It’s a new year, the mats are packed, and your gym just got a fresh crop of hopeful, stiff, terrified new grapplers. In this episode of The Gi Spot, co-hosts Rach and Kaz take aim at the all-too-familiar churn of New Year’s resolutioners — and what we, as teammates, coaches, and community members, can actually do to help them stick around.

Instead of mocking January joiners or letting them sink in the deep end of positional sparring despair, Rach (as a full-time coach) and Kaz (as someone who survived her own clumsy start) break down the mindset, language, and actions that help beginners go from “just trying it out” to “I’m in.”

From gym culture to partner behavior, expectation management to subtle signals that scream “you don’t belong here,” this episode is a guide for everyone who wants their team to grow — not just in numbers, but in real connection.

Because keeping new people isn't about coddling them. It's about recognising what it takes to be brave enough to start, and not making that harder than it already is.