Sailing is more than a sport. It is a place where students learn to trust themselves, face their fears, and realise they are capable of much more than they ever imagined. The first step into a boat is often timid, but the moment they feel the power of the wind in their hands becomes a true turning point: “I can do it.” This experience shapes their character, strengthens emotional resilience, and builds a solid foundation for the future.
“Good Wind Club” — the largest sailing club in Lithuania — now trains hundreds of students, young people, and adults. It is a community where every student has the opportunity not only to learn how to sail but also to experience team spirit, travel to competitions, join summer camps, and celebrate unforgettable victories on the water. As the number of activities continues to grow, so do the challenges: coordinating multiple groups, managing schedules, communicating with parents, tracking attendance, and handling smooth class bookings.
At this stage of growth, technology becomes essential. A modern after-school club management system allows coaches to spend less time on paperwork, lists, and invoices — and far more on the quality of training and meaningful work with students. This is where the EXOCLASS success story begins: a story about how one platform can remove administrative chaos and create the conditions for genuine student progress.
Good Wind Club builds its work on a clear mission: to promote competitive sailing, unite sailors of all ages, and nurture the next generation of athletes. This mission is supported by a set of values that inspires the community and shapes a unique teaching style. The club follows five core principles: drive, growth, renewal, transparency, and having a good time. This means children are encouraged to push themselves, learn continuously, embrace mistakes, respect one another, and — most importantly — enjoy the process.
In this club, sailing is seen not only as a physical sport but as a path of thinking, strategy, and self-discovery. As coach Jurgis emphasizes, “when you row, you work with your muscles; when you sail, you work with your brain.” Students learn to read the wind, analyse cloud movement, assess conditions, and make decisions in real time. This develops strategic thinking and emotional resilience — skills that extend far beyond sport.
The club’s philosophy is equally focused on independence and courage. Coach Liepa shares that many children are afraid to step into the boat for the first time — but once they overcome that fear, the biggest shift happens: “students realise they can do anything if they dare to try.” Sailing becomes a guiding star that helps them discover inner strength and confidence.
Coaches at Good Wind Club follow a simple yet profound principle: they aim to develop not only athletes but strong individuals. Safety is an absolute priority, but equally important are connection and mutual support. Coach Liepa notes that sailing brings children closer together: “when students overcome fears, they get to know each other and bond very strongly.”
Here, sailing is more than a sport — it is a community built on the spirit of “one for all, and all for one.”
The experiences created in the club enrich children’s lives: summer camps, international training trips, competitions, and community events like the Galvė Cup bring together both students and their families. Many families pass their love for sailing from one generation to the next — 60–70% of parents have sailed themselves.
Coaches believe their mission is to help children create memories that will last a lifetime. Coach Jurgis shared an inspiring story about a boy who struggled with fear and capsizing for three competitions in a row, but eventually overcame it and won his category. Moments like this show that sailing brings not only sporting victories but powerful personal breakthroughs.
Coach Matas adds that students often arrive to training tense after school and exhausted from screens, but everything changes once they’re on the water: “out here, there are no phones — just nature, the wind, and you.” Sailing brings calm, helps manage emotions, and gives children a safe way to push their boundaries.
Coach Liepa has been working at the Good Wind Club for three years. Her journey started with leading summer camps and naturally evolved into consistent, structured work with students as a sailing coach. Liepa’s coaching style is gentle, encouraging, and empowering — an approach that helps children feel safe, dare to try, and gradually build confidence step by step.
Using the EXOCLASS system has made administrative work significantly easier. She notes that previously everything was chaotic: she had to send explanations to parents, fill out paperwork, constantly issue invoices, and numbers would often get lost. EXOCLASS streamlined this entire process and allowed her to focus on high-quality work with students without being burdened by documents.
Liepa sees firsthand how children change over time. Many are afraid to even step into the boat at first, but soon they gain confidence and experience an internal shift: “I did it — I can do anything.”
This moment is universal and incredibly important in a child’s development.
She highlights that sailing offers children a unique experience — the chance to master the power of the wind. Along with that comes personal courage, independence, and the ability to face challenges. These lessons stay with children long after the training session ends.
