The Benefits of Gymnastics
It’s hard not to watch in wonder as Olympic gymnasts perform seemingly impossible feats of acrobatics, strength and flexibility. Sprinting, twisting, tumbling, landing, balancing, celebrating…sometimes even too fast to truly see or appreciate in ‘real’ time. The beauty, grace, strength and skill of a trained gymnast is arguably one of the most beautiful sights in sport – provoking both admiration and envy in equal doses.
A Major Participation Sport
But gymnastics is not just a sport for Olympians. Indeed, studies indicate that around 1.6* million people regularly participate in the UK. Perhaps as many as 2 million children take part each year. Sport England invested £6.5m in gymnastics participation alone between 2013 and 2017.
(* 3 year average based on Active People, Taking Part and British Gymnastics membership)
Why Gymnastics?
Gymnastics is simply great exercise – for the whole body – improving strength, fitness, balance and co-ordination. It provides a magnificent foundation for the development of physical skills, and bodily self-awareness, which can improve gymnastic performance and be readily transferred to other sports and physical activities.
Gymnastics is fun for people of all age groups. Children particularly enjoy the physical challenges, the development of new skills, the possibilities for weightless ‘flight’ and the ability to fall – safely and with nothing more than a bruised ego!
Gymnastics is a very social sport. It provides the opportunities to meet new people, make friends, be respectful of others, train and learn co-operatively and, often, work as part of a team.
Gymnastics requires discipline – to train, to follow coaching instructions, to learn new skills and to attain ever more advanced goals.
Gymnastics is not easy! However, as early difficulties and set-backs are overcome with practice and perseverance, gymnasts are rewarded with improved confidence and enhanced self-esteem.
Gymnastics can, of course, be competitive – although this is a matter of personal athletic choice and is far from mandatory. Those that elect to do so can give full rein to their competitive instincts – learning to become successful at both winning and losing!
Gymnastics actively welcomes parental involvement – to encourage, to support, to nurture, to spectate and to cheer.
The Health and Fitness Benefits
Increased flexibility can be an effective aid to the reduction of injury. By learning and combining movements, a gymnast can attain greater flexibility and bodily control.
Gymnastics can help maintain a healthy body, assisting to prevent numerous medical conditions. It also helps encourage a healthy lifestyle, including regular physical activity and eating a well-balanced diet.
Weight-bearing activities – including gymnastics – can develop strong, healthy bones. Doing so at a young age can help reduce the risks of developing osteoporosis later on in life.
Research has indicated that children who participate in physical activities like gymnastics are likely to have increased self-esteem.
Medical practitioners recommend that all adults should participate in a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise at least five days per week. A regular workout also releases endorphins – the happiness chemicals that improve mood and ward off, or fight, depression
Gymnastics not only offers physical gains, it is beneficial for improving concentration and mental focus. Gymnastics allows children the chance to think for themselves, to stimulate their imaginations and to solve problems safely.
Gymnasts become better co-ordinated and equipped to avoid hazardous situations by quickly identifying them and naturally correcting body alignment when involved in other forms of physical exercise.
Gymnastics uses body-weight exercises to build upper body, lower body, and core strength – important for the maintenance of posture and all-round fitness.
What is Artistic Gymnastics?
Artistic Gymnastics is a beautiful and challenging type of gymnastics involving a number of separate activities, each requiring an elegant routine that shows off the gymnast’s strength, skill and control.
There are four disciplines in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, while the Men’s event has six.
Women’s Artistic Gymnastics
There are four disciplines in Women’s Artistic Gymnasitics
Vault
The Vault is an explosive event that requires sprinting speed, power, rotational speed and kinaesthetic awareness. Multiple twists and somersaults can be added as the gymnast’s skills and experience progresses
Floor Exercise
The Floor Exercise occurs on a carpeted square, called a ‘spring floor’, which allows gymnasts to achieve extra height and a soft landing. Tumbling passes are performed to demonstrate strength and power. The gymnast must also integrate dance elements, spins and leaps that demonstrate balance and flexibility to music.
Asymmetric Bars
The Asymmetric Bars require gymnasts to navigate two horizontal bars set at different heights, yet alterable widths. Gymnasts perform swinging, circling, transitional and release moves, as well as those that pass through a handstand.
Balance Beam
The Balance Beam requires spectacular balance, flexibility and strength, with gymnasts performing a choreographed routine consisting of leaps, acrobatic skills, turns and dance elements on a 10cm wide beam.
Men’s Artistic Gymnastics
The Men’s event includes the Vault and the Floor Exercise. In addition, there are four further disciplines
Pommel Horse
The Pommel Horse requires strength, speed, balance and grace. The gymnast swings his legs in a circular motion and performs single and double leg skills, including scissors and flairs, on all parts of the apparatus prior to ending the routine with a dismount.
Still Rings
The Floor Exercise occurs on a carpeted square, called a ‘spring floor’, which allows gymnasts to achieve extra height and a soft landing. Tumbling passes are performed to demonstrate flexibility, strength, balance, and power. The gymnast must also show non-acrobatic skills, including circles, scales and press handstands.
Parallel Bars
Gymnasts perform on two parallel bars, slightly more than a shoulder’s width apart, while executing a series of swings, balances, and releases that require great strength and coordination.
High Bar
The gymnast holds on to a thick steel bar as he performs giants (revolutions around the bar), releases, twists and changes of direction. By using the momentum from the giants, enough height can be achieved for spectacular dismounts.
