Counselor Training and Professional Coaching Development at IGC
Throughout the summer, IGC’s gymnastics coaches and camp counselors take part in ongoing training and development. It is IGC’s goal to ensure that campers are receiving the best care and support from our counselors and coaches, and this is one way of ensuring that this is the case.
Before camp even began, all IGC staff members went through a thorough training process with psychologists and child development experts, Dr. Chris Thurber, Dr. Josie Palleja, and Dr. Sylvia van Meerten. IGC staff enjoyed learning about campers’ stages of development, as well as some things about themselves. More importantly, everyone took away a ton of valuable skills and knowledge that they have called upon throughout the summer, to help campers have a great time at IGC.
To make sure our staff are performing at their best this summer, our counselors meet each day. Staff discuss their week, and further develop techniques to work with the campers and the many different scenarios that can come up at camp. Dr. Thurber, Dr. Josie, and/or Dr. Silvia Skype into these meetings on a weekly basis to provide support and guidance. Dr. Josie even came back to IGC to personally check in with staff members during Week 6 – this made for a very nice surprise for everyone!
As well as this training, every evening our coaches are led by Camp Director Brent Klaus and IGC’s top returning staff in Professional Coaching Development (PCD). At these sessions, coaches are put through their paces, and coaching and spotting techniques are honed to a fine art.
Our staff is very fortunate to have the support of such an amazing team of experts. Thank you to all of our wonderful leaders for helping make the IGC staff the best they can be!