Running a gymnastics club is rewarding, but let’s be honest – it’s hard work. Between endless admin, keeping parents in the loop, and making sure gymnasts get the best experience, there are never enough hours in the day.
Europa Gymnastics know that feeling. Since 1992, the Sheriff family have grown the club from a small community gym into one of the best-known names in UK gymnastics. Along the way, Chris and Emma Sheriff have learned a lot about what it really takes to grow a club without losing the family feel.
Here are five lessons they want to pass on to other clubs:
1. Choose a system that understands gymnastics
Europa had tried multiple platforms over the years, but none of them really met the demands of running a large gymnastics club. On the surface, they could process payments or build registers – but when it came to the day-to-day realities of managing squads, different payment types and complex timetables, the systems fell short.
“We’d been using four or five different systems since 2012, and none of them really worked together.”
Emma Sheriff, Europa Gymnastics
Sound familiar? It left their team doing the same job twice and feeling like they were working against the systems instead of with them. By switching to a single system, everything now connects – members, timetables, payments, communications. One place, less stress.
That’s what Europa found with LoveAdmin. It wasn’t about ticking boxes; it was about having a partner who could handle the complexity of their club and grow alongside them.
2. Parents want clarity – not confusion
Parents are the heartbeat of a club. If they don’t feel informed, trust breaks down.
Europa had seen how quickly small miscommunications could cause frustration. Whether it was a missed payment reminder or an unclear update, it all added to the pressure.
“Because we’ve got so many different ways people can pay, everything didn’t interlink. It felt like we were constantly working against the systems rather than with them.”
Emma Sheriff, Europa Gymnastics
With LoveAdmin, communication became both smarter and more flexible. The team can now:
- Send targeted updates by class, by group, or across the whole club – and quickly save those groups to use again
- Automate the essentials like payment reminders or camp invites, without losing the ability to personalise messages
- Track who’s engaging with built-in reporting that shows open rates, so they know which parents are reading and acting on information
The result? Parents get the right updates at the right time, and Europa can trust the message has landed. That’s why their email open rates consistently sit between 60-68% – far above average for clubs of their size.
3. Safeguarding has to be simple
In a club of Europa’s size, safeguarding information used to be scattered. Medical details in one file, registers in another, payment history somewhere else. Not good enough.
Now, coaches walk into class with a digital register that shows who’s attending, who’s paid, and emergency contacts in one place.
“Having everything together gives us confidence not just in the admin side, but in keeping our gymnasts safe.”
Chris Sheriff, Europa Gymnastics
That peace of mind means coaches can focus on the session, knowing the important details are always at hand.
4. Payments shouldn’t eat your week
Chasing late fees was one of Europa’s biggest admin headaches. With thousands of members, manually checking who had paid and following up was eating into hours every week.
By automating payment collections and reminders, that problem has almost disappeared.
Between October 2024 and July 2025, Europa raised 9.7% more invoices and saw a 12.7% uplift in revenue.
“LoveAdmin has taken a lot of pressure off. It gives us the time to focus on the club and our gymnasts, which is what it should be about.”
Emma Sheriff, Europa Gymnastics
Less chasing, more coaching. That’s the difference.
5. Find a partner, not just a package
Chris and Emma weren’t just looking for software – they wanted something that would grow with them and a team who understood how clubs actually work.
“Since it’s been in, it’s been brilliant. We feel much more like a team as opposed to a straightforward software package. One size doesn’t fit all and with LoveAdmin it feels like it’s built around us.”
Emma Sheriff, Europa Gymnastics
That partnership mindset has given Europa stability and confidence to keep growing, without losing the community spirit they’ve had since day one.
“We’d always gone for off-the-shelf systems that did a bit of what we wanted, but none really fitted us. It felt like we were constantly working against the systems rather than with them. James from LoveAdmin has helped save our business – he pulled us out of a hole.”
Emma Sheriff, Europa Gymnastics
Takeaway for clubs
Europa’s story shows that clubs don’t need to drown in admin to grow. By having the right software partner, keeping parents informed, and building on strong foundations, they’ve freed up more time for the thing that matters most – their gymnasts.
Want to see how your club could do the same? See how we work with Gymnastics Clubs
