UAE sports clubs enjoy boost as parents seek to keep distance-learning children active

Sports clubs can provide a sense of community for children experiencing an extended spell of remote learning

Flair Gymnastics has built up a strong following since opening in August. All pictures: Antonie Robertson / The National

The club has reported a rise in enrolments this month.

Children take part in an after-school gymnastics class.

Sports clubs are providing an essential social outlet for children who have experienced extended spells of remote learning during the pandemic.

As PE lessons remain suspended in Dubai, clubs such as Flair Gymnastics can help keep children active.

Hundreds of children have joined the gymnastics club in a matter of months.

The club has robust safety measures in place to protect its young members.

Children take part in an after-school gymnastics class at Flair Gymnastics.

Sports clubs in the UAE are enjoying a surge in enrolments, as parents seek to keep their children active amid a return to online education.

Distance learning is in place until January 21 at government schools and universities in the UAE. In Abu Dhabi, private schools have also switched to remote learning until then.

While Dubai schools are providing in-person lessons, some are also running online lessons.

Even for those Dubai schools offering in-person teaching, PE lessons are currently suspended as part of Covid-19 safety measures.

Clubs provide social outlet

Sebastian Bates, head of Warrior Academy, a martial arts academy in Dubai for children aged 4 and upwards, said close to 200 children enrolled at the academy this month.

“We noticed whenever pupils are studying at home, we tend to see a huge uptake of parents interested in their children meeting up with other children and being part of a community,” Mr Bates said.

“I would say, we got about 20 per cent increase in students on both parents looking to enrol their children into our programme.”

The academy has around 1,000 children signed up, he said.

Mr Bates said the academy has increased safety measures, with about 10 students in each class with two instructors. If one instructor has to quarantine, they still have cover, he said.

Warrior Academy applies stringent Covid safety measures, Mr Bates said.

“We also do a monthly sanitisation and a daily thorough clean.

“We've stepped up the social distancing as well – to two-and-a-half metres. Even though right now the guidance is one metre, we've increased it, so we go above and beyond,” he said.

Richard Dwyer, founder of Flair Gymnastics Dubai, has also noticed a new year boost.

“We have seen an increase in enquiries and new families joining our academy in January,' he said.

“We’ve been operating Flair Gymnastics in Dubai since August 2021, growing from zero to over 300 students in our first term. Every day we receive 10 to 15 new enquiries.”

Mr Dwyer said the organisation has strengthened sanitisation protocols to makes sure parents and children felt protected.

“We stepped things up quite considerably, including our staff training and education on the protocols.”

Flair Gymnastics maintains two-metre social distancing, has small classes and conducts thorough sanitation, Mr Dwyer said.

“We opened doors for business in September and are growing at a rapid rate.

“It's normally in January, at the beginning of term when parents want to come and try different activities.

“I don't know if it's in relation to schools not offering any [physical education] currently, because of the regulations. But we have seen an increase in parents and children and continue growing at quite a rapid rate," Mr Dwyer said.

“They want the children to build resilience. They want them to exercise and to help them with their physicality so that they become more flexible and have increased endurance, speed and stamina.”

Chris Brown, managing director of CBF performance education management, which runs Rangers Soccer Academy in Abu Dhabi in partnership with the Scottish football club, said a large number of children have signed up this month.

He said parents were coming in as they wanted their children to exercise and get out of the house.

“We have seen an 18 per cent increase on new children joining the academy this term from last term,” said Mr Brown.

Rangers Soccer Academy has 130 students.

“I think that there's maybe a frustration where children are not able to play sports at school, while they're able to go to the shopping mall, or to go to different other activities,” Mr Brown said.