Tuesday, September 30, 2014

October Acrobatic Gymnastics Schedule


Here is the October Training Schedule for Oakville Gymnastics Club's Acrobatic Gymnastics program.

Please note that we will be taking the Sunday and Monday of the Thanksgiving Weekend off.

We will also be taking Halloween night off.

The week of October 19th to 26th Jane will be in Ireland with some of the older athletes at a training camp.  For all others we will have an alternative training schedule as the OGC gym will be off limits while we host a movie shoot.  Please stay tuned for the alternative training schedule.  We are currently working out the details.  It is likely that we will be traveling to another gym to train.



Parent Meeting 2014 Information



Communication from the September 2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics Program Parent Meeting at the Oakville Gymnastics Club

Congratulations to all the Acrobatic Gymnasts who were offered spots in the Oakville Gymnastics Club Acrobatic Gymnastics Program for the 2014/2015 season. We do appreciate your dedication, commitment and loyalty towards the acro program.

Biographies:
Don Holmes – Head Coach/Director of the Acrobatic Gymnastics Program – Coach Boys Acro group
Jane Kirwan – Coach of Jr/Sr Group and Age Group group
David Scott – Coach of Jr/Sr group and Age Group group
Mackenzie Senior – Coach of the Provincial 2 (9 hour) group
Vlada Markavich – Coach of the Provincial 1 (6 hour) group
Alyssa Belford – Coach of the 4 Hour Acro group
Staff Biographies to be posted on the OGC website.

The One Year Contract PolicyAs you know the Acrobatic Gymnastics program offers your child a space in the program for one year and at the end of each season we do ask all of our athletes to “ReTryout”.  By implementing the ‘Re-Tryout’ and ‘Tryout’ protocols we are not trying to be mean or unsupportive of those athletes that we have been working with and developing over the previous year (or years). Our program is a competitive program with a limited number of spaces. We are simply trying to ensure that those athletes who are the most deserving of a spot on the team are receiving those spots. If at some point we do ask your child to leave the program this may be thought of as a good thing allowing the athlete the opportunity to explore other sports where he/she may be more suited physically, mentally or socially. Also at that time we may invite them to try an alternative gymnastics discipline or program in the gym as we do believe that gymnastics is for all and we wish to keep everyone in the gym in some capacity.  Remember that Competitive Programs at the OGC are a privilege and an opportunity not a right.  We need to keep in mind Competitive Wants vs Recreational Needs.

Summer Attendance: During the summer session we expect 50% attendance as a minimum. We would prefer that your child attends 100% of their scheduled classes but we understand summer schedules are far more diverse and we would hope that kids take the time to enjoy summer camps, weeks at the cottage and time with family. Please send an e-mail to your athlete’s coach with the dates that your child will not be at gymnastics. Low attendance in some groups on specific weeks may allow us to accommodate other athletes who have summer training conflicts and permit them to make the minimum number of training hours.

Fall/Winter/Spring Attendance: During the school year we expect 80% attendance as a minimum. Obviously the less your athlete trains the less they will progress and the less they will be prepared for competition. It is in your best interest to have your athlete at the gym as much as possible.


Note:  Attendance in Acrobatic Gymnastics is very important as when one of a pair or group is not at the gym the entire group cannot work on the specific skills that make acro what it is.  Please make sure that your athlete and family are accountable to the other group members.  Share phone numbers and emails so that you can communicate before a practice whether or not you are sick or going to be absent for some reason.  Also look to plan family vacations at the same time or after major competitions so that time is not lost prior to a competition or training camp.

Pair / Group Parent Meetings: In the summer, fall and winter we plan to have Parent Meetings for the pairs / groups so that the families can meet, share contact information and give the coaches an opportunity to discuss the long term plan for the pair group.  Notice of these meetings will be sent to you via email.

Violation of Attendance Minimums and Removal from the Program: We cannot hold spots for athletes who do not attend the program. If you have schedule conflicts that will prevent your athlete from reaching the minimum attendance requirement but wish to remain as part of the acrobatic gymnastics program please e-mail the Acrobatic Gymnastics Program Director outlining your situation.

