BLOGS
Trampoline Gymnastics
Trampoline gymnastics has two streams: recreational and competitive. Athletes in this sport perform various gymnastics skills while bouncing on an Olympic sized trampoline. This sport consists of routines performed on an individual trampoline, a double mini trampoline and tumbling, which is performed on a rod floor. At the Okanagan Gymnastics Centre, we have four Olympic sized trampolines, a double mini trampoline and a rod floor.
Trampoline gymnasts often begin their journey at the recreational level before progressing into a competitive level. In recreational gymnastics, athletes learn basic skills such as different shape jumps and body landings. Different shape jumps include tucks, pikes, and straddle jumps whereas body landings include skills like front drops, back drops, airplanes and swivel hips. Once our athletes master these skills they progress to a higher level of recreational gymnastics. This level trains them in dive rolls, doggie drop front tucks, basic forward flips, and back drop pullovers.
The athletes continue learning in this higher level of recreational gymnastics until our trampoline coaches determine if they are skilled enough to progress into a competitive level. The competitive level is more complex than the recreational level. It involves learning different shapes of flips and mastering twists. Our beginner competitive athletes learn higher level flips such as back flips in multiple shapes, baranis and rudis. A barani is a skill that requires a gymnast to carry out a front flip with a half turn (180 degree twist), whereas a rudi is a front flip with 1 ½ twists (540 degree twist). This level is then followed by a higher competitive level where our athletes learn to perform more complex skills such as the cody and the ballout, and are introduced to 1 ¾ and double flips. A cody is when the athlete performs a backflip from the stomach. A ballout is when the athlete performs a front flip from the back. Higher level competitive athletes begin to learn more complex double flips in different shapes and with twists, and at the highest levels even triple flips are learned.
All levels stated in the recreational CanJump program are offered at the Okanagan Gymnastics Centre. We have competitive athletes from provincial level 1 to national level 6. OGC has athletes compete in provincial and national championships each year, and we have had athletes in the past progress to compete at a world level. Our athletes in the national levels compete at Elite Canada as Team OGC and Canadian Championships as Team BC. The athletes that are selected to compete at World Age Groups or World Championships are able to represent their country as part of Team Canada.
At OGC we pursue our mission to deliver a quality gymnastics program for community wide engagement; with meaningful participation by all from foundational to high performance. Our staff are very friendly and always eager to answer any questions or concerns. Contact us at info@okanagangymnastics.com or call us at 250-765-0888 to learn about our trampoline gymnastics program.
Judging and Scoring in Gymnastic Competitions
December 2nd, 2021
Gymnastic competitions generally post their scores on an online scoring system. These scores are live and can be accessed on the website or through an app. If you are new to competitions, there is normally a set of instructions that are provided at the venue on brief directions to access the scores. The routines are evaluated and scored based on the routine that the athletes performed and how well they performed it.
In the Canadian Competitive Program, the gymnasts begin their routine with a Start Value. This Start Value represents the maximum score that an athlete can attain, and it equals to a score of 10.0. When an athlete does not perform the skill correctly, execution deductions are made from the Start Value. The judges deduct 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 for small, medium and a large mistake respectively. A crucial area that the gymnasts are assessed on is how well they land. If the athlete steps outside the floor area, points are deducted from the Start Value. There is a 0.1 deduction for one foot and 0.2 deduction for both feet. Similarly, the judges also use artistry and neutral deductions when evaluating and scoring. These deductions apply to the beam and floor routines. When performing the floor routine, they are evaluated based on qualities such as personal style, confidence, expression and so on. Neutral deductions are made when the athlete fails to meet their time limit. Moreover, a fall from or onto an apparatus will cost the athlete 0.5 points in deductions.
The Okanagan Gymnastics Centre will be hosting its COBWEB Invitational in person competition event on the 11th and 12th of December. The judges present at the event will evaluate and score athletes in the above-mentioned manner.
Introduction to Competitions
November 18th, 2021
Competitions play a critical role in honing a competitive athlete's skills by providing them a platform to showcase and evaluate the skills they have been practicing. If you are new to competitive gymnastics, there is a general structure that is followed during competitions. Competitions are divided into four components namely pre-competition, general warm up, competition and an awards ceremony. Competition events generally take place for a minimum of three hours and require the athlete to be present until the end.
The pre competition portion prompts the athlete to be well prepared for the big event. This ranges from monitoring their diet the previous night to wearing appropriate gymnastics attire on the day of the competition. Eating and sleeping properly before a competition plays a pivotal role in a successful performance. To avoid feeling fatigue and to perform to their full potential, athletes must have adequate sleep and a nutritious breakfast before the competition. They are also encouraged to bring light snacks or meals after the competition to keep their stamina in check. Furthermore, it is of utmost importance to maintain appropriate gymnastics attire and tie their hair up in a sleek bun to avoid injuries. Athletes are also advised to get extra hair ties, a water bottle, warm up clothing, grips, and wristbands if they use them.
