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TEAM OGC - Womens Artistic Gymnastics Competitive

Female at least 4y but less than 21y

The Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) program is made up of several levels of developmental and competitive streams. Younger gymnasts begin the WAG program in levels that focus on introductory gymnastics, learning and training to compete, and skill and ability development. Each program is open-ended so that the coach can alter and adapt the program to best suit the needs and abilities of each athlete. The programs are also tailored to match the child’s strengths and weaknesses. This tailoring ensures that each child gets the best training possible and results in a unique experience for each athlete. Athletes in the WAG program advance through these levels which are ordered by age and ability.

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Women’s Artistic Programs 

Ortona’s Program

The Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) Program is a competitive program that consists of multiple levels with different requirements. Aspiring female athletes enter the program between the ages of 7 and 12 years old. As they move through the program the skill level and physical preparation required increases. The higher the level, the harder the elements and skills.

Ortona’s WAG Competitive program follows the Canadian Junior Olympic (CJO) Program and the Canadian Aspire Program depending on the age and skill level of the athlete. 

CJO is a new program that was implemented in July 2015. This program was adopted from the United States Junior Olympic (JO) Program and modified to fit the needs of Canadian athletes and coaches.  Ortona’s WAG Competitive Athletes participate in the CJO Levels 6-9, all ages are welcome. These levels consist of different elements that are required to be choreographed into Optional routines on all 4 women’s events. 

The Canadian Aspire Program is a program created to prepare young athletes for higher level competition. These athletes must be between the ages of 8 and 11 years old and be able to meet the level requirements. Particular skills are required for the Aspire Level 1 and Aspire Level 2, these skills are choreographed into optional routines for the athletes to compete. 

The WAG Competitive program is a year long program that has a summer schedule for July & August and a Fall schedule for September to June. These athletes train anywhere from 12-24 hours a week depending on their skill level.

Interested in a Program?
These programs are invitation only. We host Tryout dates throughout the year, check out the front page of our website for upcoming dates. You can also complete an assessment request found on our website. Assessments are one on one with a coach to assess the level of your athlete, they take 10-15 minutes and are followed with a conversation with a coach to answer any questions you may have. 
 

Team Coaching at Ortona

Ortona Team Coaches are…

Coaches working together to help each gymnast, whether they be a WAG, MAG or T&T athlete, in the Ortona Gymnastics Club’s (OGC’s) development and competitive programs. Ortona coaches strive to have each athlete to become the best gymnast they can be, while staying true to the Club’s vision, mission and goals.  Team coaching encourages and supports all athletes, in all disciplines and celebrates with them in all achievements - inside and outside of the gym.

Every coach has technical strengths which they incorporate into their coaching. Team Coaching allows athletes to learn from each coach’s individual strength which translates into confidence and success in an event, regardless of the athlete’s skill level or discipline. The Team Coaching philosophy does not guarantee that athletes will work exclusively with a specific coach even at the request of a parent/guardian.

The coaches are assigned to groups by the Technical Gymnastics Programs Director (TGPD) using criteria defined by our program requirements for that year.  Coach assignments are based on education; coaching experiences, certification level, the TGPD’s assessment of the coaches’ skills, professional growth and guidelines of various governing bodies for gymnastics in Alberta and Canada.

The TGPD role is to manage all OGC team coaches and facilitate the communication between all disciplines of coaches. The TGPD also assigns Lead Coaches to training groups.

The role of the Lead coach, within the framework of team coaching is:

  • To act as the point of contact and open up the lines of communication between the parents/guardians, athlete and assigned team coaches.
  • To act as the representative for the gymnast’s coaching team.
  • To ensure that the yearly training plan set for each gymnast is being followed or modified when necessary.
  • To address any issues that arise within the group (ie. bullying, attitudes, injuries, etc.) with the parents/guardians and communicate the solution to the rest of the coaching team.
  • Lead coaches will attend Alberta Gymnastics Federation Sanctioned events with their assigned athletes.

The assigned Team Coaches’ roles are:

  • To follow the Lead Coach’s training plan. The Lead Coach has a long-term vision for the athlete, and team coaches will respect the vision for each particular athlete.
  • To recognize that the Team Coach is part of a team that has a singular vision. That team is comprised of several coaches who collaborate to produce athletes that contribute to the whole. The team works toward the vision to ensure it becomes a reality.
  • Team Coaches work on complimenting one another’s attributes and strengths. This is done by coaching to that particular coach’s strengths, as well as mentoring other coaches to follow suit.
  • Attend non-sanctioned events as assigned by the TGPD throughout the year.

Finally, Team Parents/Guardians have two points of communication throughout the year, their athlete’s assigned lead coach and a contract administrator. 

 

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics - A History Lesson

An A-moo-sing Start
Gymnastics can trace its origins back to ancient civilizations in Asia and the Middle East. Although the ancient Olympics performed by the Greeks were exclusively for men, both men and women would attempt to achieve symmetry between their minds and bodies by jumping over charging bulls. The athlete would run toward the bull, grab its horns, and when tossed in the air, would perform aerial movements before landing on the bull’s back and then dismounting onto his or her feet on the other side of the bull. A great deal of courage, grace and maybe even a bit of foolishness was required. Who said exercise was bad for you?
 
Putting the Art in Artistic
The term, artistic gymnastics, was first heard around the early 1800s as a way to distinguish free-flowing gymnastics styles from military training techniques. Artistic gymnastics were first performed at the Olympics in 1896, but women were not allowed to compete. Women finally got their chance to shine during the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, where women’s artistic was a team event. Since the origins of women’s artistic gymnastics, this discipline has become a world recognized sport, and the most popular form of gymnastics.
 
 4 Ways to Shine
Women’s artistic continues to be fascinating and popular among girls of all ages, likely due to the constant  challenge it provides and its ability to develop an  athlete’s coordination, courage and flexibility.

The 4 events in women’s Artistic gymnastics are the  vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
 
Vault:
In this event, a 25 metre run leads to an  explosive jump off a springboard, where the athlete  launches over the vaulting table. While in flight, the  athlete performs multiple twists and rotations before  sticking a solid landing. It takes control, stability,  strength and aerial mastery to execute this high-flying sequence.
 
Uneven Bars:
Two bars means twice the challenge, with the lower bar being 170 cm tall and the higher one being 250 cm with 180 cm between the two. A gymnast needs strength, precision, rhythm and courage to execute twists and somersaults with grip changes, releases and high flights. The wind-up and dismount are among the most breathtaking moments of any routine.
 
Balance Beam:
At 10 cm wide, the balance beam is the most precarious and challenging apparatus for women. But with the challenge, comes incredible acrobatic displays that seem to gracefully defy gravity. With zero room for error, the gymnast performs a series of leaps, turns, steps, waves, flips and balances. A gymnast utilizes the entire length of the beam to show off her grace, strength and balance.
 
Floor Exercise:
Considered to be the most expressive event, the floor is where each athlete’s personality shines. The routine is always accompanied by music, and combines dance movements, acrobatics and tumbling. The whole floor area is used, and the routine often changes to match the music’s mood and speed. These are gymnasts and artists.

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