coming up next, and tips for at-home practise.
Top Tip: Set time aside each day to keep on top of quick updates, or ask coaches to incorporate feedback communications into their post-class routine.
With LoveAdmin’s gymnastics management software, you can quickly create and send personalised updates, and even add links to video tutorials for extra home practice. Click here for 10 LoveAdmin features that boost parent engagement for minimal time and effort!
2. Celebrate milestones
Recognising achievements, whether advancing a level or perfecting a new skill, is key to keeping kids motivated and parents invested. Gymnastics can be a competitive sport, so celebrate the small wins! When awarding rosettes and badges, why not host a small in-class ceremony? It’s a simple but effective way to encourage gymnasts.
LoveAdmin’s industry-leading messaging tools sends automatic congratulatory emails to gymnasts for each new skill or level achieved, making it effortless to keep parents in the loop.
3. Parent portals
Many gymnastics clubs are moving to digital platforms that let parents track progress, view their child’s upcoming classes, and access coach feedback. Having a portal where they can access all your gymnastics club’s communications helps them to keep on top of important updates, newsletters, and training content for their children.
With LoveAdmin’s parent portal for gymnastics, they get a one-stop portal to manage everything from payments to schedules and see a history of all communications. Helping them to stay connected with their child’s journey every step of the way – without the need for repeat messaging and extra admin!
4. “Watch week” and open days
Parents don’t always get to see what their children have been practising. Hosting a “watch week” or open day allows parents to come along and observe their child’s progress first hand. You can always record the session (with permission) and offer a live-streaming option for parents who can’t attend.
Tip: Parents value high-quality instruction and want to feel confident about who’s teaching their child. Enhance your open day by hosting a ‘Meet the instructors’ Q&A session, where parents can learn more about your coaches’ expertise, teaching styles, and experience.
With LoveAdmin you can quickly invite parents to reserve a sport for a watch day or week! If space is limited, you can cap attendance numbers and offer options like live streaming or highlight videos of the class to share afterward. LoveAdmin simplifies creating and managing events, allowing you to easily filter by class, send personalised invitations, and request permissions for photography and videography, so parents can safely celebrate their child’s achievements.
5. Regular newsletters
Newsletters are an ideal way to keep parents updated on everything happening at your gymnastics club. We recommend digital newsletters for a more cost-effective option, that allows you to link directly to your website or social media pages.
What should you include?
- Promote upcoming events and important dates like seasonal holiday camps, competitions, or closure dates
- Mention any involvement with local schools, charity events, or partnerships
- Celebrate individual or group achievements with ‘Gymnast of the Month’ or ‘Class of the Month’
- Feature different coaches in a ‘Meet the Coaches’ or ‘Coach of the Month’ section
- Highlight recent events, competition wins, student progress, or fun moments with a photo gallery
- Add links to your socials and booking site to make browsing, booking, and paying a breeze
Remember, not everything has to focus on progression and practice – sharing fun activities or games they can enjoy with friends helps keep their efforts light-hearted and enjoyable!
LoveAdmin lets you create visually engaging, fully-branded email newsletters with our drag-and-drop builder. Alternatively, attach documents directly to emails and send them out to specific groups, classes, or your entire gymnastics school. Plus, you can schedule these in advance to streamline your marketing admin, and track open and click rates to refine your communication strategy.
6. Parent feedback surveys
Getting feedback from parents is invaluable for understanding what’s working and what could be improved. A quick survey at the end of each term lets parents share their thoughts on lesson structure, facilities, or their child’s development.
Use LoveAdmin to distribute surveys to individual classes or your entire school, and track open and click rates to see who’s engaging and re-send to those who might have missed out.
7. Gym competitions, challenges and events
Organise a friendly competition, family open day, or even a sponsored event to bring the club community together. These events keep both parents and gymnasts engaged, creating a vibrant club culture and making parents feel part of the team.
Consider offering prizes for competition or challenge winners, such as a discount on next month’s fees or free club merchandise.
With LoveAdmin, managing events is simple. Set up any type of event and share it with parents for easy booking. For prize winners, you can automatically apply exclusive discounts to next month’s fees or provide redeemable free merchandise – encouraging participation and rewarding your gymnasts for minimal effort and time!
8. Social media shout-outs
Social media shout-outs are a fun way to celebrate children’s achievements. With permission, you can post milestone moments, giving parents a public way to share in their child’s success and showcase the club’s supportive community spirit.
Ideas:
- Highlight student achievements with Gymnast Spotlights! Share a photo or video celebrating their latest competition wins, high exam scores, or personal milestones (be sure to get photography/videography consent first)
- Celebrate your team with a Staff Appreciation Day! Post heartfelt thank-you messages from students and colleagues to show your instructors how valued they are
- Boost your reach by encouraging parents to like, share, and comment on your posts. Always include a link to your booking site or website to drive traffic and encourage enquiries!
9. Offer branded merchandise
Around 73% of parents are interested in purchasing branded merchandise. Kids love feeling part of the team, and branded merch helps build that club loyalty while providing an additional revenue stream.
Tip: Incentivise multiple purchases by offering discounts for group purchases or squad members.
With LoveAdmin, parents can browse and buy merchandise alongside their class bookings. You can also offer multi-purchase discounts or seasonal specials, that automatically apply to applicable baskets, to make it even more attractive.
10. Lesson recaps
Parents often want a bigger-picture view of what their child has been learning. A termly recap or video message from instructors explaining the skills covered helps parents stay connected with their child’s progress.
For children attending trials, a friendly follow-up email with a summary of the session and next steps can encourage further bookings.
LoveAdmin keeps parents connected to their child’s gymnastics journey by making it easy to access lesson recaps in their message timeline. Plus, with our automatic notifications, you can schedule emails to be sent after a child completes a trial and link them to book more classes.
11. ‘Meet the coaches” events
Parents love to know who’s teaching their children – 53% said knowledgeable, engaging instructors play a major role in their choice of activity providers. Host a “meet the coaches” session, either in person or virtually, so parents can ask questions, meet the team, and feel confident in their choice.
This could be a short talk before class or a virtual Q&A session, allowing parents to feel more connected and comfortable with the people guiding their child.
Whether hosting in person or online, LoveAdmin simplifies bookings and automates confirmation and reminder emails, so Zoom links are can be distributed with no extra admin!
By using a few of these simple suggestions, gymnastics clubs can build stronger relationships with parents, and create a community where everyone feels engaged and invested in their child’s development. From quick updates to special events, these little touches make a big difference in keeping parents excited about their child’s achievements.
LoveAdmin can make it all easier, with customisable messaging, targeted communications, and flexible event tools, to keep parents engaged with ease. Want to learn how our gymnastics software can benefit your club? Get started today.