OGC Code of Conduct:  We have created a specific code of conduct for our athletes while part of the team, mostly for traveling with us while not with a parent.  As we travel to competitions you will see this document and if you have any concerns with it at that time we can address them then.


Schedules: Summer Schedules and Fall/Winter/Spring schedules have been distributed. We understand the logistical difficulties that families encounter by receiving these schedules in June as summer camp registration and vacations need to be booked several months in advance. Please note that we create our schedule with careful consideration. We realize that there will be conflicts and we have outlined how we are attempting to provide concessions for these conflicts.  Also note that due to the ever evolving space usage of the gym we may find it necessary to change a scheduled class temporarily or permanently depending on the situation.  We cannot foresee these situations but we will try to provide you with as much notice as possible prior to changes.

Increased Hours and Extra Training:  This year we have increased the number of Acro Group and increased the number of training hours for most groups.  As the level of skill and competition progress the program will continue to increase the number of hours trained over the course of a week.  Expect an increase in the 2015/2016 season.  Day time training is now part of the Jr/Sr and Age Group groups fall schedule.  There will also be a morning training and a rental training at Cheerforce Wolfpack Cheer Club.  It is necessary for us to train a these peripheral times so that we can get floor time for routine work and belt work. Space is at a premium in our gym so this is a must for our highest level athletes.  We put the day time training on Wednesday afternoons so that athletes can receive homework for the day before they leave and catch up early in the week so they do not fall behind in their studies.

Extra Tumbling Classes:  The 4 hour Acro class is strongly encouraged to pick up a Recreational Trampoline & Tumbling class once a week over the fall/winter/spring.  The recreational Trampoline & Tumbling classes can be registered for through the main office. The Boys Acro Group and the Provincial 1 &2 groups will have one extra tumbling and individual elements class on Sundays from 4:00 to 5:00pm.  Please communicate with your coach as to whether or not you should or need to take the extra tumbling class.

Extra Tops and Base Classes:  An Extra two hour class for tops will be offered to the Boys Acro group and the Provincial 1 & 2 groups as the tops require some very specific flexibility and handstand skills.  We are asking that they get on the pegs for this extra class.  As well all tops should purchase their own handstand pegs to practice on at home every day.  An extra bases class is also on the schedule for those bases in the Boys Acro group and Provincial 1 & 2 groups.  This class will focus on the special skills that a base requires for supporting, throwing and catching their tops.

Choreography and Routine Creation:  See the Athlete Package Insert.

Acrobatic Gymnastics Program Weeks Off during the Summer: Note that these change each year as we need to address the competition schedule that is also ever changing.  We will try to let you know well in advance so that you can plan vacations/camps/etc.  We plan to have the last week of August and one other week over the course of the summer in 2015.  We will post which weeks those are in April or May 2015.

Active Rest: During the rest periods we expect athletes to remain active. We give the acrobatic gymnasts a checklist of activities to do during their off time in order to keep them fit.
Nutrition: We will post some nutrition information on the blog at some point to assist you with meal planning for effective trainings and competitions so keep you eye on the blog.

Viewing Area Closure: During the summer months and on some holidays the viewing area may be closed in the evening.  On these days there will be no parent viewing. Your child will be let in at the sliding glass doors at the front of the club and be ushered out at the end of their session. When the viewing area is closed no one is permitted in the gym lobby for safety and liability reasons. Our apologies for the inconvenience that this might cause.  If there is an emergency and you need to contact us inside the gym we ask that you bang on the back door of the gym to try and get our attention. 

Individual Parent Meetings: We offer individual parent meetings as we or you feel they are necessary. If you have individual questions that pertain to your specific situation we ask that you not address these in a public forum but leave it to an e-mail or individual meeting.


Chain of Command:  Speak to your child’s coach(es) directly for anything you may have questions about.  Then you may speak to Don.  If he is not able to help you then you can speak to Wayne Hussey the COO.  If you have a question about an event/competition DO NOT contact Gymnastics Ontario directly.  DO NOT contact the host club of an event directly.  If you have a question address it through the coach(es) and we will ask GO or the event host for you as your question is likely one that other’s have.

