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“GYMNASTICS SCHOOL - many-sided gymnastics for children in

gymnastics clubs“

Minna Rehn and Karoliina HokkaFinnish Gymnastics Federation Svoli

Children’s Fitness seminar in Copenhagen, 2008

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ABOUT FINNISH GYMNASTICS FEDERATION SVOLI

•About 400 sports clubs, 140 000 members

•About 25 000 children under 7 year old

•About 34 000 children at agegroup 7-12 = Svoli Gymnastics school

•Second biggest sports federation in Finland

•8 official gymnastics disciplins

•Acrobatic Gymnastics, Aerobic Gymnastics, Men's artistic Gymnastics, Women's artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Trampoline Gymnastics, TeamGym, Aesthetic Group Gymnastics

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BACKGROUND for the DEVELOPMENT of GYMNASTICS SCHOOL

• Young Finland Accosiation is an independent national organization, whose main objective is to promote children's and youths´ well-being and joy of life by means of physical activity. Their goal is to ensure that daily exercise is an essential part of life for every child. They also want to ensure the availability of inspiring and developing possibilities for sports for each girl and boy.

• “Dream about a good sport” and “Recommendation of children’s competition”, base on children’s physical and emotional development

→ development programme based on these ethical grounds

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GYMNASTICS SCHOOL

• Gymnastics school is the chirlden’s gymnastics world in Svoli

• The same base for all the gymnastics disciplins and also for those who don’t aim to any disciplin

• Function is to teach the basic gymnastics abilities playfully and considering children’s physical and emotional development

• Many-sided opportunities instead of early specialisation

• Possibility to practise and compete at your own skill level

• has been developed together with all the disciplins

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• Gymanstics school consists of

a) Education, which is an element of a compulsory education system for instructors and coaches

b) Competition called ”Station”, first competition level for almost all the disciplins

c) Activities at sports clubs

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CHILDREN’S GYMNASTICS COMPETITION = STATION

• For children at age 7-12 years old

• No different agegroups nor categories

• Children can attend as an individual or as a part of a group and with a set-up or self-designed performance

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No results or points, but a written evaluation based on basic gymnastics abilities (balance, posture, flexibility, coordination, foot technique, etc.)

No comparing to others Children get a direct feedback and a possibility to evaluate

self their performance with the ”airbags”

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• Also an area for extra activities = ”fuss station”– It is not only the

competition performance, but other activities too

– Aim is to give possibilities to try some new gymnastics things

• Gymnastics Passport as a lisence

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GROWING POPULARITY OF STATIONS

• 41 Stations and 6 500 children in 2006• 67 Stations and over 8 000 children in 2007

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GYMNASTICS SCHOOL FOR SCHOOLS

Same format than in the clubsa) teaching teachersb) local stationsc) gymnastics school days at schools

→encouraging sports clubs for independent co-operation with schools

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THANK YOU!