What do parkour classes mean to students and coaches?
That was the question Edinburgh artist and parkour practitioner Ariella wanted to ask participants at Coach Europe 2019. We thought an in-depth questionnaire on parkour classes and community was a great idea for an international event, and so Ariella surveyed 34 people in total over the weekend. She asked questions about everything from coaching motivations to the effect students can have on one another in a class.
Those who responded as community members or students, rather than coaches, were mostly from the Edinburgh community, with a few exceptions. They varied widely in age, gender, experience of practice, and class attendance frequency. However, most of the responses were surprisingly similar.
Two main themes emerged throughout the questionnaire from this group; the first being what an important role the coaches play not only in helping with breakdown of movements, but with building self-confidence and breaking down barriers, both mental and physical. The other theme was the unanimous importance placed on the other class participants and community spirit.
The coaching portion of the questionnaire was answered by a wide range of coaches from all across Europe. Ariella’s conclusions noted the many values shared by different coaches and students, and how clear everyone’s passion and care was in their answers. Students and coaches can clearly have significant impacts on each other and their wider community. Ariella herself, after reading the survey responses, suggests that we all:
“Keep practicing, keep trying, keep facing and overcoming your fears and your barriers, keep supporting each other, in your own communities and the international landscape.”
We’ve uploaded Ariella’s full write-up here. Have a read and let us know how you would respond to the questions in the comments below!