Wow, great start, and ALL the best to Erika!!!

sideways view of warm up

I took this photo on Monday as Erika sat on Zoe's splits...and it looked quite cute, unfortunately my lack of technology has it sitting sideways, but you get the idea of it.    Zoe and Carly were laughing and Erika carefully took a seat.  


This fall has been UNBELIEVABLE, today again I opened an email from another family wanting to experience Rhythmic Gymnastics..yahoo.   It appears that we will have an incredible year with all the great returning gymnasts and the many new people joining in.    Coaches have organized to ensure that we have a training program of warm up, conditioning, skill technique and motivation for everyone.   I am proud of what coaches and athletes have raised the bar to, and feel confident the improvement will be very visible as the year progresses.   Please do email or text of phone me to discuss where your gymnast is at, I love to talk about kids and especially gym kids, and hopefully my years of coaching can help others understand the progress.

This club has been around since 1983, and there are always ups and downs, but it survives and thrives because of the coaching staff that invest their time and energy to the gymnasts.   We have been blessed with many coaches over the years, and all have contributed to strong young women.   As this year starts we have missed the coaches that are currently  busy with their lives that they aren't in the gym.  Karley is working as a Teacher on Call in the Victoria School District,  and Lexus is busy working full time to save for more education,   we wish them the very best and hope to see them occasionally during the year. Karley was wonderful for the past four years will all our gymnasts and big thank you for her energy and love...(PS she is doing some yoga training with us later in the year. Lexus was such a wonderful coach for little ones last year, that they miss her as do I.  Georgia P will be back soon as she is almost settled into her UVIC studies after being in North Van for the Summer.   Thank you to Leanne, Rachel and Jayna for their efforts at the start up and for the upcoming season.

Oh yes, and Erika..... I remember last fall thinking that once Leanne and Karley started their Teaching practicum that training was going to be tough without them...but lo and behold Erika Leigh Stirton Howard, had moved here after her wedding to Malcolm.   When she agreed to help coach I was excited and hopeful that we would be a good fit for her, and it wasn't good it was incredible.  I know that everyone who has been in the gym or travelled or just met her will feel that not only is she amazing at RG but she an inspirational, energetic and very funny person, and all the while quite a demanding coach.   As the oldest gymnast it has been great for me to learn more and find a fantastic new friend.   As you probably know tomorrow Friday Oct 5 is her last day at the gym, and  then the next adventure of living in Oxford as Malcolm works on his masters.   What a caring coach too,  she stayed behind these past 5 weeks to help us get going, and doing some of her amazing choreography, while Malcolm started in Oxford,  for this time I am deeply grateful.   We will continue to keep in touch and hopefully see her visit us in 2013.

Wow, great year ahead, thank you all for your support and especially for your kids.

Barb

This photos is taken just before we left Whistler to head home.   Wow, what a great weekend all 35 of us had traveling to Whistler by ferry then bus, and participating in great workshops and the show for 2012 BC Gymnaestrada.    I find it a bit unbelievable that our last large trip like this was probably the 2001 Gymnaestrada in Whistler.   TOO long of a break between,  I have set my sites on getting organized with a small or large trip each year,  they are SO very inspirational...we learned lots of things, but just a few are, travelling responsibly with a large group,
for our senior gymnasts good role modeling and helping young gymnasts see the beauty and fun of our sport
meeting new people from different places
sharing Madagascar with all your friends as you travel the Sea to Sky Highway
new skills from the Movie Stunts workshop, how to crawl like a monkey in Parquor,
letting go and Groove fitness, with your eyes closed, and open and in different directions
being responsible for yourself and drinking lots of water and being patient with you and your teammates
learning how wonderful gymnastic routines can be, and realizing that if you smile they are even better
cheering our favorite team of Victoria Special Olympians
loving the color turquoise, and how easy it is to see in a crowd..."yes waiter that our sea of blue"
appreciating our coaches and parents and how much they give for our benefit.

And I am sure I could go on, and on and on....but overall I think I had forgotten how fun a road trip can be, and it was a blast.

Reminder to everyone open house tomorrow, Saturday June 16-  regular training times, so bring along a friend, and exciting new workshops for the summer and fall....as well a looking at your training for next year.

Welcome Back and Westshore registration.

Happy New Year to all of you. Our club training resumes on January 5th, 2012...and it will be an exciting seasons with great opportunities for performance and for some travel. Please ensure that you are receiving our emails and let us know if we have missed you. Email us at victoriarg@shaw.ca

Due to some communication difficulty on my part with Westshore they are not running our programs in this seasons brochere. Here are the programs and you can register on Saturday 7 - cheques payable to Victoria Rhythmic Gymnastics, and if you are hoping to pay by visa, please talk to Barb on Saturday. Thanks

****And invite a friend tomorrow, no obligation if they want to try the class, Saturday morning is the best time****hopefully they love our sport and our club as my as we do. Shoreline location - see that under contacts on the website www.victoriarg.com

VICTORIA RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS www.victoriarg.com
SPARKLE PROGRAM - 6 week program 2.5 years to 5 years
Combine dance, ballet, and gymnastics all into one with the use of hand held apparatus such as ribbon,
hoop, ball, rope and scarves! Children will learn body movements and coordination through the use of music and hand held apparatus. Each class will involve some basic tumbling as well as some fun games and a chance to learn the basics of this wonderful sport. Participants in this level will also learn a routine to music throughout the session. 2.5 years to 5 years (2 coaches to help divide the ages appropriately) January 7 to February 11 - $ 42.00 9am to 9:30 Saturday @ Shoreline

SPIRIT PROGRAM - 6 week program 6 years and up
This fun class is designed for beginner to intermediate level rhythmic gymnasts. Develop
coordination and poise as you experience the sport,which combines ballet, gymnastics, and a variety of
apparatus into one rewarding activity!
(2 coaches to help divide the ages appropriately) January 7 to February 11 - $ 54.00 9:45 am to 10:30 Saturday @ Shoreline

If you are interested in one of our other programs please email Barb at victoriarg@shaw.ca or call her at 250-888-5801 and we can set up a trial practice for you.

Thanks for your interest.

Barb