4 minute read
It's time to tumble
British Gymnastics tells us why it is a great time to introduce your child to gymnastics, giving them fun, fitness, friendship and fundamental skills.
Bronze Olympic medal winner, 16-year-old Jessica Gadirova ow is the perfect time to get
Ninvolved in gymnastics. Last summer, the Olympic Games returned with thousands of athletes from across the world going head-to-head to be crowned Olympic champion in their chosen sport.
Absolutely breathtaking performances in both artistic gymnastics and trampoline meant Team GB gymnasts stole the hearts of the nation. Who could forget the moment 16-year-old twin sisters, Jessica and Jennifer
Gadirova, along with their teammates, Amelie
Morgan and Alice Kinsella, took the bronze medal? This was the first Olympic team medal in women’s gymnastics to be won by Great
Britain since 1928!
The Gadirova twins’ journey to the top started in a children’s recreational gymnastics class, before they worked their way up through the ranks to represent Great Britain on the biggest of stages. Recreational gymnastics, through British Gymnastics’ programmes, provided the perfect stepping-stone, which has enabled many gymnasts to go on to achieve Olympic success.
Speaking about her gymnastics journey to date, Jessica says: “I was around six years old when I started. [I was] just having fun doing gymnastics. I love gymnastics because of the feeling you get when you’re doing a routine or learning a skill. I love to perform and gymnastics lets me express myself. It’s fun to train and develop with new challenges all the time and then to produce the final routine and show it off feels very special.”
A SPORT FOR EVERYONE
At the Olympic Games, you may have seen artistic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics, but there are even more gymnastics disciplines than those to explore. Whether practising your first forward roll or refining a backwards somersault, gymnastics welcomes people from all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
Does your child love to bounce on a trampoline at home? Are they full of energy and like to move? They could be a natural-born gymnast. Children across the country are taking part in hundreds of thousands of gymnastics sessions every week – and now is a great time to get involved.
British Gymnastics is the governing body for gymnastics in the UK, supporting safe, welcoming and rewarding environments for people to take part through its member clubs and delivery partners.
Recreational gymnastics is represented through Gymnastics for All, with a focus on fun, fitness, friendship and fundamental skills.
Many clubs, leisure centres and schools run this type of programme. It often encompasses a mixture of disciplines and classes start for children as young as preschool age, progressing through to adult gymnastics. There is something for everyone, whether it’s to learn new gymnastics skills, keep fit through a GymFit programme or to perform with friends in a choreographed gymnastics and dance routine on stage in GymFusion.
RISE GYMNASTICS
Released in September 2021, British Gymnastics’ recreational gymnastics programme Rise Gymnastics enables children to progress through learning exciting and fun activities, while earning medals and certificates along the way. This programme is fully adaptable to each child’s needs, with the focus clearly centred on the children having a great time.
The programme is structured in three phases: Discover, Explore and Excel. For preschool-age children, the Discover phase enables them to be introduced to gymnastics through imaginative and creative play: one week they may be firefighters, the next they will visit the jungle. Using this style of teaching ensures their continued interest and captures their imaginations. They learn gymnastics without even realising.
The Explore stage is designed for school-aged children and is progressive, fun and engaging. Excel is for experienced, ambitious gymnasts and can lead to participation in festivals and competitions. With these three phases, Rise Gymnastics has set out a clear pathway to developing and growing skilled gymnasts.
Gemma Barton, British Gymnastics’ head of participation, says: “Rise Gymnastics provides opportunities for gymnasts to achieve through the activity-based pathway of skill development leading to reward and uniting the breadth of gymnastics.”
WHY CHOOSE GYMNASTICS?
It is a lot of fun – children make friends and are given the opportunity to learn new skills. It is also a perfect class in which children can burn off some excess energy. It’s great for improving overall strength, as well as fitness, stability, flexibility and coordination. Physical exercise also releases endorphins, which benefit our mental wellbeing. Learning how to flip, twist and bounce across a gymnastics floor or down a tumble track is exhilarating and exciting.
Gymnastics is an excellent
foundation sport – enjoying gymnastics at a young age can pave the way for a future in the sport and many key skills taught in gymnastics transfer into other sports, including improved fitness, strength, balance and coordination. Gymnastics also teaches healthy habits for life, such as teamwork, leadership, resilience and determination.
The power to amaze –
gymnastics has the power to amaze like no other sport. From a child learning to do their first forward roll, to a coach helping their gymnast win medals on the world stage, it truly is a sport for everyone.
British Gymnastics is the governing body for gymnastics in the UK. For more information about gymnastics and to find gymnastics classes in your area, visit the website: british-gymnastics.org.
