Having goals to work toward is a great way to both get and stay motivated, especially in a sport like Gymnastics where there's always something new to try or learn. Through the achievement of our goals, we gain a sense of accomplishment and elevated self-confidence that make us want to challenge ourselves even further when setting our future objectives.
In our gym, once a goal has been achieved, the gymnast gets to ring the 'Achievement Bell'.
Here are some examples of the wonderful stories emerging from our community in Term 3!
ACROBATIC GYMNASTICS:
Handstands on Posts and on Shoulders:
It was a very successful term for Handstands in the ACRO Program!!
Our 8 years + ACRO for Fun class achieved their Handstands on Posts, with some getting help from their Coaches and others all by themselves!
We also had two Nationals Partnerships achieve their Wrap Swing to Handstand on Shoulders!!
Backbend from Stand, to Stand Up
It's a very special moment when you get your very first Backbend from standing, and stand up from Backbend!
In our gym, once a goal has been achieved, the gymnast gets to ring the 'Achievement Bell'.l, well done!!
Back Handsprings without a Spotter!
A big congratulations goes to the three ACRO Gymnasts who achieved their Back Handsprings by themselves onto a crash mat!
This is such a big step in a Gymnast's Tumbling journey!
A standing Back-Handspring is a complex skill that can take years of strength, shaping and power (and definitely practice).
The girls all got them in the same lesson and got to ring the bell all together!
Level 1's Learning Both of their Competition Routines!
All of our ACRO Level 1's got to ring the bell together memorizing both their Balance and Dynamic routines. This is a great achievement and took months of practice!
ENABLE (Our Program for Children and Young Adults with Special Needs):
Our Enable Gymnasts have many moments where they achieve great things. Sometimes ringing the bell can be a bit distracting or too loud, so we find other ways to celebrate.
It isn’t always the big skills that matter. Sometimes coming into the gym space can be overwhelming in so many ways. The size, the textures, the sounds and the people can be challenges. Becoming comfortable and feeling safe is an important achievement.
TeamGym
Term 3 was a term full of achievements for the TeamGym athletes, with many of them competing at their very first National Clubs Carnival Competition on the Gold Coast in September. The team did extremely well, with many of the athletes also competing new skills in competition for the first time at this event. The team was rewarded for their efforts with a Gold Banding Overall. Well done to all who competed!
Not only did we have athletes attending TeamGym competitions in Term 3, we also had some great new achievements during classes.
Well done especially to the Gymnast from the Senior Team who landed her Side Aerial on Floor:
And well done to the athlete from the Junior Team who landed her first Front Sault on Mini Tramp:
WAG - Women's Artistic Gymnastics
Term 3 may have been filled with competitions for the WAG Gymnasts, however this did not mean there were not also great achievements and skills developments made throughout the Term. It is great to be able to look back on an excellent term full of success and many smiling faces of the gymnasts as they progress towards achieving new skills and ring the bell to celebrate these successes.
Some of the notable achievements made by WAG Gymnasts this term include:
Cast to Handstand:
A Handstand is a staple foundation skill in gymnasts that transfers across all apparatus. One of the debatably more challenging places to put a handstand is on Bars. A Cast to Handstand requires a great deal of strength, determination and practice and there is no better feeling than when you finally hit it for the first time! It is not only celebrating by the gymnast themselves, but also by their teammates who support and cheer them on along the way! Well done to Rosie, Sienna, Chelsea, and Amber who got their first cast to handstands in Term 3!
Kip on Uneven Bars:
We have said before that a Kip is possibly one of the hardest skills in Gymnastics that takes many years of strength and skill development for a Gymnast to achieve, and we stand by this. Not only does this skill require a great amount abdominal and arm strength from a Gymnast, but it also requires an understanding of the correct technique and timing to be able to correctly achieve. Congratulations to those gymnasts who have achieved their first kips last term, and to those who have successfully connected their kip to a cast – Jade, Lia, Charlotte, and Stella!!
First Giants on Loop Bar:
A Giant is a big step in Gymnastics - it is a swinging skill on Bars where the Gymnast swings the entire way around the bar moving through Handstand. This is a notable skill to achieve as a gymnast must first learn the correct technique and develop the strength required. The Gymnasts begin learning these on the ‘Loop’ Bar where they use Straps (or 'Loops') to hold them to the Bar. Congratulations to Eve, Jade and Stella who did their first Giants on the Loop Bar in Term 3!!
Well done WAG Gymnasts!!
Open Levels:
- Many Gymnasts achieved their Rope Climb all the way to the top and Chin Up Pull Overs!
- Charlotte and Zuzie - Front salto off Beam
- Saankyah - Cartwheel on Beam - Tali - Side Aerial on Floor - Caitlin - Back Handspring down Wedge
GfA - Gymnastics for All:
One of our GfA Junior Girls classes got to ring the bell because they all achieved their Back-Hip Circles on the same day!
The GfA Gymnast below is ringing the bell as she got her backwards roll with straight arms! Good job!
The GfA Gymnast below is ringing the Bell as she got her Underswing on the Uneven Bars! Good Job!
Performance Team
The Performance Team had some great new achievements in Term 3 successfully learning many new Acrobatics lifts, throws and balances. All of these were then used in performance events at either the ACT GFA State Championships or the National Clubs Carnival.
Acrobatic lifts and balances such as these take a lot of determination, strength, and trust in one another. It is great to see the team working together to make these skills work. We cannot wait to see the tricks and skills they continue to learn as the year goes on!
MAG - Men's Artistic Gymnastics
In Term 3: - Uri got his splits flat and Side Travel on Pommel
- Darryll got his Front Layout Full
- Samson got his Czeck on Pommel
- Jack got his Kip on H-Bar
Groove and Move:
Maggie has been working on performing a Forward Roll down a Wedge and standing up at the end.
The rolling part was the easy for Maggie, the standing at the end was not. After a lot of practice, various coaching tips and hours of determination she achieved her goal. The whole Groove and Move class cheered her success. Now on to the next challenge!!
Well done to all of the Gymnasts featured in this Blog!
This is our last Achievement Bell post for 2022, the next instalment will be in Term 1, 2023.
Keep working on this goals, Gymnasts! If you achieve a skill in Term 4 2022, or Term 1 2023, don't forget to ask your Coach to grab a photo or video of the skill, or you ringing the bell, to submit for the next Blog!!