After the Introduction Camps held in various regions around the world for the FIG Age Group Development and Competition Programme for Rhythmic Gymnastics, the interested participating federations were offered single country 5-day training camps if they wished to adopt the programme and then a year later, a 3-day Follow-up camp to assure that the programme is being correctly implemented. Chile and Ecuador hosted 5-day camps and Vietnam that had a 5-day camp last year hosted a 3-day Follow-up Camp. At least 22 such camps will be held this year.
Rhythmic Gymnastics Age Group Programme Training Camp in Vietnam
This Age Group Development and Competition Programme includes a testing and monitoring programme for RG physical abilities and technical body elements and apparatus skills as well as a complete competition programme with modified rules for age group gymnasts and competition compulsory exercises for all ages. It also includes a variety of additional information related to developing a systematic Gymnastics programme that can lead to high performance and understanding the issues related to growth and intensive training at young ages.
The camps focus primarily on practical work in the gymnasium with coaches and their gymnasts on the various technical body element and technical apparatus tests and the physical ability tests, the compulsory exercises and the modified optional rules. The coaches worked with their gymnasts under the supervision of an FIG expert. The FIG will incorporate the learning and observations from these training camps to make small modifications and improvements to the programme once all the information from the camps is analysed.
The development of this programme and its introduction around the world has been subsidised on an ongoing basis by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that had also helped the FIG support an analogous programme for Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics in the previous years.
Chile
Twenty-two Rhythmic Gymnastics coaches from Chile and twenty-one of their personal gymnasts attended this 5-day training camp. The camp was hosted March 13 - 17 in the Centre de Alto Rendimiento in the city of Santiago.
The training camp leader was Monica Guzman of Mexico who is a Rhythmic Gymnastics coach and judge. She has taught at age group camps and Academies for Rhythmic Gymnastics in the past year.
The FIG thanks the Chile Gymnastics Federation, its President, Eduardo Bahamonde Perez and his staff for providing everything necessary to host this age group camp successfully. Special thanks go to federation Rhythmic coordinator Karima Pardo who did all of the preliminary correspondence and organisation and attended throughout the camp to assure all needs were met. Over the years Chile has hosted numerous coach education events including five Academies and two age group camps.
Chile Age Group Programme Training Camp participants
Vietnam
Seventeen Rhythmic Gymnastics coaches from Vietnam and sixteen of their personal gymnasts attended this 3-day follow-up training camp. The camp was held March 20 - 24 in the Hoa Lu Sports Center in Ho Chi Minh.
The training camp leader was Nadya Aleksandrova of Great Britain who was formerly Bulgarian and British National Coach, is a member of the Academy working group for Rhythmic Gymnastics and is one of the main developers of this age group programme. She was recently a member of a study group to help improve the Code of Points.
The FIG thanks the Vietnam Gymnastics Federation and especially its Secretary General, Nguyen Kim Lan for providing everything necessary to host this age group camp successfully. She also did all of the preliminary correspondence and organisation. National coach Ngoc Hoa helped with the organisation throughout the training camp. Vietnam has also shown a strong commitment to coach education in recent years having hosted three Academies and four age group programme camps.
Vietnam Age Group Programme Training Camp participants
Ecuador
A large number of thirty Rhythmic Gymnastics coaches from all over Ecuador and thirty-four of their personal gymnasts attended this 5-day training camp. The camp was held March 20 - 24 in the Coliseo de Gimnasio Federacion Ecuatoriana de Gimnasia in the city of Guayaquil.
The training camp leader was Monica Guzman of Mexico who is a Rhythmic Gymnastics coach and judge. She has taught at age group camps and Academies for Rhythmic Gymnastics in the past year. She travelled to this camp directly from a similar camp that she led in Chile.
The FIG thanks the Ecuador Gymnastics Federation, its President, Jorge Portalanza and his staff for providing everything necessary to host this age group camp successfully. He attended the opening and closing sessions. Special thanks go to federation Rhythmic coordinator Susana Arreaga who attended throughout the camp to assure all needs were met.
Ecuador Age Group Programme Training Camp participants
These three camps overlapped with a training camp and seminar in Trinidad and Tobago to introduce the Rhythmic Gymnastics Age Group Programme to the member federations of the Caribbean. Other training camps have already begun in Guatemala and Malaysia and another will be held before the end of March in South Africa. Twelve more including for Trampoline Gymnastics are scheduled for April on four continents. April will also see Academies for Men’s, Women’s and Trampoline Gymnastics in South Africa.