Sponsorship: Athletes are able to search for sponsors to offset the costs of training and competitions. The OGC has created a sponsorship package for all competitive athletes. Please enquire if you are interested in sponsorship.

Fundraisers: Currently the Acro Program is planning to run a Family Fun Night fundraiser in January.  The date is to be determined.   We may run another fundraiser at some point during the season. 

Event and Competition Schedule To be posted on the blog in the early fall.

Competitive Structure Provincial and National – See attachment, previous post

The Competitions – see attachment

Travel:  It is possible that we will travel outside of Ontario for competitions as acro is still growing and we may need to travel to find competitions to attend.  These events are not on our regular schedule of Gymnastics Ontario Qualification events so you will have to cover the cost for coaches to attend these events as well as pay for registrations.  Your registration fees for the GO qualification competitions are included in your OGC fees.  The cost for coach’s expenses will be divided up and shared across the athletes that attend.  Money from fundraisers may fully or partially offset the coach’s costs.

Training Wear:  For acro we prefer that athletes wear a leotard and shorts.  Athletes with long hair are expected to keep it in a high bun so that it is out of the way while performing skills.  Boys shorts should be above the knee as you may be doing elements where another athlete need to stand on your thighs.  Please not wear long board shorts.  Gymnastics shoes are optional.

Competitive Wear
We have a warm up leotard/shorts or singlet/shorts combo for the Provincial and Elite Group that they need to have when we go to competitions.  This Warm Up clothing if for the stretching and warming up portion of a competition.  Usually the suit you will wear for competition is more elaborate and we don’t want to cause damage to the competition suits by doing too much activity in them.  More information to be circulated in the fall.  You will receive information shortly about the warm up leos soon.  If you are in the Interclub groups you are expected to purchase the warm up leos as it may be your competition suit for the year depending on the pair or group you will be competing with.  An additional competition suit may be required.

Competition suits:  Each pair or group will have a matching leotard or singlet/sorts/pants for each competitive routine they perform.  We will generally keep the same suit for the season.  Athletes going to larger competitions or higher levels may have three competitive outfits.  Plan for this cost as competitive suits usually cost between $100 and $600 dollars per athletes.

Tracksuits and OGC apparel:  We have the royal OGC Acrobatic Gymnastics program t-shirt that will be for sale on the rack across from the office.  There are OGC Tracksuits that will be available through the main office.  We will also have OGC fitted women’s tracksuit in a Lululemon style available to purchase in the fall.  Stay tuned for more information on these items.  What do you need? The t-shirt (parents and family members are welcome to buy the royal acro t-shirt as well).  If you are on the Elite or Provincial Team women should have either the general OGC tracksuit or the fitted tracksuit.  Boys we prefer that you have the general OGC tracksuit for competitions.  Interclub athletes all tracksuit and OGC apparel is optional for you.  I suggest getting the royal blue t-shirt if you plan to attend a training camp or competition this year.

Other OGC Apparel:  We will have a navy or white hooded sweat shirt avail and navy or white OGC sweatpants available to purchase in the fall.  These additional items are optional and make great Christmas presents.

Therapy Clinic:  The Glen Abby Massage Therapy and Sports Injury Therapy Clinic located inside of the OGC is open to all.  It is not restricted to the athletes of the OGC.  All Oakville Community members are welcome to use the OGC clinic.  

Sport Psych:  We have a new therapist working in the clinic who deals with Sport Psychology.  Her name is Sarah Dybka and was herself a power tumbler coached by Don and Niki.  She is available for one on one sessions and will be starting regular additional work with the OGC National tumbling group in order to give them the competitive psychological edge in the 2013/2014 season.

Car Pooling:  If you are looking for Car Pooling options please create a simple classified advertisement and email it to Don.  Please include your Name, closest intersection or school for pick up location, your phone number or email address.  Don will then distribute this advertisement to the athletes in your child’s group or if you wish, to the greater competitive gymnastics community within the OGC.  

