Flyer from TCU Campus REC Instagram (Courtesy of TCU Campus REC Instagram)
TCU Campus Recreation & Wellness Promotion kicked off its fall Group Fitness Certification Prep Course on Sept. 22. The course will run twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. and conclude on Nov. 5.
This fall semester course prepares students to pass the AFAA GFI certification exams and will equip them to work with clients and teach their own classes through hands-on experience.
Open to members of the community, including students, faculty and staff, this in-person course offers students the ability to complete online content before coming to class to apply what they have learned through practical exercise and teaching strategies.
However, the class does not certify students to become an instructor; rather, it prepares participants to be prepared to pass the GFI exam.
Fitness Coordinator at the Rec, Biancca Colette, said, “We started last year and had our first course last fall, and now we are trying to keep it as a tradition every year.”
This in-person course will offer them the opportunity to gain experience in teaching, which participants may not receive from other certification courses.
“Within our program, I have seen students from all six formats go through and complete the course. However, of course, the most popular formats to teach are Pilates, cycle and strength,” Colette said.
The certification earned by passing the exam is only a piece of the puzzle required to become an effective instructor. Grace Smith, a first-year marketing student going through the program, said, “My overall goal is to find the most confident version of myself and build upon my fitness goals. I am more focused on my journey as a fitness instructor and just having fun!”
For Smith, cycling group fitness is her main area of interest. “I would love to start by teaching cycling at the Rec if it works out–fingers crossed!”
Senior communication studies student and Pilates instructor, Sydney Huebner, said the Rec has influenced her Pilates passion: “From the very first day I stepped on campus, I knew I wanted to share my Pilates passion with my peers.”
Image from Sydney Huebner’s Instagram informing students about her classes and when to take them. (Courtesy of Sydney Huebner’s Instagram)
In addition, Huebnerr is also a content marketer for seven different brands on social media.
“The Rec has connected me with so many like-minded students on campus, including getting to travel to Texfit and meet other instructors in Texas who had already experienced parts of my Pilates work online and through social media.”
Like many others, Huebner’s passion extends far beyond the Rec and influences her career aspirations.
“I plan to lead classes until my very last breath,” she said, ” because I feel it connects me better to my community as well as myself.”