Bay Room

Tracy Sheen kicks off Congress with a powerful session on making big progress through small, strategic changes. With her trademark clarity and insight, Tracy shows how to scale your club’s innovation one step at a time - without losing your sanity or your soul. You’ll leave this session buzzing with fresh ideas and a clear roadmap to make change happen.

Why do we do what we do - and how do we bring our team along for the ride? Katy Heddens brings energy, purpose and experience as she unpacks how connecting your team to your "why" transforms performance, retention, and culture. A must-attend session for leaders aiming to unite passion with purpose in their clubs.

Today’s workforce expects more than a job - they want purpose, flexibility, and growth. Drawing on the Kids First experience, Jen Evans explores what really motivates Gen Z and Millennial staff, and how clubs can retain top talent through connection, recognition, and values-aligned leadership. Learn what’s changed - and what still works.

Today’s young people face unprecedented mental health challenges - from anxiety and depression to declining resilience. In this timely session, we’ll explore how coaches can support children’s psychological and emotional wellbeing through autonomy-supportive strategies. Learn practical tools to build confidence, self-drive, and wellness in every child—while enhancing the developmental impact of your programs. A must-attend for clubs committed to whole-child development. 

Discover how to create more inclusive, supportive environments for neurodiverse children in your gymnastics programs. This session offers practical tools and coaching strategies to meet diverse cognitive and sensory needs with empathy and effectiveness. Learn how to adapt your approach, manage behaviours with understanding, and foster meaningful progress for every child, no matter how their mind moves. Whether you're new to neurodiversity or refining your practices, you’ll leave better equipped to lead with inclusion. 

Richard Williams dives into the psychology behind parent engagement and helping set their expectations to minimise silent exits. This eye-opening Great 8 will challenge how you communicate, connect, and convert families into long-term club champions.

Department leaders are the backbone of a thriving club—but they need clarity, authority, and tools to succeed. Jen Evans shares how to empower your department leaders to take ownership, lead teams, and make things happen - without micromanagement. Practical, energising, and ready to implement.

What does it take to grow a confident, high-performing team from the ground up? Julia Ham leads a dynamic panel exploring how mentorship can unlock talent, drive loyalty, and develop leadership from day one. With insights from multiple clubs and generations, this session will leave you inspired to rethink how you train and retain your next wave of stars.

Not a numbers person? You will be after this. Jett Cutler breaks down financial concepts into real-world, manager-friendly language. Learn how to read reports, manage budgets, and track what really matters in your department or club. Empower your leaders to make smarter, data-informed decisions.

Get hands-on, real-world solutions from the best minds in the room—yours! Choose from a variety of hot topics and rotate between facilitated group discussions with other club leaders and industry pros. Whether you’re looking to troubleshoot, explore new ideas, or share what’s working, this is your chance to learn collaboratively. 

No matter where you are in your journey, leadership is a skill you can build. Jo Richards delivers a practical, inspiring session on how to develop confidence, communication, and clarity as a leader - whether you're running a team or stepping into new responsibility. You’ll leave with tools, self-awareness, and a leadership lens you can use tomorrow. Bring along your lap top and access to your email.

Strong teams don’t just happen—they’re onboarded with intention. Jen Evans shares the Kids First approach to onboarding, known internally as “O2,” and how it transforms new hires into culture-carrying contributors. Packed with templates, tools, and truths, this is onboarding as you’ve never seen it before.

Lorraine Currie shares the training systems that help her team grow from junior coaches to future leaders. With tools, templates, and tried-and-tested practices, this session will help you build staff development pipelines that are scalable, sustainable, and culture-rich.

What if you could help your staff activate their thinking—not just to improve how they coach classes, but also how they mentor and lead future coaches? In this session, Sarah Reid shares insights from The Thinking Advantage by Jill Young, along with key takeaways from attending Jill’s US presentation. Explore how the principles of Teach, Coach, Don’t Rescue, Return, and Reflect can transform your team culture and build a staff of independent thinkers.

What happens when you bring your brightest minds to the table—regularly? Jen Evans takes us behind the scenes of the Kids First Advisory Board, showing how this unique leadership structure aligns strategy, improves communication, and helps the business move forward without bottlenecks. A great model for clubs scaling their structure.

Core values shouldn't live in a handbook - they should shape daily decisions, actions, and culture. Megan Mitchell shares how Delta Gymnastics embeds values across leadership, staff, and member experience. Sarah Reid complements this by exploring how brands like Zappos, Strety, and others activate their values in powerful, practical ways. Walk away ready to breathe real life into your own values.

Jeff Metzger shares the foundational values and systems behind the Kids First success story. Discover the principles that guide every decision, conversation, and strategy - and how defining your own “true north” can align your team, inspire your families, and build a club that lasts.

As Congress winds down, this session opens the floor to forward thinking. What changes will you make next week? What ideas are ready to pilot? This wrap-up invites attendees to reflect, share takeaways, and plan next steps—together. A casual but energising close to two days of growth.