Simcoe’s Spectrum Gymnastics offers an inclusive space for athletes of all abilities
Teagan Judd is a lifelong athlete.
“I've been involved in gymnastics and sports since the age of three,” she said.
But as much as she found a place there, she saw that it was a world closed off to many others.
“Throughout my lifetime of many experiences in different sports, I realized how really exclusive sport can be, and it's not designed for everyone,” Judd said.
A big part of that early realization was when she began coaching, and was working with athletes who had different abilities. Judd credits her mom, a learning resource teacher, as being a wealth of information and perspective.
“Becoming a gymnastics coach, I realized how easy it is to adapt gymnastics as a sport. We can still hit all of the milestones; it can still be a social experience, but it is such an individualized sport that success looks different for everyone,” Judd said. “I knew that if there was one sport, this was going to be the one that we could create a home for (everyone).”
Teagan's Professional Journey
In her post-secondary education, Judd got a bachelor's degree in recreation and leisure studies, with a minor in child and youth, followed by a post-graduate certificate in autism and behavioural science. On top of that, she’s a Comp 1 certified gymnastics and trampoline coach through the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP).
In February 2021, Judd added another item to her list of lifetime achievements: she officially opened her own gym, Spectrum Gymnastics, in Simcoe.
She had seen a gap in the resources being offered in the Haldimand-Norfolk area, and realized, “I could fill that.”
Judd explained, “Spectrum is a gymnastics gym for all ages and abilities. We start as early as four months old and go all the way through to adults.” Currently, the gym’s oldest participant is in her 60s.
The disciplines the students can learn include trampoline, tumbling, the bars and the floor vault.
Not only that, but Spectrum also offers different class options to make sure everyone can participate. With the integrated classes, students can have one-on-one support, from their caregiver or support worker, or can arrange ahead of time to have a gym staff member with them at no additional cost.
Inclusive Activity, Participation, Access
Judd said this has proven to be a very positive approach for all of the athletes at Spectrum, because the neurodivergent athletes get to participate alongside the neurotypical ones, and they all have an opportunity to build relationships that might never have happened otherwise.
That’s not the only way Spectrum ensures there’s a place for everyone in the sport.
“We also offer adaptive programs. Those programs are done in an empty gym environment, so that we can keep the outside simulation to a minimum. Those programs all provide one-to-one support at no extra cost,” Judd said.
Spectrum’s inclusive approach isn’t just limited to its students, either
“We're also inclusive employers,” Judd said. “We have quite a few members of our staff who are neurodivergent. Being able to have (them) on our staff also shows all kids that just because you're different, it doesn't mean you can't participate equally with everyone.”
She said her entire goal with opening Spectrum “was to ensure that there was a home for everyone, and this was going to be the place that wasn't going to turn you away.”
Spectrum Gymnastics currently only offers recreational programming; there are no competitive programs.
“The goal for us here is to have a positive sport experience; one that doesn't involve negativity or pressure that typical competitive sports do,” Judd said. “Instead, we're fostering that positive sport environment, where you still progress and learn skills, but in a much more relaxed and fulfilled way. … (There is) much more focus on personal success and what that looks like for you, versus a large scale and trying to fit within a box.”
Judd’s approach has proven to be highly valued by the wider community. She said a number of the neurodivergent athletes who have come to Spectrum learned about it through word of mouth; many also attend programs and services through Lansdowne Children's Centre.
“We have a lot of community connections with Lansdowne,” Judd said.
Spectrum has about 600 athletes on its roster, and recently did an expansion, where 3,600 square feet was added to the building; now, there’s a separate area for those ages five and younger, and the main gym space is for ages six and up.
Judd urges everyone who is interested in Spectrum’s programs to check the website, spectrumgymnastics.ca, to learn more about the classes being offered, and to inquire about things like the empty gym sessions – though she cautioned those typically have a wait list.
“There's just so many athletes that would benefit from that program and not enough gym space and time,” she said.
However, it is possible that similar programs may become more readily available in the future.
“Because we have found such success in what we do here, I now train gyms across Canada and the US on how to be more inclusive,” Judd said. “There's so many gymnastic gyms that already exist and already have the infrastructure; they just have no idea how to be inclusive and how to train staff. So I now travel to gyms (and) we host a conference here every year; we call it the DIG conference – Developing Inclusion in Gymnastics, where I train and lead people so they can do in their facility, what we do here.”
ABOUT LANSDOWNE CHILDREN’S CENTRE
Lansdowne Children's Centre is an accredited children's treatment centre (CTC) and SmartStart Hub, connecting caregivers with resources, services and supports for infants, children, and youth with physical, communication, and/or developmental needs.
Supporting over 6,900 unique children and families annually, Lansdowne works with child and youth clients and their families at centres in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe, and in a variety of community settings such as homes, schools, childcares, early learning environments, and camps, as well as through virtual means using streaming video.
Learn more at www.lansdownecentre.ca
Comments