Athletes generally arrive 15 mins early for the general warm up session. Arriving early gives time to find their coach and their team without causing delay. This portion of the competition usually lasts for 15 to 20 mins and consists of general warm up such as running, stretching, and basic skills. Once the warmup session is complete, the athletes will be asked to march onto the floor or to their first apparatus to be presented to their judges and audience.
The general warm up is followed by the competition portion. Athletes will begin their routines at the vault, followed by the uneven bars, balance beam and then the floor exercise. They are provided 30 seconds to two minutes to warm up as a team before they perform their routine. The warmup is followed by a short break. Once the break is concluded the athletes will perform their routines one at a time. Once their name is called, the athlete will present and then begin their routine. The athlete will present again to the judges at the end of their routine. After every athlete in the group presents and performs their routine, they will be asked to move onto the next event. The athletes are refrained from leaving the competition floor throughout the event and require the judge’s permission to use the washroom.
The athletes are given a short break after the competition and can use this time to have their light snack. After the break they will be asked to gather for the awards ceremony. The ceremony will either take place on the floor or in a separate room. This portion of the competition might take a minimum of 30 minutes as there are multiple levels and age divisions competing during the competition. The athletes are required to stay for the entire ceremony as it depicts that they are polite and respectful towards their team and fellow competitors.
Competitions are usually held in hockey arenas or similar areas and prove to be a hassle for finding a parking spot. Parents are thus advised to plan ahead of time or drop their athletes off at the door before finding a parking spot. It is also highly recommended to carry cash for admissions and concessions.
Gymnastics Attire
October 11th, 2021
Sarah was practising her new skills, that she learnt this week on the uneven bars. She could feel the adrenaline rush and was fully aware of her body when she performed her perfectly aligned gymnastics flips. She was soaring high, when all of a sudden in the middle of her flip her knees got caught inside her long loose tee shirt. She lost control. Luckily her coach was paying close attention and threw a mat to break her fall. Thus, preventing Sarah from injuring herself...
It is important to wear appropriate attire while performing gymnastics due to several reasons such as for proper movement, to avoid injury and to make it easy for coaches to judge the gymnast’s skills.
The main costume worn by the gymnasts is called the ‘Leotard or a bodysuit’. Wearing this attire permits for swift movements and prevents injuries. As opposed to other loose outfits, the leotard is fit to wear, thereby ensuring balance and safety. Additionally the tight fit helps the coaches to effectively judge the gymnast’s body when performing gymnastics. Spotting is a common technique used by coaches to physically assist students in mastering a skill effectively. During spotting, loose clothing is seen as an obstacle and a source of injury for both the gymnast and the coach.
At the Okanagan Gymnastics Centre, the competitive gymnasts are advised to wear a leotard/bodysuit, recreational gymnasts may wear a bodysuit, tee-shirt or shorts and trampoline gymnasts are advised to wear a tight fitted shirt and tight fitted shorts. The tee-shirts are also mandated to be tight fitting to avoid stumbling on when performing gymnastic flips.
Our gymnasts are further advised to refrain from wearing any jewelry as it may get caught on gym equipment. In severe cases they have also caused injuries, where gymnasts have had their ears lobes ripped out resulting in bleeding and scars. Additionally, this is also done to ensure safety for our coaches when spotting their students. Furthermore, gymnasts with long hair are advised to tie their hair up to avoid getting it stuck in between equipment.
The body suits worn by OGC gymnasts can be found in our pro shop. The orders for our merchandise are placed with the office and delivered within two weeks. Moreover, the measurements are taken at our Centre.
CANGYM Badges and levels at OGC
October 1st, 2021
CANGYM Artistic Badge Program was designed to assess Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics training. This tool is used by gymnastics centres across Canada and is considered as Gymnastics Canada’s National Skill Development and Evaluation Program. This nationally recognized program consists of twelve badges namely Burgundy, Red, Tan, Bronze, Purple, Blue, Turquoise, Silver, Orange, Yellow, Green and Gold. Each badge consists of a set of skills that must be acquired before progressing onto the next badge.
At the Okanagan Gymnastics Centre, the badges are classified into four different classes. The classes depict the levels that reflect the gymnasts’ proficiency in a specific badge. The four different levels are labeled as Beginner, Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2 and Advanced.
Beginner
This level comprises the Burgundy and the Red badges. The Burgundy badge involves skills such as walks, runs, forward foot landing and so on. Whereas, the Red badge tests additional skills such as tripod balance, hangs, inverted hangs and so on.
Intermediate 1
The intermediate level consists of the Tan and the Bronze badge. After mastering the skills in the Tan badge, the gymnasts will progress onto the Bronze badge while continuing to be on the same level. The Tan badge comprises skills such as cross support, tucked L hang 3 pendular swings and so on. Whereas, the Bronze badge trains the gymnast to be skilled in cartwheel, shoulder stands, handstand, 3 cross support swings and so on.
