To encourage out-of-town families to get involved at Sailfish Point Golf Club, the Stuart, Fla., property put together a youth “jingle bell triathlon.”
Although the average member age at Sailfish Point Golf Club in Stuart, Fla., is 56 years old, children and young families often fill the clubhouse during the holidays when they are visiting their loved ones.
To encourage these families to get involved with the club, Fitness Manager Jason Langberg put together a “youth jingle bell” triathlon. “We wanted to concentrate on the kids who come to the club at Christmas [and promote] youth movement,” says Langberg.
Planning the triathlon was relatively simple. While a traditional triathlon comprises swimming, running and biking, Langberg replaced the biking portion with floor exercises—including burpees, jumping jacks, leg lifts and core exercises.
THE GOAL: Offer special holiday programming that would appeal to members’ visiting families at Sailfish Point Golf Club, and help children take advantage of all the club has to offer. |
The triathlon began with the floor exercises, which the kids completed around the pool deck. Langberg and his team timed the kids to determine how many of each exercise they could do in one minute. “If a kid did 15 jumping jacks in one minute, we took 15 seconds off their timed run,” explains Langberg. “That kept things interesting for them.”
The kids then went for a one-mile run around the community before jumping into the pool for a 100-meter race to the finish line. “It was very exciting to see parents and everyone cheering the kids on,” Langberg says.
To ensure that the triathlon was as fair and inclusive as possible, Sailfish Point divided it into two rounds, split up by age group—ages seven to 10 in the first round, and ages 11 to 14 in the second round. In all, 30 kids competed in the event.
The club provided water and Gatorade stations around the pool and along the one-mile run. At the finish line, participants and their families enjoyed holiday cookies baked by the club’s pastry chef.
“We kept it pretty simple, and we had an absolutely outstanding response,” Langberg says. “The members and guests were thrilled with it.”
The biggest challenge? Time control. “We timed every child who crossed the finish line, and if you have even a slight movement of your thumb you may mess up the time,” Langberg says. “It’s tough to time them all; it’s something we will work on [for this year].”
The triathlon helped to showcase the club’s new facility, while also improving member and guest engagement.
Most notable, however, was the engagement among the kids themselves.
“A half an hour into the event, these kids who were all visiting from around the country, were hanging around the pool talking and making new friends,” says Douglas Anderson, CCM, CAM, Assistant General Manager. “They’re looking forward to seeing each other next time they visit.”
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