AWARDS SCHEME
All gymnastics, parkour and tumble classes follow our own Affinity Award scheme. It’s something we’ve developed and refined over the years to match what and how we teach.
Gymnastics Awards scheme
At Affinity Academy, we embrace the uniqueness of every gymnast. We recognise that everyone has their own learning style and pace, so we have designed our own award scheme to reflect and honour that individuality. Plus the reward is a set of stunning Affinity medals.
Each gymnast will receive their own award book of 13 different coloured awards to work their way up from Red, to Gold. Coaches place gymnasts on the most suitable starting award for their progression. There are three core areas of each award; skills, flexibility and conditioning that can be passed in any order and signed by a coach upon completion. The books will stay with us at Affinity for safekeeping, but you can always ask to see it and on leaving the club you can take it home as a record of progress.
There are 3 medals to gain on each colour award:
BRONZE MEDAL = Achieved when the first 12 skills have been passed
SILVER MEDAL = Achieved when 24 skills have been passed
GOLD MEDAL = Achieved when all 36 skills have been passed
Once all three medals have been gained, the full award has been passed and gymnasts will begin working on the next colour.
Each level also has an additional challenge. This award is created by the coach and gymnast together. It doesn’t have to relate to a gymnastics skill, it could be anything like;
- Help pack away
- Lead a warm up
- Win the ‘hanging game’
- Create a routine
- Learn the name of a new skill
- Create a new trick
- …Something to be proud of!
Setting challenges allows us to even further tailor our awards to each gymnast and help them have input into and responsibility for their training.
Award Colours Sequence
Red → Pink → Orange → Yellow → Green → Turquoise → Blue → Purple → Violet → Grey → Bronze → Silver → Gold
All three core areas must be completed in order to move to the next colour award.
Each child receives a coloured card, detailing 12 specific skills to be practised on the floor, vault, bars, and beam. This card serves as their roadmap to mastering foundational gymnastics skills and they receive a sticker for each skill they work on. Once all 12 stickers adorn the card, your budding gymnast will earn a special badge. They can proudly take home both their filled card and badge as a memento of their achievements.
Gymnasts will be assessed during termly ‘book weeks’ which will take place across two weeks to ensure gymnasts are given the chance to show their coaches the skills they have been working on, on all four pieces of equipment (Floor, Vault, Beam and Bars). In line with our 2 week rotation class structure, gymnasts will work 2 pieces of equipment week one and the other two pieces week two. Coaches will pass these skills once they’re completed to a safe and high enough standard to progress to the next skill.
It’s important to note that our new system doesn’t operate on a fixed schedule. Every gymnast’s journey is unique, and we fully appreciate and respect this. As such, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to when a medal will be achieved and gymnasts will not all pass at the same time.
Parkour Awards scheme
At Affinity Academy, we embrace the uniqueness of every individual. We recognise that everyone has their own learning style and pace. We’ve tailored our Parkour award scheme to help support and celebrate this individuality.
Each gymnast will receive their own award book of 16 different coloured awards to work their way up from ICE level to NINJA level.
Coaches place athletes on the most suitable starting award for their progression. Each level has seven skill areas, Floor, vault, flips, tricking, wall, conditioning and a special Affinity Ethos skill. Parkour awards are colour coded Bandana’s and collector cards.
There are 7 skills to be passed for each level award. Once you’ve achieved those skills in your current level, you’ll receive your Affinity Parkour bandana and collector card.
If deemed appropriate by the coach, athletes may miss 1 skill out of this 7 to pass their full award. This will only happen in special circumstances where we can be sure the athletes progression will not be affected by the missed skill. They will continue to cover the skill in future classes as well as keeping up with the skills they have already passed. Repetition is key to improve and maintain all skills!
Award Colours Sequence
White → Red → Green → Orange → Yellow → Burgundy → Pale Blue → Royal Blue → Pink/Black → Light Grey → Dark Purple → Green/Black → Red/Black → Lilac → Dark Grey → Black
Athletes will be assessed during termly ‘book weeks’ which will take place across two weeks to ensure athletes are given the chance to show their coaches the skills they have been working on. Coaches will pass these skills once they’re completed to a safe and high enough standard to progress to the next skill.
It’s important to note that our new system doesn’t operate on a fixed schedule. Every athlete’s journey is unique, and we fully appreciate and respect this. As such, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to when a bandana and card will be achieved and athletes will not all pass at the same time.
Tumble Awards scheme
We have made some adaptations to our TUMBLE award scheme to better aid their progression.
Each tumbler will receive their own skills sheet, which lists a variety of tumbles they will work on during their classes. Each term, our coaches will diligently assess their progress, and as your child masters each skill, it will be ticked off by the coach.
The skills sheet is comprehensive, covering static and standing skills, dismounts, linked tumbles, and trampette jumps. This ensures a well-rounded development for each tumbler.
Achievement Pins
Once a skill is mastered and ticked off, your child will be awarded a pin badge specific to that skill. These badges are a wonderful way for them to showcase their achievements, and we encourage them to collect as many as they can!
Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards
The skills are categorised under three levels: bronze, silver, and gold. Upon mastering all skills in a particular level, your child will be awarded a certificate of completion before progressing to the next level. Please note that moving up a level does not affect their regular class timings.
Our aim with the Tumble Award Scheme is to provide a structured and motivating framework for our students to work within. We believe that this recognition system will inspire them to continually strive for excellence, taking pride in each new skill they master. Should you have any questions or need further clarification about the scheme, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to ensure that your child’s experience with us is both rewarding and fulfilling.
Athletes will be assessed during termly ‘skills weeks’ which will take place across two weeks to ensure athletes are given the chance to show their coaches the skills they have been working on. Coaches will pass these skills once they’re completed to a safe and high enough standard to progress to the next skill.
It’s important to note that our new system doesn’t operate on a fixed schedule. Every athlete’s journey is unique, and we fully appreciate and respect this. As such, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to when an award will be achieved and athletes will not all pass at the same time.