Hutt Valley GymSports Competitive Information

This information is intended to act as a guide to how each of the competitive programmes are run, outline the level of involvement that gymnasts and parents are committing to, provide a guide to the costs involved, and  provide detailed information on the running of competitions and selection to nationals.

Hutt Valley is currently an artistic gymnastics club offering Men’s Artistic Gymnastics and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics. In the future we hope to expand to include the other gym sports; aerobics, trampoline and rhythmic gymnastics.

Selection to the competitive squad

Children are selected based on their skill level, commitment & potential to enter into the Competitive Artistic Gymnastics programme.  Generally this is around the age of 6 - 7 years.  Initially a child joins a pre-competitive group for the last term of each year preparing them for the next competition season that starts in the second term each year.

Expectation of Gymnasts

Competitive gymnasts are expected to turn up to all training sessions.  Whilst there they will follow the instruction of their coach and work to the best of their ability. 

The gymnasts are expected to enter the appropriate competitions and represent HVGS with pride.

On joining the Competitive Squad you will notice that Gymnastics involves more hours of training than most other sports for children of the same age.  It requires a degree commitment from the gymnast and their parents.  Gymnastics will give your child more than just physical skills, they will also become self disciplined and confident individuals.  They are also encouraged to become independent and learn good sportsmanship.

Training Attire

Gymnasts must come to training properly attired.

Board shorts, and sloppy T-shirts are not suitable as they pose the safety issue of wrapping around equipment or blocking a gymnasts vision. And when coaching cover up the shape and form of a gymnast.

All gymnasts should have a training uniform of leotard and shorts. Colour is at the discretion of the gymnast. Male gymnasts are required to compete in leotard and shorts, so to train as such is expected. Girls compete in just a leotard but hot pants or three quarter tights are acceptable for training. For cold days a tight fitting polyprop is suitable for either code.

Other equipment gymnasts may need includes wrist band, ankle weights, spare hair ties, strapping tape, drink bottles, and in the intermediate levels gymnasts will require hand guards.

Gymnasts training long hours may be offered a food break. Something light and nutritious is recommended such as fruit, nuts, or a small sandwich. Foods high in salt, fat or processed sugars will not benefit a gymnasts training. For more dietary information please see the senior coaches about the Hutt Valley GymSports nutritional guide.

Holiday Training

All competition gymnasts are expected to attend the provided holiday training.

School holidays are a great opportunity for gymnasts to use the full gymnastic facilities without the interruptions of recreational gymnastics, in a much quieter training environment. It is also possible to run extended sessions with fresh gymnasts without the stresses of a school day.

It is very important to maintain consistency of training and fitness so all competitive gymnasts that are present in Wellington should attend all available training.

Parent Involvement

One parent from each level within the club is invited to act as a Team Manager for that level.  Key aspects of the job include; co-ordinating all parents within the level, liaising with the office regarding competition entries etc. and ensuring all gymnasts within the level have the correct uniform.

Parents are also encouraged to be involved in other ways from fundraising to joining the management committee or helping out in the Saturday morning canteen.  At competitions there are opportunities to help and learn more about gymnastics by recording scores, becoming a judge or even a coach. 

Please talk to a staff member if you are interested in more information on the above.

Financial Information

As mentioned above gymnastics requires many hours of training to reach the standards required for competition.  As gymnasts move to higher levels of competition more hours of training required. 

HVGS management committee has devised a fee schedule where the ‘per hour’ rate is reduced as the hours of training increase.

As well as term fees other costs parents can expect are uniforms (leotard and tracksuit) for competitions, affiliation fee to GymSports New Zealand and other expenses such as away competitions.

Affiliation fee
This is a new fee that has been introduced with the creation GymSports New Zealand and is included with the term fees.

Step 1-6 WAG, Levels 1-6 MAG Junior & Elementary Competitive	$15.50 Per Term
Senior Competitive Step 7-10 WAG, Levels 7-10 MAG	$25.50
High Performance	$40.50

Comp entry fees approx $ per comp 

Please note: at away competitions that coaches require accommodation/ travel the cost is split between the club and the attending gymnasts. Generally Junior Gymnasts do not attend away comps that require an over night stay.

Uniform Club tracksuit $120, Club leotard $105 (some 2nd hand may be available)

Running of competitions

At competitions STEP 1-6 gymnasts compete on one day. Competitions usually last around 3 hours, with prize giving held approximately 20mins after the completion of each round. The timetable for a competition is only put out after organisers have received all entries; entry deadline is usually 1-2 weeks prior to a competition. Gymnasts are required to be at competition ½ an hour prior to their session start time, as organisers withhold the right to bring the start time of competitions forward 30 minutes if ahead of schedule.

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG)

Programme Overview

WAG is broken down into to 4 apparatus.  They are Vault, Bar, Beam and Floor.  This year the Sport Development Committee (SDC) have developed a programme called ‘Strive Towards Excellence in Performance” (STEP).  They believe this will encourage the majority of gymnasts to STEP at their own level and pace through the WAG programme.

The STEPs programme begins with compulsory exercises (Step 1 – 6) which are designed to be achievable by the majority of gymnasts, and encourage them to perform with the attention to technical excellence. It continues (Step 7 – 10) with optional exercises based on composition requirements.  Again encouraging gymnasts to preform within their ability, but allowing for faster development on one or more apparatus.

