Modern Judo is a synthesis of methods from various forms of ju-jitsu - the ancient Japanese skill of self-defence without weapons. Originally practised as a secret art by feudal samurai and now adopted throughout the world by the armed forces and police, it is understandable that parents might be wary of letting their children battle it out on the mat with each other.
However, the judo that’s taught to children at clubs and community centres throughout Britain today is an excellent physical workout that improves stamina, balance and strength and also builds confidence. Furthermore, given the physical nature of the sport, strict discipline is essential and great emphasis is placed on safety, hygiene and etiquette. Judo coaches go through extensive training and attend regular child safety courses to keep abreast of developments in teaching techniques.
Gaining Trust
Mark Scott is a volunteer coach at the Renrukan Club in Buckinghamshire, where he teaches children of varying abilities, including some of the leading lights of the young judo world such as British champion Kevin Capel and World Class Start Programme nominee George Stevens. “Every club that works with kids needs to continually educate staff as their sport evolves and child security measures are introduced or changed. This is particularly important in combat sports, where both parents and children need to trust club staff 100% at every point in their training. It’s equally important to the success of a club that it welcomes members from all backgrounds and abilities – making a wide variety of sports accessible to all the members of the local community.”
Mark was keen to emphasise the fact that the benefits of judo are available to people of all ages and physical abilities and make the Renrukan Club accessible to a wider membership base. He therefore attended the runningsports workshop - A Club for All - to learn how to reach out to all members of the local community and, specifically for his needs, to put people’s minds at rest about the potential dangers involved in his particular sport.
A Judo Club for All
“The runningsports workshop helped to identify groups I was missing in my search for new members, provided valuable guidance on managing the other 20 volunteers at the club and pointed me in the right direction to increase membership and achieve my dream of having my own studio. Having a runningsports workshop certificate under my (black!) belt has helped to reinforce the authority and reputation of the club and thus increased the number of new members joining us. Basically, the runningsports tutors provide tailored, expert knowledge and best practice examples. They also help us to achieve Clubmark, improving the services the club offers, which in turn instils public confidence in us.”
A Bright Future for Renrukan
Since attending the runningsports workshop, Mark has continued to expand the membership of the Renrukan Judo Club – recruiting 40 eager young applicants in just one visit to a local school. He attributes much of this success to the insights and skills he gained from the A Club For All workshop.
If you’re involved with a club that needs to know more about setting up a junior club, maximising funds, recruiting and keeping volunteers, being open to all members of the community or working up a club development plan, Mark has proved that it really is possible to make substantial changes with relative ease when you’ve got runningsports behind you.
