Acrobatic Gymnastics is one of those sports that impress us with the flexibility a human body can reach. It existed in various forms throughout many cultures, with evidence since the bronze age. The first official tournament of acrobatic gymnastics happened in 1957 in Warsaw, Poland, and made it to the Olympics in 2018 at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
We all get hypnotised when watching gymnastics and only see how perfect and carefully calculated all the moves are, but most of us do not realise the amount of work and dedication every single presentation has. For a few minutes of perfection, these athletes train for hours every single day.
Acrobatic gymnastics can be composed of two, three or four athletes. The teams are usually suggested by the coach according to their physical attributes, size, and abilities. Every group must have a smaller gymnast who will be thrown, for example.
This type of sport demands a lot from the gymnast. They have to practice daily and it takes many hours to achieve certain abilities. On the other hand, it helps the athlete to develop many great skills, such as persistence, punctuality, cooperation and discipline.
Children can start to practice gymnastics as young as 2 years old. Different from professional athletes, these children do not have to practice every day, but they will still grow up with the benefits of the sport.
Even though this sport demands a lot from the athletes and coaches (both physically and mentally), they develop a connection with gymnastics that will follow them forever. Not every former gymnast will work with the sport after they stop competing, but all of them will have an emotional bond with it.
To watch the behind-the-scenes of an Irish acrobatic gymnastics group through the eyes of their coach, watch the video below. John, the coach, talks about his career, his experience training elite athletes, and how his passion for the sport is so big he does not see himself not working with gymnastics.
The documentary also shows a daily training routine of professional acrobatic gymnasts at Excel Gymnastics in Ballyfermot, what they believe are some of the most important skills they gained with the sport and some behind-the-scenes coaching and tips.