Floor
The men’s Floor Exercise occurs on a carpeted square, called a ‘spring floor’, which allows gymnasts to achieve extra height and a soft landing. Tumbling passes are performed to demonstrate power along with a variety of balances to demonstrate strength. Male gymnasts have 1 minute and 30 seconds to complete as many tumbles as possible, whilst linking difficult rolls and balances into the routine.
Vault
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Our Classes
Both girls and boys are welcomed in all of our classes. As gymnasts progress towards more advanced sessions, they may be placed in specific gender groups to ensure that the training and equipment used makes the most of their time in the gym, thereby helping them to continually develop and learn.
Our Class Timetable
The Leadership Academy
The Leadership Academy has been designed to create a structure for young people to help them develop as leaders within gymnastics environments such as schools, clubs and leisure centres.
The Park Wrekin Leadership Academy is open to anyone over the age of 11 years of age who would like to obtain some varied experience and qualifications from the time they spend in the gym. They follow a programme set by British Gymnastics, whilst being mentored by our experienced coaches within the gym.
Members of our Leadership Academy develop skills in organisation and planning, problem solving and working as a team, whilst becoming more confident in leading activities. The Leadership Academy is not just about coaching gymnastics, but also judging and setting-up events.
If you would like to learn more about the team, or join it, please complete the application form.
Recognising Achievement
At Park Wrekin, we believe that success should be recognised and celebrated. All our Pre-school, Beginner and Recreational gymnasts work towards the British Gymnastics Proficiency Awards and Rosettes.
Pre-School Gymnastics
The Pre-School Gymnastics Award Scheme has been developed for children from 3 years of age and focuses on the development of physical literacy and movement skills. Children learn the three fundamental building blocks of movement – Action, Balance and Coordination, with a range of 40 different activities to choose from. The scheme introduces children to physical activity in a fun, yet structured, environment so that they can safely learn and experiment action, balance and coordination activities. Badges may be purchased to reward successful completion.
Core Gymnastics
The Core Proficiency Gymnastics Award scheme follows on from Pre- School for Beginners and children aged 5 years & upwards. The scheme assists in the progressive development of core skills such as balance, strength, flexibility and co-ordination and incorporates compulsory pulse raising activities. There are 10 types of activity and 8 levels of attainment. Participants can choose from a selection of 80 activities to develop core skills. A comprehensive resource pack underpins the successful delivery of the scheme – with 40 work cards presented on DVD.
Advanced Gymnastics
The Advanced Proficiency Gymnastics Award scheme is for children aged 11 years & upwards. It assists in the development of Core fitness (strength, power, flexibility, co-ordination) and gymnastics skills for the coaching of more advanced skills. The scheme offers a range of activities including Fitness, Floor, Vault & Rebound, Apparatus, Pairs & Groups, Hand Held Apparatus and Dance & Aerobics.
Coaching
We now have vacancies for new coaches – and you don’t need prior experience; our highly qualified team will provide you with all the training and mentoring you will need to fulfil this demanding role.
Should you be interested in learning a new skill and helping young people realise their potential, please get in touch. We would be delighted to hear from you and discuss how you can get involved.
What Are The Coaching Opportunities?
Many coaches are parents, gymnasts, teachers or people already engaged with the sport, who want to be more involved and help others to develop, achieve and excel. Whether you’re taking your first steps or looking to build on existing skills and expertise, we can help you train and qualify.
Award Scheme Coaching Core Proficiency (14 years+)
A great way to get involved, even if you are new to the sport. You get to coach gymnastics within a fun environment, supporting participants in the development of new skills through dynamic pulse raising, strength and flexibility exercises. You will work with both female and male participants ranging from ages five to eleven years.
UKCC Level 1 Coach (16 years+)
This course qualifies you to be an assistant coach. You will learn theoretical gymnastic knowledge such as emotional, cognitive and bio-mechanical development, as well as discipline-specific practical skills. You will be able to support participants in a variety of moves and apparatus and help them in their gymnastics development.
Further Skills and Qualifications (18 years+)
There are a variety of opportunities to progress as a gymnastics coach. Many coaches follow the designated pathway, working from the UKCC Level 1 Assistant Coach Award through to the UKCC Level 2 Coach Certificate – and may progress all the way through to a High Performance Coach qualification.
Your Coaching Questions Answered
What does it cost?
The Core Proficiency course costs £50 – or £65 if you are a non-member. Thereafter, the UKCC Level 1 and 2 courses will cost you nothing – apart from your time and hard work! We will fully train you to achieve your qualifications whilst you work at the club – and assign you a mentor to help you through your courses.
Do I get paid for coaching?
Yes. Many clubs solely rely on volunteers, whilst a number of our coaches choose to volunteer we offer to pay all coaches. Core Proficiency and Level 1 coaches are not qualified to run sessions alone and are therefore considered to be apprentices. Level 2 coaches are paid according to whether they are leading or assisting a session.
For which classes are you looking for coaches?
This is entirely up to you. We have vacancies for Pre-school (18 months to school age); Beginners (school age, but mostly under 10 years); Recreational (primary school age); and Intermediate (senior school age).
How many hours are involved each week?
Again, this up to you – anything from 1 to 20 hours each week, depending on your wishes and availability.
Do I need British Gymnastics membership?
Yes. All coaches must have BG membership in order for them to be insured to coach. We will help you with this and in securing your DBS check and Safeguarding certificate.