Intermediate 2
The intermediate 2 level consists of the Purple and Blue badges. These two badges consist of a higher level of gymnastics skills. The gymnasts are trained to master skills such as cast feet to bar height, glide swing to stretched body position, forward roll to stand, lower to bridge from handstand and so on.
Advanced
This last level consists of the Turquoise, Silver, Orange, Yellow, Green and Gold badges. The badges in this level focus on a more advanced level of skills. These skills include dive cartwheel, handstand with 4 weight transfers, forward salto, backward sole circle, long hang kip et cetera.
The gymnasts are required to master a badge completely in order to progress to the next one. Likewise, they are also required to complete an entire level before advancing to the next one.
At OGC, gymnasts are graded on three factors namely mastered, learning and attempted. The gymnasts are handed a progress report prior to registration signifying the class they need to register for. At the end of their badge session they will be handed a report card from their coaches determining their ability based on the three factors.
OKANAGAN GYMNASTICS’ TEAMS SHINE IN VIRTUAL COMPETITIONS
Kelowna BC July 14, 2021For OGC’s top athletes, the world of training and competition is their life. Many train for up to 5 days a week, for 5-6 hours a day, to be able to compete for spots on Team BC and Team Canada. Attending competitions from January to May is vital to their ability to qualify for provincial and national teams.
Like so many businesses, OGC was shut down in March 2020 under the Covid-19 Provincial State of Emergency. The impact of this closure on the competitive athletes and their training could have been devastating however, the deeply committed competitive coaches at OGC were just not going to let that happen. For three months, they provided daily zoom training sessions and did all they could to keep up the spirits of Team OGC.
When OGC was able to welcome back a small number of athletes, the competitive team returned but had lost significant ground in their training. Amid equipment sanitizing, temperature checks, physical distancing and restricted equipment use, these young athletes put their heads down and got busy, working towards regaining the physical strength and skills that they had lost.
News came last summer that it would most likely be a year without in-person competitions. That was a tough pill to swallow for everyone. Competing is a key motivator for competitive trampoline and gymnastics athletes. With encouragement from the coaching team, the athletes accepted that 2020-21 would be a season to master existing skills, learn new skills, and enhance their strength, coordination and balance.
By late fall, it was decided that competitions may actually be allowed – virtually. Athletes and coaches accepted that although they were not sure what this might look like, they were up for the challenge. Under strict guidelines, athletes performed their routines inside the OGC gym while being recorded on video. These videos were submitted electronically to virtual judging panels that were watching the routines from their home computer. Not easy, but the results were worth the extraordinary effort.
During the BC Provincial Championships, the youngest OGC competitive team came 2nd in BC in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics. The most recent virtual event was the Western Canadian Trampoline Competition where the OGC trampoline team swept the podium with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in Level 4 trampoline, competing against clubs from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Despite the obstacles Covid-19 has put in front of these young athletes, and maybe even because of it, the 2020-21 has been a year of tremendous growth and opportunity for Team OGC.
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Okanagan Gymnastics Centre, a non-profit society, has been providing the Okanagan Valley with quality gymnastics training since 1981. Throughout 40 years of dedicated commitment, Okanagan Gymnastics has had a solid history of building strong athletes at all levels and for all ages. This year, Samantha Smith, who trained in Trampoline with Okanagan Gymnastics for 6 years before moving to Vancouver, will be representing Canada at the Tokyo Olympics.
OKANAGAN GYMNASTICS SWEEPS PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kelowna BC May 28, 2021
Over the last 15 months, athletes around the globe have had to overcome a whole new set of challenges from missed competitions, competing without spectators, and training in a sport that they love while maintaining a safe distance from the rest of their teammates. The athletes at Okanagan Gymnastics Centre have not only stepped up to this challenge, they’ve excelled in the recent 2021 BC Provincial Championships.
Led by an amazing team of coaches including Jamie Gardner, Chris Sheremeta, and Maryna Vorobyova, the athletes at Okanagan Gymnastics Centre swept their competition for both WAG (Women’s Artistic Gymnastics) and TG (Trampoline Gymnastics). Winning a total of ten first place medals as well as multiple second place and third place standings, Team OGC surpassed expectations.
The JO3 (Junior Olympics Level 3) team finished second in the province, a huge accomplishment for a small team of four athletes – Victoria Schmidt, Kaydence Celedon-Davies, Keyanna-Celedon Davies and Kaycee McFarlane.
Athletes are now preparing for the upcoming Virtual Ogopogo competition which will see WAG, TG and MAG (Men’s Artistic Gymnastics) athletes throughout BC competing in their own gyms and submitting videos for judging. Athletes couldn't be more excited to finally be able to show off the skills that they have been working so hard on all year long.
Okanagan Gymnastics Centre is the only non-profit gym located in the Okanagan Valley. Top-level coaches combined with a 12,000sf fully- equipped gym, provides a training centre beyond compare. Okanagan Gymnastics Centre welcomes athletes of all ages, whether experienced or beginner. Classes will continue to operate through the summer including day camps.