Giving gymnastics a tumble

Andrew Edwards

As Beach Boys tunes played in the background, more than 50 children

tumbled, flipped and cartwheeled their way across a bright blue mat

as they practiced their moves at the Gymnastics-Plus! summer camp.

Miles away from the high-pressure competition the world saw play

out at the Olympics, the camp is geared to teaching children basic

gymnastics skills in a fun setting.

“This is for your everyday kid that really wants to learn a

cartwheel, or handstand, or backbend or splits and do it with their

friends and not get hurt,” coach Dayle Lusk said.

The children were placed into three groups based on skill level,

and the more advanced students had a chance to learn more complicated

tricks, such as combinations of tumbling moves.

In one sequence, the campers started by leaning forward while

standing on one foot and extending their arms so they looked like an

airplane in mid-flight. From that position, they rolled forward,

pulled off a cartwheel and landed in a tuck position, a crouch

similar to a baseball catcher’s stance. They finished off the series

with a backward somersault.

“They’re teaching us to do a combination of cartwheels too,”

9-year-old Devin Cortez said. “Like one-handed and aerials.”

In another exercise, the young gymnasts took turns using a device

called a back handspring training barrel -- the equipment looks like

a big padded Pac-Man -- and with the help of coach Casey Breen, the

children sit in the barrel’s wedge and flipped backward.

“It feels weird, it feels like you’re actually doing one,”

8-year-old Amelia Dev said.

After practicing with the barrel, it was time to try flipping

without it. With the aid of coaches Melina Cortez and Clarisa

Magdalano , the children took turns trying back handsprings. Mikaela

Takayama, 8, said learning to do a back handspring is hard, but she

liked practicing the trick because it is difficult.

“I think it’s a lot funner because I’m learning something new,”

she said.

The theme for the day’s practice was “beach-nastics,” and the

coaches placed a surfboard on the balance beam before the campers did

their exercises. One at a time, the campers sat on the board in a

V-sit position, making a V-shape with their bodies by extending their

legs upward while using their arms to keep their head and shoulders

up. After holding the position, the children got up, walked along the

beam and jumped from the beam to the pads that were just inches

below.

“Jump into the waves,” Lusk called out as various children hopped

from the beam.

Many of the campers watched the gymnastics competitions during the

Olympics, and 6-year-old Jade Kratovil said she thinks one of the

children could compete at that level one day.

“I think a lot of people, if they try hard, they could be in the

Olympics one day and get a gold medal,” she said.