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INUVIK
Tumbling, twisting, vaulting and balancing. All these are elements of gymnastics and can help younger athletes do better in other sports.

Katelynn Crocker hangs upside down from the high bar during her gymnastics class at the Samuel Hearne Secondary School gymnasium on Dec. 3. - Samantha Stokell/NNSL photo

The six-week gymnastics course run by Kim and Dave Halpine on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings wraps up this weekend, but they plan to start again in the spring. Almost 50 young gymnasts have attended the classes each week and parents think their kids are benefiting from the exercise.

"Just with the social aspect and getting to work on their motor skills more. We want them to work out and have fun," said Stephanie Crocker, who has three children – aged 4, 6 and 10 – in the class. "My six-year-old loves it and always asks when he gets to go. My daughter is in figure skating and it's helping her, too."

Inuvik's new figure skating coach Danyelle Ellis has a child in the gymnastics class too, and acknowledges this sport definitely benefits athletes in other sports.

"It's working on muscles and they enjoy the tumbling and it works on flexibility," Ellis said. "It's socializing them with different kids from different ages and classes. It has a lot of benefits."

Kim and Dave offered a gymnastics course a few years ago, and are nearly done certification to coach the sport. Dave has been given the go-ahead to teach, and has completed all hours, but just needs certification by a senior coach. They videotaped the classes on Dec. 3 and hope to hear back from the senior coaches by the end of the month.

Kim was a gymnast and Dave works as the gym teacher at Samuel Hearne Secondary School, where they set up gymnastic equipment each Friday and dismantle it on Saturday afternoon. While high school students benefit from the setup during the school day, a mixed group of eight- to 14-year-olds learn on Friday at 4 p.m. On Saturday mornings, 14 four- and five-year-olds practice at 9 a.m., 12 six- and seven-year-olds practise at 10 a.m. and 13 eight- to 12-year-olds pratice at 11 a.m.

"I think gymnastics is an important foundation for any sport," Kim said.

"For core strength, flexibility, balance and coordination," Dave said. "Also, the other part is the acrobatics, or fearlessness that has to be involved. It's controlled body awareness that they can use in hockey or other sports."

The coaches focus on three stations in each class: floor skills, such as cartwheels, rolls and tumbling; the vault and balance beam; and the high bar. For additional fun-oriented fitness, they also include the trampoline and a tarzan rope.

"The neat thing is, they might be 10 or 11 and have never tried doing a somersault before," Kim said. "Then they try it and have big smiles on their faces when they do it."

Gymnastics builds core strength and fine motor muscle control, which allows the gymnasts to perform moving or still actions. Kids can learn to fall without injury, develop strength and some exercises help them overcome fears such as balancing on the high beam, swinging from a rope or hanging from the high bar.

The Halpines hope to start building a recreational club, then eventually start a competitive team to go alongside. They face difficulty, however, in finding a permanent gym where they can leave all of the equipment, instead of hauling it in and out each weekend.

The last class will be held on Dec. 10. Another session is scheduled to start in the spring.

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