Gymnastics is a sport that requires strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, slow-sustained and quick-twitch muscle action, and so much more. A foundation in gymnastics is a great base for your child's fitness, playground skills, and future in any sport.  

This class is for gymnastics beginners who would like to learn the basics. Each student will learn progressively harder gymnastics at their own pace and be encouraged to support their classmates. Class will be a mix of live instruction and slides/ video clips with each lesson broken down into five different 7-minute segments, and a couple of minutes for chit-chat at the beginning and end of class.
  
1. Live interactive warm-up and stretch
2. Rolls
3. Jumps and landings
4. Progressions toward handstands and cartwheels
5. Body Shaping (strength and stretching exercises to promote proper gymnastics technique)

Each week, I will introduce a new movement or body shape, and through four circuits of exercises, students will use the movements and shapes they have learned to progress toward harder gymnastics skills. Students who progress quickly will be given extra challenges. My coaching style is theatrical, highly enthusiastic, and focused on verbal positivity ("Push hard and straighten your arms!" rather than "Stop bending your arms"). Over the course of the eight classes, they will have fun, add dozens of words to their kinesthetic vocabulary, activate new muscles, and learn skills such as a forward roll, cartwheel, handstand, and bridge.   

Class 1 and 2 - Body positions and drills
Class 3 - Forward rolls
Class 4 - Cartwheels
Class 5 - Review of content in classes 1-4
Class 6 - Bridge
Class 7 - Backward roll
Class 8 - Review of all class content, awards ceremony!

This class is geared toward students with little to no gymnastics experience. Students should dress in fitted athletic clothing, have a wide open space, soft surface for landing, and a few other pieces of equipment. Gymnastics mats are optional, but not needed. Equipment can be found in the supply list below.    

Sections may be once per week for 8 weeks or twice per week for 4 weeks. Either way, the same content will be covered.