Any Financial questions please direct to Agnes Jankura in the main office.

Check your e-mails regularly for OGC info.

READ THE BLOG REGULARLY: It is VERY IMPORTANT that YOU keep up-to-date on the blog. It is the online bulletin board for our program. Everything is archived there so you can go back and pull any information that you might need. http://ogcacrobaticgymnastics.blogspot.com/


Questions?

Any questions can be directed to:

Don Holmes  dholmes_tumbling@homail.com
Jane Kirwan janemkir1@gmail.com
David Scott aenb@live.co.uk
Mackenzie Senior m.senior94@gmail.com
Vlada Markevich vicvlada@gmail.com

Alyssa Belford abelford@cogeco.ca

Athlete Package Insert for Competitive Acrobats

Coach, Parent and Athlete Guidelines – for Acrobats
4.0 Acrobatic Gymnastics Attire and Hair for Training
4.01 Always be prepared by wearing a gymnastics-appropriate body suit or tight-fitting top with shorts, tights or leggings for girls.  Male acrobats are permitted to wear a singlet and pair of shorts or just shorts and a t-shirt.  The shorts should be short so that partners can stand on your thighs without slipping on the material.  No excessively long shorts will be permitted.    When representing Oakville Gymnastics Club at training camps and other events it is expected that coaches and athletes wear Oakville Gymnastics Club attire only unless specified.  The only exceptions are Gymnastics Ontario attire or Gymnastics Canada attire again only when you are told to do so.

4.02  All athletes with long hair must wear their hair up in a secure fashion.  Loose hair can become a hazard.  All training camps and warm ups at competition girls must have their hair in a high bun.

5.0 Competition Expectations

5.01  Athletes should arrive with all items they might need for competition: water bottle – hair products – athletic tape – snack – braces or supports (white or beige only) – competitive attire – etc.  It is not up to the coaches to bring these items for the athlete.

5.02  Athletes should plan to arrive at the start of registration to allow extra time for unforeseen issues.  Come prepared in full OGC attire including competitive attire and the OGC tracksuit.  All levels of Acrobats should have the Tracksuit.  All girls must arrive at the competition with their hair in a tight bun.  No ponytails will be permitted.  It is not up to the coach to take care of hair issues at competition.  If your athlete’s hair is too short to put in a bun an alternative hairstyle for competition must be agreed upon before arriving at the competition with the coach.  Head bands are not permitted.  No jewellery, piercings or nail polish are permitted at competition.

5.03  Show good sportsmanship by being humble when winning.   Stay positive when facing adversity and be composed when things might not be going too well.

5.04 Competitive Leotards and Singlets/Shorts and 
Tracksuits
The Oakville Gymnastics Club Acrobatic Gymnastics program requires that all Interclub, Provincial and National Level Acrobats get either: the girls training leotard or the boys training singlet/shorts.  We keep the same suits for a minimum of 2 years.  The cost ranges from $80 to $110 for the Training suit.  This training suit allows our club to look similar and professional at training camps and during warm ups.  It also permits athletes who are put into last minute partnerships to still have at least one suit that will match with everyone else.  Interclub Level Acrobats (4 hour and 6 hour groups) may get additional competition attire if the partnership so desires.  The cost for more splashy competitive attire ranges from $100 to $160.  Provincial Acrobats (6 hour and 9 hour groups) are required to get a more elabourate competitive outfit.  The range for this level is between $100 and $250 per outfit.  The Age Group, Junior and Senior groups are expected to get 2 to 3 competitive outfits that can range between $250 and $600 per suit.  Tracksuits range from $150 to $190 for the whole suit.

