Are you looking for a dynamic and spirited sport that builds confidence and camaraderie amongst participants?
A program offered to males and females. Sports Acrobatics is the perfect sport to teach your child balance and co-ordination as well as sharing in the benefits of working within a team environment. Acrobats in groups of two, three and four perform routines with the heads, hands and feet of their partners.
MGS is the only gymnastics club between Gladstone and Brisbane that offers recreational and competitive acrobatic gymnastics and has an accredited coach to teach it!
In 2023, we had all 4 teams qualify for the QLD state championships. Our level 1 trio even won gold in their division. Our level 4 pair went onto the National Clubs Carnival, being the first to represent Maryborough on a national stage for acrobatics!
Sports Acrobatics:
- Enhances balance, co-ordination and agility
- Develops posture and confident body movement, including the ability to land safely
- Challenges the mind and body to reach new goals
- Builds strength and flexibility
- Is the perfect team-based sport for people of all ages and abilities
- Builds new friendships, social skills, trust and concentration
Sessions
Check the timetable for the most recent days and times. Beginner sessions start at 60 minutes and increase from there, while the competitive acrobat will be advised of hours required for their level.
Since opening the program at MGS in 2019, it has built to become a popular program. So much so, that more coaches are needed!
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Apparatus
Acrobatics use their teammates as equipment often balancing on their hands, feet, legs and shoulders!
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Pathways for Acrobatics at Maryborough GymSports
Beginner / Recreational - Acrobats must have turned 6 to enter this program. See Lil' Gym for programs suitable for boys aged 6 and under. Beginner acrobatics classes focus on fitness, fundamentals and friendship. It is a great class if you're just starting out or would like to learn the fundamental team skills before moving into the competitive stream.
What do they do
Participants get to learn a variety of pair, trio and team skills like pyramids, throws and balances. They also work on communication and team work. The class mainly uses the floor space and their partners as equipment, at times the children get to use other equipment like beam, bar, rope, paralettes and trampolines.
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Framework
At Maryborough GymSports we use a mix of the beginner Australian Levels Program and Gymnastics Queensland Framework components to guide the skill level for these classes.
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Complementary Classes
Acrobats at MGS are welcome to participate in other disciplines as well to complement their acrobatics skills, coordination, balance, ariel awareness and overall strength and flexibility.
*It is highly recommended that beginners, especially those who want to pursue competitive to enroll in the beginner tumbling program too.
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Waiting list
Should the beginner class be full, new members will be offered space in other disciplines that have vacancy (such as rhythmic, artistic or trampolining) to assist them in their strength, skill and flexibility development whilst awaiting a space.
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Competition Class - This is a step up from the beginner program and aims to have some serious, yet structured fun. This class pursues refined excellence and mastery of skills that are safe, but also aiming to have zero deductions from the judges at competitions.
What do competitive acrobats do?
Competition acrobats have their own custom routines with compulsory skills. Their routines include choreographed dance, group or partner skills and tumbling to music. Each level progresses with intensity and difficulty.
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They also spend time learning dance basics, doing strength and conditioning and working on tumbling. They also use the trampoline for spatial awareness, which is very important for tumbling skills but also for the tops who learn to twist and flip before taking it to their partner/s on the floor.
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Competitive acrobats spend time working through many repetitions on their set skills and routines to improve each session. As they say "you get out what you put in", so attending multiple acrobatics sessions each week is a requirement to be in this class.
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Teams
Athletes are grouped together at the start of the year or end of a year in preparation for the following year. Pairings are based on many factors including previous sporting / gymnastics experience, strength, age, maturity, personality, adaptability, commitment etc.
Levels
Level 1 - 3 (Stage 1) -
Routine 1 is a group routine which uses dance, a floor plan and of course teamwork whilst demonstrating the set balance and dynamic skills to music.
Routine 2 - Individual Syncronished Routine - focuses on the syncronisation of tumbling, jumping, dance and balance skills with music as a backing track.
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Level 4 - 6 (Stage 2)
Balance routine - Acrobats perform set optional skills and must hold for 3 seconds showing the utmost stability before, during and after the skills. Additional individual flexibility, balance and agility skills are often featured too.
Dynamic routine - Exciting and powerful throws and lifts focusing on amplitude and body tension. Extra tumbling skills, like round off, saulto and handspring variations can be performed too.
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Both routines in stage 2 encompass dance, a floor plan and of course teamwork. By this stage, the teams compete in their category according to pairing.
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The routines used are customised by the coach to those at Maryborough GymSports.
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Categories of Competitive Acrobatic Gymnastics
Women's pairs, men's pairs, mixed pairs, women's trios and men's fours.
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Progression
Coaches can move participants around levels as required year to year, but participants need to attend a sanctioned competition in order to receive a levels test and officially pass their level. Competition acrobats have a strict set of rules to comply with as per the Technical Regulations.
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Transition or cross train with acrobatics
Acrobatics is the perfect sport to transition if retiring from competitive WAG / MAG or cannot commit to competitive hours in WAG and MAG. It will use your floor skills of dance, tumbling and balance whilst you get to share the fun and work towards a common goal with teammates!
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Our competitive acrobats are permitted to do other disciplines and are highly recommended to do the Saturday tumbling and dance class for level 1 - 3's. Otherwise, they may engage in trampoline or WAG to complement their strength and skill development.
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Competitions
As the name competition class suggests, athletes when ready, are invited by the coach to attend competitions. The QLD competitive season runs from February - August, with the exception of National Clubs in the Spring Holidays for level 4+ teams (September - October). At MGS, we have teams attend competitions usually from May to give our teams as much preparation time as possible, especially for new teams.
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Those who'd like to attend the State Championships and National level events must fulfil the score and routine requirements as set by Gymnastics QLD and Australia.
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If you are interested in joining in the fun, ask the office for a competitive acrobatics' application. Further information will be in the team agreement.
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Adults
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MGS has classes for adults in gymnastics and trampoline. If you are interested in an adult recreational adult class or learning some partner skills, please contact the office to see what options may be available for you.
Competitive Adult Acrobats - We do have adults who are in the competition classes as they are often used as bases as they are usually taller and strong enough.
In 2023, Queensland introduced a competitive category for adult ages 18+ in acrobatics, which is suited to beginners with or ex gymnasts. If you are interested in being part of this new program, please contact the club.
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Progression
Beginner/recreational - There are no levels to work with in this class, however, athletes may be assessed at times on their individual skills and pair / trio skills.
Excelling members may be invited to trial the competitive program.
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