Gym Wizards! promises to give children the self confidence for life.
It does this by teaching FUN EDUCATIONAL gymnastics to children between the ages of 5 years and 13 years.
The scientifically developed Gym Wizards Six Step System of gymnastics training was created and developed by previous National Champion, Springbok Gymnast, National Coach and G-WIZ! director, Tania Williams.
Gymnastics classes help kids integrate socially.
It strives to enable boys and girls to achieve mental, physical, social and emotional mastery – so they can LEARN faster, integrate socially and have the self confidence required to perform at their best, in the classroom, on the sports field and in any
situation they find themselves in their lives.
Olympic Gymnastics- a split leap.
The focus is to increase the children’s ability to perform the basic floor and jumping skills that form the foundation of competitive
gymnastics – as well as give overall strength, flexibility, speed, co-ordination, stamina and acrobatic training as a physical and
psychological basis for increased participation and success in all school sports.
The social and emotional intelligence is especially important and our unique approach to teaching children combines the following approaches:
• pedagogic (science of teaching children)
• counselling skills, special ways of communication with children, (acknowledging feelings and setting boundaries)
• dealing with difficult behaviours (shyness, fear, anxiety, ADHD, ADD,
• dealing with low self image due to other problems e.g. low muscle tone, obesity, obstructive behaviours),
• handling parents,
• giving age appropriate tasks and using child centred teaching methods,
• special lesson planning to keep lessons fun, safe and disciplined –
• together with a large dose of love and nurturing.
Gymnastics helps kids at school.
Most importantly, the Gym Wizards Scientific 6 Step System specially enhances children’s ability to learn faster at
school – through teaching concentration and focus skills. This helps them learn to set goals and complete more and more
complex tasks.
We develop
1. physical health and fitness,
2. gross and fine motor control,
3. audio memory and visual acuity,
4. spatial awareness and
5. sensory integration.
The training emphasis is on correct and safe technique, stylish presentation, vigorous activity and continuous skill development.
Through this, children increase their ability to make good decisions and improve their creative thinking.
They learn to understand the mechanics of movement and how drills, conditioning and flexibility exercises are necessary to learn gymnastic skills.
The G-WIZ! unique approach.
Operating as a mutually beneficial partnership with primary schools, Gym Wizards’ extra-mural and/or school curriculum program.
It offers children the experience of a scientific educational gymnastic training as a basis for social and emotional development, school learning and ALL school sport participation.
Gymnastics and Ballet- a Good Combination!
A child’s participation in Gym Wizards’ gymnastics training is an excellent foundation for other sports like athletics, swimming, rugby, cricket, dancing and hockey.
It has shown to increase achievement potential in these sports.
Gymnastics helps your rugby game!
It does this by implementing the Gym Wizards special conditioning and skills training programmes during G-WIZ! lessons.
Core strength, speed, reaction time, stamina, co-ordination, flexibility (to prevent injuries), planning, control and concentration are necessities for all sports.
Most importantly Gym Wizards also develop the psychological skills necessary for school learning and sporting achievement:
• Visualisation
• Prioritising
• Time management
• Competition performance
• Training load tolerance
• Team work
• Goal setting
• Motivation
• Task completion
Gym Wizards Offers School gymnastics lessons
G-WIZ! also provides an Educational Gymnastic Programme during school time, for schools wishing to outsource this aspect of their Physical Education teaching curriculum. G-WIZ! draws on a fast richness of international and local experience in the field of children’s movement. Gym Wizards is affiliated to and an official member of the South African Gymnastics Federation and the Western Province Gymnastics Federation.
Tania-National Gymnastics Coach South Africa
Gym Wizards was started in 1998 by Tania Williams.
At the time she was still the National Coach for South Africa.
It began as a sideline to her main occupation- as a means to earn some extra income.
The first school was Kenridge Primary- and to this day, Kenridge remains one of our strongest schools, with between 60 and a 120 kids registered.
When her son turned 4 she became a single mom, and realised she needed to spend more time with him.
Being a single mom, she couldn’t continue with the high performance training of the National Team gymnasts, which required huge amounts of time, weekends, holidays, overseas trips etc.
Besides that, she was itching to move away from employment into creating her own business- with the accompanying rewards of determining her own career path, income levels and time flexibility.