Each STEP has age groups.  This is to keep the gymnasts competing against their peers.  The STEPs also have progression thresholds to ensure gymnasts advance as they are ready.

For those gymnasts who have the physical ability or desire to compete at a high level, a parallel path is in place.  This is the Long term development of Elite Artistic Programme (LEAP).  These gymnasts are selected by the Head Coach.  GymSport NZ has adopted the IDP programme to use as the LEAP programme.

A Ribbon Award Scheme will operate for STEPs 1 – 6 giving gymnasts an instant tangible recognition of their achievements, with different colours signifying the different score targets they have passed.

 The programme is used in conjunction with the current Federation Internationale de Gymnastique Code of Points (available at www.fig-gymnastics.com).

Programme Progression

A gymnast can enter the STEPs programme at STEPs 1 or 2 at the coach’s discretion.  They then proceed through the STEPs to Step 10.

A gymnast can compete at more than one STEP during a single competitive season, provided they meet the score threshold outlined below.

Score Thresholds

In order to progress through the STEPs the gymnast must achieve a minimum score.  Please see table below

The threshold score must have been achieved on at least two separate occasions.  For STEPs 5 to 10 at least one of these occasions must be outside their club’s home province.

Once the gymnast has achieved the upper threshold for the STEP twice, they must move on to the next STEP at the start of the next competitive season.

From STEPs 1 to 5, gymnasts may skip a STEP at the next competitive season, providing they meet the required score twice. i.e. if a gymnast score 56.000 or more in STEP 1, they may go to STEP 3 in the next season.

 

From STEP 6 onwards the gymnast may not skip a STEP.

Ribbon Reward Scheme

The Ribbon Reward Scheme is an incentive performance-based scheme, which gives instant recognition to individual achievement, independent of a gymnasts ranking in a competition.  The Ribbon Award Scheme operates in STEPs 1 to 6 inclusive.

When competing in their first competition in any STEP, the gymnast will be awarded a ribbon on each apparatus with its colour depending on the score she has achieved.  See above for ribbon colours score table.

A gymnast does not need to be awarded a ribbon if her score decreases from her personal best at any time. i.e. if a gymnast has been awarded a red ribbon at her first competition, she may not necessarily be awarded a blue or green ribbon at any subsequent competition.

Age Divisions

Each STEP is split into age divisions

Individual results and awards will be separate according to the age division but teams can be compromised of gymnasts from both age divisions.

The age division is determined by the age the gymnast will turn during the calendar year.  The gymnast must have turned 5 years already to be eligible to compete.

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG)

Gymnasts in the MAG National programme progress within one stream.  Gymnasts may start in levels 1 or 2 and can progress through to level 10.  From level 10 gymnasts may be selected into Junior International (17yrs or under) or Senior International (18 yrs or over).  Gymnasts are considered sub-juniors from level 1 to 3, Juniors from levels 4 to 6, and Seniors from level 7 to Senior International.  

A record of the gymnasts scores are kept in blue cards held by HVGS.  These cards go to each competition and at the completion of the season are sent to GSNZ for verification.  Gymnasts progress to the next level by achieving a minimum of a 7 on each apparatus and having their card verified.  On verification of passing a level gymnasts may purchase a levels badge (see below).  Sub-juniors and Juniors compete in compulsory set routines while Seniors level 7 - 9 have optional routines, and level 10 - Senior International create routines from the Code of Points.  Juniors and Seniors can qualify to represent Wellington at Junior and Senior Nationals (see below).

MAG and WAG Progression Between Levels

Ribbon Cards

A record of MAG and WAG gymnasts’ scores are kept in blue and green ribbon cards respectively.  The cards are purchased and held by HVGS and go to each competition with a coach or judge.

Ribbon Awards

Gymnasts receive ribbons for their scores on each apparatus as they improve their scores.

MAG

Green ribbon	less than 7.000
Blue ribbon	7.000 to 7.999
Red ribbon	8.000 to 8.999
Gold ribbon	9.000 to 10.000

WAG level 1 - 3 (NDP)

			SV 5.00
Green ribbon			less than 12.00
Blue ribbon			12.00
Red ribbon			13.00
Gold ribbon			14.00

    

New Zealand National Championships

MAG and WAG Junior and Senior gymnasts STEP 5 and above are able to work towards representing Wellington at the NZ National Championships.  Gymnasts and their parents who wish to be considered for Nationals must sign a Notice of Intent provided by HVGS due in June each year.  On signing the notice of intent parents and gymnasts will be agreeing to abide by the guidelines set out in the WGA Nationals booklet which will be provided to parents.  All costs will be the responsibility of the gymnast’s family.  In the past grants have been sought by the WGA to contribute to travel and accommodation costs.  Dates for Nationals are set at the beginning of each year and can be found in the Competition timetable section of this this website.

STEPs Badges

Gymnasts who have passed their STEP/Level based on the criteria set out in the MAG and WAG sections of this booklet will be eligible to purchase a metal STEP/levels pin to wear on their tracksuit.  A note will be placed in gymnast’s pockets who have qualified once verification is received from GSNZ.