5.05 Competition Fees
Rough Schedule of events for the different levels of Acrobatic Gymnastics:
Interclub: 4 or 6 hour Groups: 2 to 4 event per year.  Approximately $55 per event.
Provincial: 6 or 9 hour Groups:  2 to 4 events per year.  Approximately $55 to $100 per event.  Events may be in other provinces or in the US.
FIG Level Acro (Age Group, Jr, Sr Acro Groups):  2 to 3 Ontario Cups ($55 per Ontario Cup included in your competitive fees at the beginning of the year), Ontario Championships ($55 registration fee not included in your competitive fees), National Acro Cup ($100).  There are numerous International competitions that athletes may be invited to as part of Team Ontario or Team Canada.  Information on these events will be shared with competitive families as information becomes available.  There is also a plan for an international training camp for our athletes to attend in Europe in the fall of 2014.  The cost for this training camp could range from $1100 to $2200 depending on flights, location, billeting with other acro families, etc.

6.0 Acro Choreography Sessions
Choreography and Routine Creation:  We are requesting that routines for the Provincial and Elite group be created during a daytime training session as the gym is very full in the evenings when we are training.  As the coaches dictate for each group you may be asked to sign up for one or two, 2 hour daytime sessions to learn a routine.  The cost will be $25 per hour per athlete in the pair or group.  A 1 hour session at the same cost may be required after the choreography session to polish the routines. Once the routine is created the coaches will be provided with a video of the routine and will continue to polish and refine the routine during the regular training sessions.  Routines may be recycled from year to year.  Additional choreographers may be used other than the coaches.  These expenses will only be for athletes performing Levels 6 and higher.  Levels 4 and 5 will be choreographed during the classes and kept very simple as there is no score for artistry.  The Interclub Boy and Interclub Girl groups may be invited in to work on a routine closer to a competition if the routine is in desperate need of work though.  Clean, tidy, and simple routines will score better but choreography will be introduced.

7.0 Wolfpack Cheerforce Facility Rental:

We have made plans to rent floor space at the Wolfpack Cheerforce Gym, 1060 South Service Road West in Oakville.  Athletes who attend trainings on the Friday night at the Wolfpack gym will be required to pay a facility sur-charge to help cover some of the rental cost.  We will start this rental in September.  A detailed schedule of rental dates and fees will be provided by the time September arrives.  We are currently finalizing the details of this rental agreement.  We desperately need to rent this space as the OGC is becoming very full.  Acro is the most portable program as it uses the least amount of equipment and renting floor time at a cheer facility is the cheapest and logistically easy solution.  Thank you for your understanding in this matter as the time on the cheer floor will greatly increase the acrobat’s time to run routines.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Measuring for Tracksuits This Week


Measuring for OGC Tracksuits will take place this week and this week only.  We only place the tracksuit order once per year so be sure not to miss it.

The tracksuit is the same as last year so if you already have it you do not need to go get measured or order a new one.  

If you have grown out of your last year's tracksuit and would like to sell it please bring it to the gym this week so that we can sell it for you.  
Please bring it in a bag and clearly indicate the following: male tracksuit or female tracksuit, size, athlete name, discipline, parent's name, phone number, email address, and price you are selling it for. 

4 hour Acro group the tracksuit is optional
6 hour Acro group with Vlada you need to get the tracksuit
6 hour Boys Acro group with Don you need to get the tracksuit
9 Hour Acro group with Mac you need to get the tracksuit
Age Group, Junior and Senior athletes you need to get the tracksuit

You may come to the gym to try on sizers and place an order at the following times:
Thursday, September 25th from 5:00 to 8;30pm
Friday, September 26th from 5:00 to 7:00pm
Saturday, September 27th from 12:00 to 2:00pm
Sunday, September 28th from 12:00 to 2:00pm

All sizing will take place in the board room at the OGC.

We will also be selling OGC hoodies which are optional for everyone.  Sweatpants and program t-shirts are available on the HAC rack in the main lobby. 



Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Nutrition Information - lots to read




Follow this link to the Nutrition information that we posted on the Tumbling Program blog in 2010:


http://ogctumblingprogram.blogspot.ca/2010/01/i-am-finally-getting-chance-to-post.html

snapd Oakville Article OGC Acro at MPP's BBQ


Here is a short article including the OGC Acro program that performed at MPP, Kevin Flynn's summer barbecue.