In November 1999 (after the Worlds in China), she resigned as high performance coach and started developing Gym Wizards to include more schools.
By January 2000, she had all her afternoons occupied (had 5 different schools) and the lessons were extremely popular.
The classes grew quite rapidly and soon she employed an assistant coach to help.
There were generally 20 kids in our classes (per hour) – 10 kids per coach.
She also enjoyed the fact that she could take Christiaan, her son, with her to the lessons and spend time with him.
Christiaan on Trampoline
He learned to do a somersault on the trampoline by aged 5!
Soon after Christiaan went into Grade 1 (2001), Tania began teaching the extra mural gym lessons at his Primary School (Llandudno Primary).
Things developed and after a while, the school asked her to teach the whole school’s physical education lessons.
By 2002, she was teaching 40 lessons a week!
Gym Wizards became a thriving business.
By then it included
• training instructors (to assist) and head coaches to take schools on their own (when she couldn’t be in 2 places at once)
• administrative activities (eventually leading to employing a half day secretary),
• professional marketing,
• a clothing range,
• a bi-annual inter- schools competition,
• expansion to venues other than schools (e.g. community halls/church halls where we could establish private clubs),
• entry to the WP gymnastics trampoline and tumbling competitions,
• training of physical education teachers in schools,
• holiday workshops for kids,
• a social responsibility/outreach program,
• press coverage
• and of course, more and more schools wanting Gym Wizards’ services!
The latest developments include a website with automated online registration, payment (via direct deposit/EFT/credit card/check card) and an online store for uniforms (with drop shipping!).
Gym Wizards is building an online presence- especially using social media marketing (including blogging, facebook, twitter, youtube) as well as email and sms marketing, using third party service providers.
For Tania, franchising Gym Wizards is a dream that has come true.
To be able to give others the opportunity she has had to develop as a business owner and entrepreneur, earn a good income doing what she loves- while having the time to enjoy life has been invaluable.
She is excited to impart her extensive technical, business, online marketing, coaching and communication skills (especially talking to children) to fellow child and movement lovers.
Tania’s background.
• Has worked intensively with Russian gymnastics methodologists and child, educational and sport psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and injury rehabilitation specialists.
• She was a Springbok gymnast and National Champion prior to completing her Psychology degree at UCT in 1989.
• In 2001 she completed her Honours degree with a distinction in Psychology.
• She was appointed National Coach in 1990, a position she served in until 1999. In this capacity she attended numerous international events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games, 1998 Moscow Youth Olympics and the 1999 World Championships in China.
• She has produced 10 Springbok gymnasts including the 1999 Junior and Senior African Champions and hundreds of Western Province Team Gymnasts.
• She headed the Cape College Gymnastics Club from 1990 to 1997.
• Tania created and has managed Gym Wizards since 1998.
Tania spotting flyaway front off bars
• Tania was the first South African coach to study in the former USSR. She was invited by Byelorussian Gymnastic Federation and Olympic Committee to attend gymnastic schools for study purposes.
• She implemented the Gymnastics Talent Identification Programme nationwide in 1996- to identify gymnasts among previous disadvantaged children – a first of its kind.
• Tania was the first South African gymnastics coach to implement “Russian” style training for the South African gymnastic team, which in turn led to the transformation of training in South Africa.
• Developed and managed her own private gymnastics club in the City Centre of Cape Town which became the origin for the “Academy” aspect of Gym Wizards.
• She served on the SAGF Woman’s Technical Committee 1997/8 as the National High Performance Coordinator.
• She served as the Head Coach for the Western Cape Sports Academy in 1997/98. During this time she worked closely with Dr. Yitzak Ben-Melech, Consultant to the Western Cape Sports Academy: Organisation and Administration of Elite Sport.
• Since 1998 Tania has trained and mentored gymnastic coaches, teachers and trainers of all levels, giving them the skills of the trade. Many went on to become National Coaches, Western Province Coaches, club owners and recreational/educational gymnastic specialists.
Feel free to Contact Gym Wizards to ask questions or get training for your child.
Gym Wizards! Offering Kids Gymnastics lessons in Greater Cape Town including Durbanville (7550), Fish Hoek (7975), Tamboerskloof (8001), Wynberg (7800), Pinelands (7405), Llandudno (7806) and Hout Bay (7806)
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