BASIC SKILLS IN EDUCATIONAL GYMNASTICS

Keywords

• Gymnastics
• Balancing
• Gymnastics
• Gymnast
• Rolling.
• Skipping
• Straddle

After studying and practicing the activities in this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Engage in and understand various gymnastic activities, such as rolling and balance, demonstrating an awareness of safety precautions and activities that are safe for practice
2. Develop a simple gymnastic routine for your personal fitness training
3. Exhibit good interpersonal skills while working with others, valuing your own and other people’s bodies in social and physical interactions
4. Recognize the various gymnastic activities that can be done to improve one’s fitness
5. Establish and explain the contribution of gymnastics to an individual’s well – being

INTRODUCTION

 To move with control, you need good balance, as well as awareness of the environment in terms of effort, space, and in relation to people or objects. This is because body movements rarely occur in isolation. If you sight a friend from g distance and want to meet him or her, you have to walk in the direction (space) of your friend (relationship) quickly (effort) before you lose sight of him or her. What factors have you considered before reaching your friend?

 Educational gymnastics offer you skills to interact with the environment. You will develop body awareness and become successful in physical activities throughout your life. Your participation in gymnastics will also improve your performance. A soccer player needs strength to outwit opponents. Gymnastics develops this and other skill – related components. In this chapter, you will perform various gymnastic skills individually or with partners in a safe environment.

3.1 Gymnastic Activities

 Figure 31 Performing 180 sit

 Every day, we make movements such as balances, rolls, etc. We call these gymnastics. Gymnastics refers to exercises that develop or display physical agility and coordination. While it is an extensive field and a sport, our interest is on educational gymnastics. They can be done on the floor, on bars, or beams. Educational gymnastics can also be performed with or without implements or equipment.

Balances

Balance is a foundational skill that you must learn. In a traditional gymnastics routine, your body begins in balance. It is important to understand why you do or do not remain balanced in different positions so that you can practice drills that will help improve your balance skills.

Maintaining a stable center of gravity is the key to remaining balanced. To keep your center of gravity stable, make sure it remains above your base of support.

For example, you can probably balance quite easily on a flat surface with your right foot in the air, by shifting some weight to your left. But if you stand straight and Lift your right foot without transferring any weight, you will fall to your right.

In a gymnastics context, you can walk the length of the balance beam by continually shifting some weight over the single foot that is flat on the beam.

Figure 3.3 Balances

Generally, a wider base of support is more stable than a narrow base. For you to remain balanced, you should spread your base as wide as the exercise permits. Now let us explore the following balance activities and then try to perform them.

Crouch balance

When you lean forward with your head and shoulders bent, especially in order to get closer to something, we say you are in a crouch position. The crouch balance assumes its name from such action

ICT and Physical Education

 Using a video camera or a smart phone, record other learners as they perform the different gymnastic activities. You can keep recording the different progressions so that you can always watch them to appreciate the impact of practice on performance.

Headstand

In gymnastics, we sometimes stand on our heads usually with support from the hands (headstand).

Handstand

A handstand is the act of supporting the body in a stable, inverted vertical position by balancing on the hands.

1. Follow the steps above to perform a handstand.

 2. In pairs, spot each other to ensure safe performance.

Shoulder Balance

Shoulder balance is an inversion that starts by lying backside – down on the floor. The legs and torso are raised vertically over the head and supported on the shoulders and arms.

V – Balance

 This is also known as V – sit. It is a gymnastics position that requires strength as well as balance. In this exercise, you balance on your buttocks while keeping the feet and upper trunk in air.

1. Use the tips given to perform a V – balance.

2. In pairs, spot each other to ensure safe performance.

Swan Balance

This type of balance requires the performer to extend one leg straight behind the body in an arabesque position (standing on one leg with the other leg raises about 45 degrees).

Crab Balance

The crab balance is important in improving spinal mobility. This is a physical exercise in which you hold your body off the ground with the chest facing upward and knees bent. You move around by shifting the hands and feet.

Candle Stick

A candle stick is a shoulder stand position where you basically rest on the back of your shoulders with your feet pointed upwards.

Centipede and Chains

These are team – building exercises that involve sequence or links.

Performing the chains

A chain requires a combination of many athletes or gymnasts. Once formed, different movements are possible. Try out as many times as possible.

 Elbow Balance

This is a hand balancing skill involving sustaining of the body vertically, with the body resting on the elbows of the supporting arms for balance.

Rolling

A roll is most basic skill in gymnastics class. It is a complete rotation of the body, usually made on the ground. Rolls also help one recover from a fall safety. For example, a goalkeeper in football may dive to catch a ball and ends up rolling in order to land safely

Forward roll

The forward roll is a gymnastics exercise that involves a forward progression on the floor. It is easier to execute than a backward roll. It has many variations depending on seniority and creativity

Backward Roll

Almost similar to the forward roll, a backward roll is done in reverse. The gymnast progresses from a standing position and then bends to a squat, with a later progression to a roll over the back

Side Roll

 Like the name suggests, a side roll involves the gymnast rolling onto the side doing a complete rotation of the body. It is also referred to as an egg roll, a log roll, barrel roll, or pencil roll.

