What is Recreational Gymnastics?
Recreational sessions are a fun way to participate is gymnastics for fitness and exercise; it's a great way to learn some of the most popular gymnastics skills that many children want to be able to perform. In these sessions the gymnasts work on an array of skills on each apparatus. Some of the floor skills they will work on are rolls, handstands, cartwheels, kick overs, headstands and may move on to more advanced skills.
Recreational Gymnastics at SGC
Recreational gymnastics could be the starting point of your journey at our club!
Our Recreational sessions run 5 days a week and are 1 hour classes that aim to provide fun, safe gymnastic coaching to school aged children of all abilities. Children are encouraged to develop at their own pace on a wide variety of apparatus and have the opportunity to progress through the British Gymnastics proficiency awards scheme to earn badges and certificates. Many gymnasts come into these sessions through moving up from our pre-school programme. For more information on sessions for under 5’s (pre-school), please see the Pre-school page.
In our Recreational gymnastics sessions, we split the children into 2 age groups- age 4 - 7 years (Recreational Rookies) and age 8 years + (Recreational Springers). These age groups can cross over where the coach deems it necessary, depending on the gymnast’s level and ability.
Our recreational gymnasts are also invited to take part in our Annual Gala, which the whole club can get involved in once a year! It is a huge event held at the prestigious Southampton Guildhall.
Gymnasts may also be invited to take part in our annual club competition where the emphasis is on ‘taking part’, this gives our gymnasts an opportunity to take part in competition at a relaxed friendly level in our fully fitted gymnastics centre, so they can experience competition in the comfort of a familiar environment. This is a great opportunity that many gymnasts enjoy and gives them an insight into the competitive world at the entry level. All participants receive certificates for participation and handfuls of medals are given out for every level and every age group.
What's next? What can Recreational Gymnastics lead on to?
All recreational gymnasts are assessed in their progress and may be given the chance to move on to more advanced sessions, to a longer 2 hour session to taking part within one of our satellite centre’s where each child can develop to reach their own potential or they could even be talent spotted by our team of coaches to join our Development Squads, Regional Acro Group, Club Squad or Elite Training Squads.
