Ages 6+
Recreational gymnastics at Vertical Athletics is for girls ages 6 & up and whose abilities are beginner to advanced. We want each athlete to experience the excitement and physical benefits of gymnastics. Each athlete has a starting place and will get to set their own goals to achieve.
Our Beginner classes start at age 5 and up. These classes are great for those that have been in a TOTs class with us OR those that have never done gymnastics before! The beginner class focuses on all the basic body movements and skills required to move into an intermediate class as well as building some basic strength and flexibility. Not only are they learning basic gymnastics skills, but they will learn proper technique and safety as well!
BEGINNER LEVEL
The beginner level of recreational gymnastics is about laying a strong foundation of fundamental skills and techniques. The main goal is to learn safety and technique as they start their journey in gymnastics. This stage is perfect for those who are new to gymnastics or simply looking to get started with a fun and challenging physical activity.
Beginners learn the essential building blocks for each skill. These fundamental movements are the building blocks of gymnastics. These skills include:
The beginner classes will utilize lower beams with pads and safe landing areas. These skills for this class include:
Beginners get their first taste of vaulting by running and jumping on to padded mats. These skills include:
Beginner bars will focus on safety rules for in-gym and playground safety. Participants will focus on developing the strength needed to hold their own body weight in order to perform basic gymnastics skills. These skills include:
Beginner trampoline will consist of safety rules for in-gym and home trampolines as well as proper start/stop techniques and basic tumbling progressions. These skills include:
Participants work on developing their flexibility and strength through conditioning exercises tailored to their skill level. Flexibility is gained through fun and engaging active and static exercises.
Safety is a top priority at this level, with trained instructors guiding participants and ensuring they use appropriate equipment and technique.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
The intermediate level is where recreational gymnasts start refining their skills and working on more complex routines. It’s a natural progression for those who have mastered the basics and are eager to take their gymnastics journey further. At this level they will begin learning small routines put together for our Recreational Expo! This is a mock competition for those who want to show off their hard work and skills to family and friends!
Floor at this level starts to transform into full skills without spotting from the coach. They will focus more on technique and form while continuing to learn new skill progressions for advanced skills. These skills include:
Participants tackle more challenging routines on the balance beam. Basic skills are put on higher beams and bigger skills are learned on lower beams ensuring proper safety and skill progression. These skills include:
Vaulting becomes more advanced, with gymnasts practicing more complex running, handstands, and landings. They will learn to transition from soft mats to the USAG competitive table. These skills include:
Proper and safe landing techniques
Bars at the intermediate level are all about getting skills by themselves while refining technique and form. They will also continue learning advanced skill progressions for the next level. These skills include:
Intermediate trampoline will continue mastering basic skills and move onto higher level skills. Trampoline at this level will heavily focus on body and air awareness as well as falling safely. These skills include:
Conditioning becomes more intensive to support the development of stronger and more agile bodies. Flexibility is focused on gaining more mobility for wider ranges of motion in order to prevent injury.
Gymnasts at the intermediate level start putting together routines that incorporate a combination of skills and elements. This is designed to mock a real gymnastics competition. Whether they want to compete one day or not this helps with memorization, body mechanics, drive, and sequencing that can be applied anywhere in life!
Once they have mastered their beginner skills they will move onto the more dynamic skills in gymnastics. These require a little more technique and execution as well as building on their basic skills. Heavy focus will be moving from the help of a coach to performing skills by themselves. This is the first level that will be eligible to do our “mock competition” and showcase their skills at the Expo for family and friends!
The advanced class will not only demonstrate bigger skills but also more noticeable technique. This class is good for those that want to learn bigger skills but do not desire the commitment of a team program. The class will be more tailored to each gymnasts’ individual needs and goals. They will be our highest-level participants at the Expo!
ADVANCED LEVEL
At the advanced level, recreational gymnasts have honed their skills and are ready to take on more demanding challenges. While the focus remains on fun and personal improvement, participants at this stage often achieve a high level of proficiency. The advanced level will also learn routines to show off at the Expo!
Advanced gymnasts perform intricate tumbling passes, including flips and combination skills. At this point they have mastered all the basic and intermediate skills and will focus on more personally tailored skill goals while continuing to refine technique. These skills include:
Balance beam routines become more complex, with an emphasis on fluidity and execution. They will begin putting their floor skills on the beam and continue to use proper progressions for new skills. These skills include:
Gymnasts practice advanced vaulting techniques, aiming for precision and consistency in their landings. They will continue working up to mats with the goal of mastering their vaults on the USAG competitive vaulting table. These skills include:
Advanced level bars will focus on skill connection and using both low and high bars. Gymnasts will continue to grow in strength and attempt to put full routines together while persisting with individual skill goals. These skills include:
Advanced trampoline is used as a skill builder. Gymnasts will learn bigger skills and connection skills. They will be given specific drills and repetitions that directly coincide with the skills they are learning on all events. These skills include:
Conditioning at the advanced level will include a well-rounded, full body workout. This is designed to teach them proper body mechanics and muscle group knowledge. They will work on skill specific movements and learn how to set their own conditioning and flexibility goals. This will set them up for a lifetime of healthy habits! Flexibility is maintained and gained in specific individual areas as needed.
While recreational gymnastics doesn't typically involve outside competitive events, our advanced classes will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and routines in the Expo alongside our intermediate level classes!
Advanced gymnasts often set personal goals for skill progression and performance quality. The lesson plans for advanced classes will focus more on individuality instead of group progressions. They will learn how to set a goal and what it takes to reach it! They will also be given more specific strength and flexibility exercises in order to reach their goals.
Our competitive staff is always looking for potential gymnasts to join our teams! There is no level requirement as we will pull kids of all ages and levels for different teams.
Our competitive teams are by invitation only and require a lot of dedication. If your gymnast gets scouted for a team, our highly trained staff will provide you with the information for the team that will fit best for them!
If invited, your acceptance to our team program is NOT required. Our recreational classes are designed to ensure continuing progression even without entering the competitive world. If you or your gymnast is interested in learning more about our team program, please do not hesitate to ask or refer to our team page.
Our recreational expo is a fun and exciting experience for our gymnasts! They will learn full routines with the skills they have learned and mastered throughout the year. This is a great opportunity to showcase what they have learned to family and friends! Participants will get a feel for competition in a relaxed “home field” environment. They will receive scores through a unique scoring system, learn to participate as a team AND individual, receive awards, play games, and be exceptionally celebrated for the hard work they have put into the sport!
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