Skip to main content

Second Lockdown November - December 2020

Sports classes have been closed since 26th October in Belgium and the past month has been tough. I haven't felt like blogging and to be fair I probably haven't had time to focus on expressing my feelings regarding the current situation. I'm someone who always looks for the positive; my theory is that events are always leading me to where I should be and I try to look for opportunities along the journey to benefit from my experiences. The last lockdown was long and full of disappointments, for example cancellation of competitions, which were to be my focal point of 2020, however if it were not for these roadblocks I would not have launched Momentum Pole Sport this year.

This time, it is the cancellation of my classes at Momentum at the source of my concern. I initially hoped to reschedule the classes and in the meantime I launched online videos and challenges to keep my students interested and motivated. I feel like a community was created during the two months that I was able to hold classes since my launch and my worry is for how long the connection will last while lockdown continues. The current measures are officially in place until the 13th December, however nothing guarantees that they will be lifted on that date. France, for example, announced yesterday that sports clubs will be allowed to reopen on 20th January, so Belgium could easily follow suit. My initial optimism is turning into pragmatism and I am preparing my plan B.

Mentally (not to mention financially), it is tough to be home and to be prevented from exercing my professional activity and I have tried my best to keep busy so as not to waste the time. I have offered a light schedule of online lessons during the past month, while I was still hoping that the majority of my face to face lessons could be rescheduled. I decided to spend some lockdown time working on my own training and competitions, along with some other professional and personal projects that require my attention. However with the growing realisation that we may be in this for longer than planned, I am extending my online lesson schedule and am offering these classes as a replacement for studio lessons to my Momentum students as from next week. Having sent round a questionnaire to my students, I am feeling extremely reassured to discover that many of them are happy to accept the offer to continue online and I am grateful for their confidence in me. I am very much looking forward to (virtually) seeing them again as soon as next week!

On a personal note, we are sad that we will not be able to visit our family for Christmas this year. We are grateful though to be together: my husband, daughter and myself, and in good health. Since we will not be travelling, we have decided to adopt a cat, who we will pick up tomorrow. So now, we are looking forward to some cosy and festive time at home.

Who could have predicted the events of this year!? It would have sounded like Science Fiction just 12 months ago. I hope that next year, our projects will evolve and that I will have lots of happy announcements to post here.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pole Teacher Training

When I began teaching pole classes back in September 2019, I had a couple of teacher training sessions at one of the studios where I teach. This was valuable in giving me the confidence to plan my first sessions, but I decided that I also wanted to persue an official qualification to teach this sport (even though there is no obligation in Belgium). I turned to Spin City Pole Fitness, a company that I knew and trusted from their Pole Bible and online presence. I chose to begin with the Pole Fitness Beginner's Level course, which took me 6 months to complete in total, allowing for flexibility during busy times and more intense study during quieter moments. Completing this training provided me the validity I was looking for, but also sparked a whole lot more! The more I learnt about effective warming up, for example, the more I sought to discover. I discussed with students of my classes who work in the medical domain, including physiotherapy, who were able to answer my questions...
Post a Comment
Read more

IPSF

In early 2019, I discovered the IPSF. This was a huge event in my pole journey, and one that has helped me to focus and develop my own practice. The IPSF is a highly structured organisation (which suits me down to the ground :-)), that has already encouraged federations to be opened in 30-40 countries worldwide. Their aim is to bring Pole Sports to the Olympics, and it is not an empty goal; they are actively working towards this aim and taking the appropriate steps, one by one. Pole Sports within the International Pole Sports Federation, adheres to a 150-page code of points, for which I have already passed an exam to attest to my knowledge. Competition participants must demonstrate strength, flexibility and the ability to perform spins on both the static and spinning pole. The rules provide a structure to preparing for a competiton and an important point of reference; on the other hand the realisation of a competition routine can be tricky when trying to adhere to all the rules! This...
Post a Comment
Read more

Discovering the world of PSO

Not one to dwell too long on my disappointment (see my posts about IPSF and the decision to cancel/postpone the 2020 season), I felt the need to refocus my training efforts. I had already looked into the PSO (Pole Sports Organization) in the past, but hadn't wanted to add pressure to my IPSF preparation timeline with a second competition. The PSO exists mainly in the States and serves as a national competition, complete with a final. In Europe, it is also possible to take part in competitions, but each one is a stand-alone entity. Like the IPSF, there is an age category for me (over 40), which is an important consideration. There were a few competitions in Europe coming up: Lausanne in July, which I felt was a bit soon to be sure that it would be held. Then Lisbon in September and Manchester in October. I went for Manchester, as I know it is an easy journey from Brussels and I wanted to experience a competition in the UK. The next task in the application process is choosing a c...
Post a Comment
Read more