Liepa’s training sessions last around three hours, and the frequency depends on each student’s level of progress. Children move at their own pace, and the coach observes how they learn to control the boat, understand the wind, and overcome their inner fears.
The club also has strong parent involvement — a parent committee supports the coaches, and communication with parents is active and ongoing. Coaches regularly share photos and updates, which helps build a supportive and trusting community.
EXOCLASS greatly simplified this part as well: parents receive a registration link and sign up for the club independently, and as Liepa says, this means no more additional questions or confusion.
She also pointed out that using EXOCLASS was easy from day one — “if you know how to use TikTok, you will know how to use EXOCLASS.” This demonstrates how intuitive the system is for both coaches and parents.
Coach Jurgis has been sailing for more than fifteen years. His journey began with curiosity and a desire to understand how a boat moves with the power of the wind — and today he is one of the coaches at the Good Wind Club, working with both beginners and advanced students.
Jurgis has a clear explanation he often shares with children when comparing rowing and sailing: “When you row, you work with your muscles; when you sail, you work with your brain.”
This comparison perfectly illustrates that sailing is not just a physical activity — it is a strategic sport that requires thinking, reacting, and making decisions in constantly changing conditions.
Jurgis emphasizes that sailing is a sport that builds essential life skills in children.
First — independence.
Children learn to handle their fears, failures, and successes. They learn to get back up after capsizing, understand their mistakes, and bravely try again.
Second — courage.
Not only courage to step into the boat, but courage to make decisions, be surrounded by nature, feel the wind and the force of the water. These experiences shape their confidence on the water and far beyond it.
Third — team spirit.
Although sailing often appears to be an individual sport, the club fosters strong unity. Children help one another, share experiences, and follow the principle Jurgis repeats: “One for all, and all for one.”
These values align perfectly with the club’s mission and culture, strengthening a community supported by both parents and coaches. The modern EXOCLASS after-school club management system enhances this process — it allows coaches to spend less time on administration and more time focusing on student development.
Jurgis shares one of the most memorable stories about a student who initially seemed very timid. For three competitions in a row, the boy struggled — fear and repeated capsizing made each race difficult. It seemed like an impossible challenge. But with steady encouragement from his coach and the child’s determination, a breakthrough happened.
In the fourth competition, the same student not only overcame his fear but won his category.
For Jurgis, this moment was a reminder of why he chose to become a coach — not for medals, but for witnessing children’s personal growth.
Stories like this show the power of a strong community, a dedicated coach, and the right tools. With the help of the EXOCLASS after-school club management system, Jurgis can easily track attendance, see student progress, and at the end of the year make objective decisions about which students are ready for competitions. This not only lightens administrative work but helps support each child in the way they need it most.
Before implementing the EXOCLASS after-school club management system, administrative work at Good Wind Clubwas a real challenge. Coaches explain that daily operations felt like navigating a dense forest: registrations required lengthy explanations, much of the work was done on paper, invoices were issued manually, and numbers often got lost between messages and Excel sheets. Tracking attendance was equally difficult — many times, it had to be guessed or recalled from memory.
EXOCLASS brought structure and allowed coaches to finally breathe.
First, registration became significantly easier. According to coach Liepa, parents only need one link — from there, they complete everything independently, without extra questions or lengthy messaging. This immediately reduced administrative workload and minimized the chance of errors.
Second, training sessions became smoother because coaches can now track attendance in real time and view each student’s full history. Coach Jurgis highlights that this feature is especially valuable at the end of the year when deciding which students are ready to compete — the data speaks for itself.
Third, invoicing and payment tracking no longer require additional time. The system automatically generates invoices and clearly shows payment statuses, eliminating uncertainty and preventing lost transactions. Coaches no longer need to dig through spreadsheets or worry that something might be missing.
Finally, one of the club’s biggest advantages with EXOCLASS is the system’s simplicity. As Liepa puts it, “if you know how to use TikTok, you can use EXOCLASS,” meaning no special training was required. The transition was fast, natural, and stress-free.
Learn more about other education organizations’ success stories on our blog!
Today, EXOCLASS has become a tool that removes technical burdens and gives time back to what matters most — student development, high-quality training, and the growth of a strong club community.
Want your after-school club to run just as smoothly? Book an EXOCLASS demo and see how the system can transform your daily work.
