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High Performance Sports Club’s roots can be traced back to Gerrie van Gurp, a woman with a deep passion for swimming and a dream of sharing her knowledge with others. Gerrie, a passionate swimmer and instructor, began teaching in her home country, the Netherlands. Her journey continued in the UK before finally landing in Dubai in 1995. Here, she started by teaching swimming in the first established communities.
For many years, Gerrie worked with other sports companies, but her dream was to have her own swimming club. Finally, in 2014, that dream became a reality with High Performance Sports Club. HPSC then began offering lessons for all ages and skill levels, steadily growing its team and expertise.
Fresh out of college with a degree in sports management and business, Gwen, Gerrie's daughter, joined HPSC in 2019. Little did Gwen know that her arrival perfectly coincided with the unforeseen challenges of COVID-19. The pandemic forced a temporary closure, but it also served as a powerful catalyst for change. Prior to the pandemic, HPSC relied heavily on manual processes—a system of Excel sheets that consisted of lesson logs, attendance tracking, and even paper registration for new students. Cash payments were the norm, and communication was a tangled web of phone calls and emails.
This time-consuming approach, while functional, limited HPSC's ability to scale and improve efficiency. Gwen, with her keen eye for process optimization, recognized these limitations as major roadblocks to future growth and sought out to find a technological solution.
Classcard transformed HPSC's operations. Excel sheets were replaced with online scheduling and automated reports. Cash payments became a thing of the past with secure online transactions. Most importantly, Classcard facilitated online bookings, a long-desired goal for HPSC.
High Performance Sports Club prioritizes not just swimming skills but also water safety. Gerrie, with her extensive experience, emphasizes Dutch swimming standards, ensuring students are well-equipped to handle themselves in the water. This extends beyond the pool; HPSC also educates parents about water safety, highlighting its importance as a life skill.
Looking back, Gwen acknowledges that finding Classcard earlier would have been a game-changer. Gwen envisions expanding their offerings and even having their own dedicated facility. But despite the challenges, Gwen says, "but definitely, keep going and keep growing. There's so much we can still achieve.” HPSC has grown steadily, and with a focus on safety and a love for aquatics, they're poised to make even bigger waves in the years to come.
Despite the demands of running HPSC, Gwen prioritizes her health and well-being. An avid reader, she enjoys switching off with a good book, but another activity fuels her: the gym!