Children are having to take part in gymnastics competitions via Zoom with families banned from watching them, as parents complain that youngsters have returned to a “degraded” version of normality. 

Sports clubs around the country are holding competitions in the coming months – many for the first time in two years – but with restrictions still in place.

The Independent Schools Gymnastics Association (ISGA), which runs competitions between private schools, held their most recent boys’ national tournament virtually meaning pupils performed at their own school while judges watched via video link. 

Elsewhere gymnastics and swimming clubs around the country are preventing parents from watching their children compete at regional championships, citing Covid and the safety of participants. 

Parents have been banned from attending their children compete in the Valdez Gymnastics Club championships in Bishop’s Stortford, but are allowed to watch on Zoom.

Meanwhile, the children competing in Staffordshire’s youth swimming championships have been told that their parents are not allowed to attend, nor will the event be live streamed.

‘Everyone is devastated’

“They are saying there cannot be any spectators at all,” one mother said. “Loads of parents have queried it. All the parents are saying, please let us watch, our children haven’t been able to do this for two year. Everyone is devastated. Parents have said that we will wear masks, we will do lateral flows. But they are saying they have to put the children’s safety first.”

Staffordshire’s amateur swimming association, which runs the championships, says on its website that the “unprecedented situation” of the pandemic means that “there will be no spectators allowed at this event”.

They add: “We realise that this is far from ideal but we do have to put the safety and wellbeing of the swimmers and officials first. We have asked Stafford Leisure Centre if we can live stream the event and this request has been refused.”

The Northumberland and Durham swimming championship has also banned spectators from this year’s event. 

“This decision has been made to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of those essential to the event, namely the swimmers, coaches, officials and volunteers,” a spokesman said. “Whilst we acknowledge that many will be disappointed by this decision, safety must come first.”

Dave Low, the championships manager, said the event will be live streamed for families and supporters to watch instead, but parents have said they are “dismayed”. 

‘Opportunities for children are more limited than for adults’

One father complained: “Yet again, opportunities for children are more limited than for adults and restrictive measures are going above and beyond Government guidance and that of Public Health England.” 

Another parent, whose daughter is due to compete in a gymnastics competition which has banned spectators, said it feels as though her choice has been taken away.

“This is the first opportunity I have had to see my daughter compete and she is really upset that I can’t come along to watch her,” the mother said.

The Telegraph revealed last month how schools are continuing with their own “Plan B” measures such as keeping libraries closed, banning hot lunches and insisting on face masks.

Some education leaders are citing high Covid case numbers as the reason for suspending choirs and clubs, while others say it is a precautionary measure aimed at protecting the school community.

‘Degraded version of normality for children’

Molly Kingsley, co-founder of the parent campaign group UsForThem, said it is “indefensible” that children’s lives are still not back to normal when the rest of society is.

“We appear to have opened the door to a degraded version of normality for children,” she said.

“It is very clear from the reports we have received that these are far from isolated examples. This is happening in some cases behind closed doors, it is not obvious to wider society.”

Ms Kingsley urged ministers to make a clear statement that children’s extra-curricular activities should not be subject to additional curbs.

“They must put out a clear statement that actually it is not meant to be happening,” she said. “Who is in control? It ought to be the Department for Education and they ought to step in and stop it.”

Linda North, competition secretary at the ISGA, said the boys’ national competition was run virtually via Microsoft Teams a fortnight ago after the host school pulled out in December “due to projected Covid peak in January”.

She added that the ISGA is also preparing to hold the girls’ national competition, due to take place next month, virtually since she has “repeatedly drawn a blank with a venue prepared to host us”. 

Other ISGA events due to be held this year are scheduled to go ahead in person.