​​The Catleaps Gymnastics Invitational Competition is held at the Jean Brown Arena:

The Jean Brown Indoor Arena, Redbridge Sports & Leisure Centre Forest Road, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex IG6 3HD

The venue is easily accessible via the A406, A12 and M11. Parking is available at the venue. Parking charges apply and you must register your car at the venue – failure to do so will result in a fine.

If you are travelling by underground, the centre is located next to Fairlop Tube Station on the Central Line. Visit the TFL website to plan your journey.

As well as inviting gymnastics clubs, schools and Universities we also like to have some special guests that can interact with the gymnasts during the event, do commentary on the microphone, present medals, have photographs taken, and sign autographs. We are lucky to have a great relationship with some very supportive people who help us at our events. 

In previous years we have had Brinn Bevan (Team GB, Olympian, and European Medallist), Warren Russell (BGT Winner with Diversity), Amy Tinkler (Team GB, Olympic Medallist), Reiss Beckford (Team Jamaica, European Medallist for Team GB and Commonwealth medallist for England), Danusia Francis (Team Jamaica Olympian), Dom Cunningham (Team GB European and Commonwealth Medallist), Sam Oldham (Team GB Olympian, Olympic and European Medallist), Kelly Simm (Team BG, World and Commonwealth medallist), Georgia-Mae Fenton (Team GB Olympian, Commonwealth Champion), Courtney Tulloch (Team GB, Commonwealth, World and European Medallist), Sam Mostowfi (Team GB), Amelie Morgan (Team GB Olympian, European & Olympic Medalist. James Hall (Team GB, Commonwealth, World, European Medallist and Olympian)

We provide a non-pressured introduction to the competition structure, for younger and less experienced gymnasts. Our lower levels are graded so that the gymnast is competing individually and is assessed against benchmark scores on each piece. They will receive a certificate with a Gold, Silver or Bronze sticker for each piece, and overall. Each Foundation, 1 & 2 participant also receives a medal, graded Gold, Silver or Bronze.

Gymnasts that receive 2 Gold Stickers or a Gold & a Silver get A GOLD MEDAL. Gymnasts that receive 2 Silver Stickers or a Gold & a Bronze get A SILVER MEDAL. Gymnasts that receive 2 Bronze Stickers or a Bronze & a Silver get A BRONZE MEDAL.

These stages are an excellent introduction to competition and are a fun way to allow gymnasts to understand how an event works with no pressure and lots of support. 

For Foundation, 1 & 2 all gymnasts receive a certificate, and a medal, graded Gold, Silver or Bronze in relation to their benchmark scores. No individual apparatus medals are awarded.  For Stage 3-9+ apparatus trophies are awarded to the top scorer for each apparatus, medals are awarded for the top 3, and ribbons to 4th to 8th place all around.

The aim of our competition is to provide a competitive and progressive framework that allows the gymnasts to be challenged and achieve success. The highest number stage a gymnast can compete at is the same number as their school year group. However a gymnast may compete at a lower stage.

It remains the coaches responsibility to ensure that each gymnast is entered at a stage that will both challenge the gymnast but is also achievable for them. The ethos of our competition is based on fairness for all so deliberately putting a gymnast into a lower stage just to ‘medal hunt’ is not appropriate. Similarly gymnasts should not be entered into a higher stage where they are struggling to perform skills safely in a competitive environment.

There is no specific mark needed to move up a stage, it is left to the coaches discretion. GfA gymnasts will have different highs and lows and other outside responsibilities which impact on their gymnastics training.

When looking at a competition stage the coach should ask themselves:
Is my gymnast being challenged by this stage?
Is my gymnast comfortable with performing the skills in a competition environment?

For the grading stages (Pre, F, 1 & 2) and Stage 3 gymnasts can complete the challenge stages if they are too young or not quite ready to move up a stage. For Stages 4 and above the range of moves and vaults provided ensures that gymnasts can repeat a stage if they are too young or not ready to move up but can be challenged by the coach selecting higher level moves.

Gymnasts can start at any stage (subject to their school year), and can jump any stage if they are capable of competing the skills safely in a competitive environment (subject to their school year). Gymnasts will only be able to compete at the stage equivalent to their school year group or lower. E.g. a child in School Year 5 could compete in Foundation, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 but would not be able to enter the competition for Stage 6, 7, 8 or 9. 

If the gymnast has always been a Bronze level BG member (regardless of discipline) they are allowed to enter whichever stage their coach thinks is appropriate. 

If the gymnast is (or has previously been) a Silver level BG member, please let us know about their competition history and results and we can advise.

