Recreational Gymnastics

Recreational gymnastics is a non-competitive, play-based instructional track designed for people of all ages to learn fundamental movement skills. Unlike competitive programs, it prioritizes fitness, coordination, and fun over strict skill mastery and intense training schedules.

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Program Structure & Age Groups

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• Toddler & Me Gymnastics (Ages 1–3): Focuses on basic motor skills, crawling over obstacles, hanging from low bars, and balancing on foam beams with a guardian's help. 

• Preschool Poppers(Ages 3–5): Introduces independent listening, basic positions (tuck, pike, straddle), safe landings, and introductory rolling.

• Beginner Sparklers (Ages 6+): Classes focus on introducing simple movements across the standard gymnastics apparatuses:

  • Floor Exercise: Basic body positions (tuck, pike, straddle), forward and backward rolls, bridges, donkey kicks, and cartwheel progressions.

  • Balance Beam: Walking forward, backward, and sideways, dip steps, basic relevé walks (on toes), and safety dismounts on low beams.

  • Uneven Bars: Front supports, tuck hangs, monkey crawls, casts, and basic chin-up hold progressions.

  • Vault: Running mechanics, two-foot hurdle jumps onto a springboard, safety landings (sticking the landing), and straight jumps onto mats.

• Intermediate Firecrackers(skill level): Intermediate gymnastics bridges the gap between basic motor skills and advanced acrobatics, focusing on dynamic power, flight elements, and complex coordination. At this stage, gymnasts have mastered foundational shapes and begin connecting multiple skills together into fluid sequences. 

• Key Skills by Event-Athletes move away from isolated skills and begin working on inverted movements, flight, and heightened aerial awareness: 

  • Floor Exercise: Handstand forward rolls, round-offs, back handspring progressions, front handsprings, and aerial preparation.

  • Balance Beam: Handstands on the beam, cartwheels, tuck jumps, full turns on one foot, and round-off or front tuck dismounts.

  • Uneven Bars: Kip progressions, clear hips, back hip circles, consistent casts above horizontal, and flyaway dismounts.

  • Vault: Handstand flat-backs onto a raised mat stack, front handspring vaults over the table, and powerful springboard hurdle entries. 

• Advanced Dynamite(skill level): Advanced intermediate gymnastics represents the final stepping stone before an athlete enters elite or high-level optional competitive tracks. In this phase, gymnasts transition from basic flight skills to true aerial awareness, twisting, and complex skill combinations that require precise timing and exceptional core strength. 

• Key Skills by Event-Athletes focus on executing high-impact skills with consistent control and proper form:

  • Floor Exercise: Consecutive back handsprings, round-off back tucks or layouts, front tucks/pikes, and basic twisting elements (like a half or full twist). 

  • Balance Beam: Consistent cartwheels or back walkovers on the high beam, split jumps reaching 180 degrees, back handspring step-outs, and aerial dismounts. 

  • Uneven Bars: Consistent kips (both low and high bar), fluent back hip circles into casts, sole circles, clear hip circles, and tucked or piked flyaway dismounts.

  • Vault: Aggressive, high-speed run-ups executing powerful front handsprings over the vault table, or entry-level half-on vault progressions.

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