 Tank Roll

 This is a pair activity that involves two gymnasts curling their bodies as they both roll. They hold each other at the ankles

Judo Roll

This is performed on the diagonal by tucking one shoulder under to take the initial weight of the body and then rolling onto the opposite hip before standing.

Skipping

Skipping is a whole body workout in which you use your abdominals to stabilize the body, legs for jumping. Shoulders and arms for turning the rope. The ropes can easily be made from local materials such as banana fibres, sisal, rugs, polythene paper and many others. See Figure 3.5 below.

  Figure 3.5 Different types of skipping ropes

Identify what they are made of. Use local materials to make your own skipping rope. Skipping improves coordination, stamina and focus and that is good for all aspects of life. There are three styles of skipping, namely:

1. single leg skipping
2. Double legged
3.  Alternate leg skipping

Figure 3.4 Skipping

Single leg skipping

This is an excellent workout for developing your balance and building up power and elasticity in your legs. It involves hopping with one leg to allow a rope to pass underneath your feet.

Activity 3.17 Performing single leg skipping

Resources

• Working space
• Ropes

Observe the following illustrations of single leg skipping.

 Progression

• Hold the handles of the rope in both hands. Place both feet in the centre of the rope, continuing to hold the handles with each hand.
• With both feet planted on the ground, hold the handles up towards your shoulders. Handles should sit just below your shoulders.
• Jump repeatedly on either the right or the left leg.

1. Use the tips given to perform single leg skipping.
2. Jump repeatedly on either the right or the left leg as follows; jump for 2 minutes, alternating 20 jumps each leg. Rest for 30 seconds. Do five rounds.
3. Jump repeatedly as in (2) but in pairs and then small groups.

 Figure 36 Skipping in small groups

Double leg skipping

It involves a gymnast, hopping with both feet off the ground as he or she jumps over the rope as it rotates toward the ground. Like other types of skipping, it improves cardiovascular fitness, balance, bone strength and coordination among others.

Alternate leg skipping

This is a great exercise that builds speed and explosiveness in your legs. It involves hopping on one leg at a time as you allow the rope under your feet alternately an upright posture is required.

3.2 Safety Precautions

Gymnastics is a fun sport, both to do and to watch, but there are lots of risks involved. Staying safe therefore while practicing the gymnastic activities is key.

Activity 3.20 Safety precautions in gymnastics

Resources

• Notebooks

 In groups:

1. Focus on the activities you have performed in your gymnastic lessons. Generate the possible risks associated with gymnastics.
2.  Suggest possible control measures for the occurrence of those risks
3.  Present your findings to the class for discussion.

3.3 Importance of Gymnastics to an Individual and Society

Watching a gymnast perform will always leave you in awe! You will admire the physical fitness of the gymnast while loving every moment and that is the beauty of gymnastics. It has enormous benefits both to an individual and society. The benefits range from personal physical fitness to health and socialization

Activity 3.21 Importance of gymnastics

 Resources

• Notebook
• Flip chart
• Pens

As a class, discuss the contributions of gymnastic activities to an individual and society at large.

3.4 Gymnastics Routine for Fitness

Our fitness (coordination, agility, flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, etc., can greatly be improved by engaging in different gymnastic activities. This requires careful planning for well – selected progressive gymnastic activities.

 Activity 3.22 Gymnastics routine for fitness

Resources

• Notebook
• Pens flip
• Chart

Individually:

1. Reflect on the lessons you have attended in gymnastics ranging from balances, rolls to skipping.

2. Compose and share a personal fitness schedule (plan) based on what you have learnt in your gymnastics lessons.

PROJECT

Prepare a 20 minute video clip of gymnastic stunts for viewing in your class.

Revision Questions

1. Classify the different gymnastic activities, giving examples of such activities that appear under the three major divisions.

2. Discuss the importance of educational gymnastics to a secondary school Learner.

 3. Paying attention to safety is important in maximizing performance of gymnastic activities. Discuss the safety precautions one needs to put into consideration when planning for a gymnastics session for secondary school learners.

Chapter Summary

 In this chapter, you have learnt:

• A number of gymnastics activities that include rolling, balancing and skipping.
• Safety precautions for safe practice in gymnastics
• The contribution of gymnastics to an individual’s well – being

You can now maintain your fitness levels through performing various basic gymnastic skills individually or with partners in a safe environment.

You can therefore train your friends, use gymnastics to maintain physical fitness, entertain others, improve your performance in other sports, improvise equipment, enhance relations, and become a gymnastics ambassador.