Every club, school or university must have at least one Level 2 coach or qualified teacher supervising

You’ll also need at least one additional coach (Level 1 or higher)

Qualified Young Leaders or Helpers are welcome on the floor, but must be supervised by a club coach at all times

Coaches/Teachers and Young Leaders aged 16+ must hold a valid Safeguarding certificate and an Enhanced DBS

Gymnasts must be supervised at all times. If your gymnasts are split across different judging panels, you must have a coach with each group

We do our best to start all gymnasts from a club on the same apparatus (floor or vault), but please note there may be multiple panels per piece

Proficiency Award/Helper Award Coaches are permitted on the competition floor under supervision of the club’s coaches to act in a pastoral capacity but are not permitted to coach above their qualification. Proficiency Award Coaches must hold DBS and Safeguarding Certificates if they have reached the minimum age for this requirement.

Each club must provide a judge for both days of competition. The Club is responsible for paying Judge expenses. The Judge can have a Floor and Vault, Men’s or Women’s Artistic Qualification.

Judges will be required for the whole weekend – Clubs must take responsibility to make their nominated judge aware of this. Only in exceptional circumstances would it be possible for a judge to be nominated for just one day of the weekend, and this can only be permitted following discussion with, and agreement by the Judge’s Convenor.

It is the responsibility of the Club to ensure that the named Judge is fully aware of the dates and times for which they have been nominated. Where a nominated judge withdraws from the published programme and cannot be replaced by the Club, then the Club will be fined £200, which must be paid in full before the gymnasts compete.

Judges should wear brightly coloured, smart casual clothing to fit with our relaxed approach to Competition.

Judges are an integral part of any gymnastics event but can appear ‘scary’ to gymnasts.

So at our events we ask judges to wear smart casual bright colours and come out from behind the table to talk to the gymnasts before they warm up.

Our judges let the gymnasts know what they want to see (stuck landings, smiling faces, straight legs etc.) and we encourage judges to speak to gymnasts to break down the barriers.

For Stage 3+ we are fortunate to work with GymData. They provide a complete package to make the competition a special event, for gymnasts, spectators, coaches, judges, and event staff. 

On arrival coaches, gymnasts and judges register on the event touch screens and for the gymnasts, a photo is taken and their number is printed for them. When the gymnast competes, their name, number and photo are published on the competition screens. 

Gymnasts can also register on arrival with their parents so it frees up coaches who may be on the competition floor. 

All judge’s scores are typed into a keypad, these are then automatically entered into the competition scoring updates which can be viewed from anywhere on their website. A score slip is printed for the coaches in the arena showing the D and E scores. For those watching in the audience, there is a touch screen on entry where they can type in their mobile number against their child’s competitor number. The scores will then be automatically sent to their phone. 

Having the Gymdata team with us is invaluable for us as competition organisers, allows everyone to see the scores in real-time and means the results are ready immediately at the end of the event. 

We added the ‘Challenge’ option to allow gymnasts the opportunity to compete again using more ‘challenging’ moves for them without having to rush through the stages. Challenge stages are only for gymnasts who are too young to move up to the next stage (Foundation to Stage 2 only). It allows them to gain valuable competition experience whilst working with the coaches to ensure they are developing through progressions. If a gymnast has a weaker piece, they may compete with the optional moves in their stronger piece only. 

A higher level move can replace a lower level mov as long as it is allowed in that stage of competition. E.g. in stage 4, a gymnast could compete 2 xC and 2xD but couldn’t compete an E move.

For Stage 4+ the maximum level of moves is as below:

Stage 4 – Must include 2 x B moves & 2 x C moves plus 4 optional moves from A-D. Max level move allowed is D

Stage 5 – Must include 2 x C, 2 x D moves plus 4 optional from A-E. Max level move allowed is E

Stage 6 – Must include 1 x C, 2 x D, 1 x E moves plus 4 optional from A-F. Max level move allowed is F

Stage 7 – Must include 1 x D, 2 x E, 1 x F moves plus 4 optional from A-G. Max level move allowed is G

Stage 8 – Must include 2 x E, 2 x F moves plus 4 optional from A-H. Max level move allowed is H

Stage 9 – Must include 1 x E, 2 x F, 1 x G moves plus 4 optional from A-H. Max level move allowed is H

Stage 3+ Composition requirements (CR): Forward/Side Acro move (0.5); Backward Acro move (0.5); Two Acro/Non-acro/both moves linked together (0.5); At least two Non-acro moves (0.5). 

As long as 2 or more eligible moves are linked then it will count for the Composition Requirements regardless of what the moves are.

Skills can fulfil more than one CR i.e. Round off immediate backflip would fulfil ‘Forward/Side Acro’ and ‘Backward Acro’ and ‘Two moves linked together’. 

Straight jump half turn immediate Tuck jump half turn would fulfil ‘Two moves linked together’ and ‘Two non-Acro moves’. 

The risk to combining multiple CR’s in one, is if they don’t link the moves, or miss a move by mistake they would incur a large deduction to the D score by missing multiple CR’s.