Basic gymnastics focuses on beginning gymnastics skills and teaching the proper way to execute these skills. If you're considering gymnastics for yourself or your child, follow Olympic medalist Shannon Miller's advice from her book "Winning Every Day": "Go into the sport because you have fun doing it, not because of 'what ifs' and dreams of gold medals. That way, no matter what happens, you win."
Events
In artistic gymnastics, men compete on six events and women compete on four. Both sexes use the floor and vault, although the floor routines are noticeably different: girls perform to music and incorporate dance elements while boys have more tumbling passes and focus on strength and balance skills. Men's events also include still rings, horizontal bar, parallel bar and pommel horse. These events require tremendous strength and some basic gymnastics classes might not include these apparatuses, or they will use modified equipment. Women use the beam and uneven bars. In basic gymnastics, girls learn on a low beam and both boys and girls learn basic bar skills on a low bar.
Levels and Classes
Gyms that follow the USA Gymnastics level requirements will have the same level requirements for Level 1, but many gyms have levels before Level 1 as well. These pre-levels include mommy and me classes for toddlers, classes for preschool-age children and introduction to gymnastics classes that establish the foundation for gymnastics skills through exercises that teach coordination, balance, flexibility balance, strength and body awareness.
Body Positions
Basic gymnastics teaches body positions, which gymnasts use in basic, intermediate and elite skills. Basic positions include the straddle, with legs split apart; the pike, with legs together; and the tuck, with knees tucked up to the chest. The basics also include hand positions, arm positions and proper posture. Learning the correct body positions helps prevent injuries; for example, learning how to tuck the head to the chest prevents neck injuries in a forward roll, which later progresses to a handstand forward roll, then a dive roll, and eventually a front tuck, also known as the front flip.
Skills
If the class is not a USAG Level 1 class, the exact skills will vary, but all gymnasts begin with the same basic skill set. For boys and girls, basic skills include cartwheels, bridges and forward rolls on the floor, as well as the front support position and pullover on a low bar. Girls also learn dance skills such as the arabesque, scale and foot positions, such as releve -- standing on the toe -- and the posse, bringing one foot up to the knee and balancing on the opposite straight leg.
References
- Notre Dame St. Mary's Gymnastics Club: Resources -- Gymnast Quotes
- USA Gymnastics: Artistic Gymnastics Equipment
- Tidewater Gymnastics: About TGA Classes
- "Coaching Youth Gymnastics"; American Sport Education Program with USA Gymnastics; 2011
- "Complete Guide to Primary Gymnastics"; Lindsay Broofield; 2011
- Rock Star Gymnastics: Skills by Level -- Girls Level 1
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