Managing Attendance-Based Belt Promotions
Attendance, combined with an instructor’s evaluation of progression, is a useful tracking tool for managing belt testing and promotions. Of course, we are not advocating for lowering standards or using rank inflation, but using attendance as a guide makes managing belt testing easier and ensures students are ready to test. When it comes to using attendance, there isn’t a single system that works for every school. But, here are some of the best ways we’ve seen it used.
Using Attendance to Signal Test Preparedness
When an academy grows, keeping track of each student’s progress becomes difficult. In bigger schools without an attendance guideline, students can slip through the cracks and end up testing or getting a promotion long after they are ready for one. If you’ve got a bigger school, you’ve probably seen it happen; lower ranks consistently outperforming higher ranks.
To make sure students test when they should, instructors can run attendance reports to look for preparedness. For example, you can set up guidelines like:
When a student has been in attendance X number of hours, they should be ready for the next belt test.
Using Attendance to Monitor Skill Attainment
Sometimes students need a little extra coaching. But, in bigger schools with several instructors and multiple classes a day, it’s hard always to identify this need. To make sure each student gets enough coaching to be ready for the next test, instructors can use attendance as a baseline skill guide.
For example, you can set up guidelines like:
The average student masters a certain skill within X number of hours.
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Then, instructors can run a report to identify students who are not quite where they should be. Normally, a little extra coaching is all that’s needed for a student to master the skill and stay engaged. Of course, with younger students the process is less about mastering a specific skill and more about just staying interested in learning. Either way, the worst-case scenario is for a student to become frustrated because they aren’t where they want and need to be as they prepare for a belt test. When that happens, students lose interest in training and are in danger of leaving the school.
Another opportunity to make sure your students are engaged and consistently learning the right skills, leverage an easy-to-use platform like the curriculum feature in the Zen Planner Member App. This feature allows you to upload your curriculum into the Member App so students can view and increase their development even when they aren’t in class.
Student engagement depends on your ability to continually provide a new challenge while also demonstrating their progress. Since engagement and retention are directly linked, we think attendance should matter very much in the process of belt promotions.
Keep your students engaged no matter where they are in their journey.
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I’m Coach Kelli, a devoted CrossFit gym owner with 15 years of experience managing my facility, along with owning yoga studios and wellness centers. Beyond the fitness world, I have a passion for cooking, cherish moments with my children and family, and find joy in spending time outside. Having experienced the highs and lows, I’m dedicated to leveraging my expertise to help you grow and succeed on your fitness journey.
About the Author: Kelli Sweeting
I’m Coach Kelli, a devoted CrossFit gym owner with 15 years of experience managing my facility, along with owning yoga studios and wellness centers. Beyond the fitness world, I have a passion for cooking, cherish moments with my children and family, and find joy in spending time outside. Having experienced the highs and lows, I’m dedicated to leveraging my expertise to help you grow and succeed on your fitness journey.
