Competitive acrobatic gymnastics in Edmonton
A six stage pathway from a first pre-competitive class through to high performance partnerships, with training hours and travel stepping up together.
What competitive acrobatic gymnastics is
In competitive acrobatic gymnastics athletes compete in partnerships, not alone. Pairs, trios and groups perform choreographed routines of balance, tumbling and dance to music, and are judged on execution, difficulty and artistry.
Athletes take one of two roles. A base supports, lifts and throws. A top is lifted, balanced and caught. Partnerships are assigned by coaches based on size, strength, skill and how well athletes work together, and they can change as athletes grow.
Our competitive program follows the USA Gymnastics Acro Developmental Program, a level based system that progresses athletes through compulsory skills and choreography of increasing difficulty. Higher level athletes also work in the international Aspire stream, which is based on World Gymnastics age groups.
How athletes get in
Most of our competitive athletes did not arrive as competitors. They started in a recreational class, a coach noticed they were ready, and they were invited across.
If your child has not been invited but you think they may be ready, you can request a tryout. Athletes can also be called up from the pre-competitive program at any point in the year when a partnership position opens and they are prepared for it.
Nobody advances on age alone. Placement depends on skill, physical preparation, partnership fit and readiness for the commitment.
The six competitive stages
Training hours, competition levels and travel expectations increase at each stage. Days and times are set each season, so confirm current schedules with a coach.
Rookies
| Ages | 6 to 12 |
|---|---|
| Training | 3 hours per week |
| Level | Pre-competitive, with an introduction to competing |
| Travel | Athletes chosen for competitive partnerships may need some domestic travel within Alberta |
Rookies prepares young athletes for our competitive programs. Training focuses on our own developmental testing program, where participants work on personal improvement in physical preparedness, alongside partner acrobatic skills from the USA Gymnastics Acro Developmental Program, levels 2 through 5.
The pre-competitive levels are designed so athletes can try both base and top positions before a role is settled. If partnerships form naturally at this stage, they may begin working toward competing at level 5, and individuals or partnerships can be invited to move into the competitive program mid season.
Apprentices
| Ages | 6 to 14 |
|---|---|
| Training | 6 hours per week |
| Levels | USDP levels 5 and 6 |
| Travel | Domestic travel within Alberta is required. Optional additional travel may be available. |
Apprentices is where athletes start competing properly. Level 5 is the first level typically eligible for domestic competition in Canada, and it introduces athletes to the competition environment.
Partnerships often repeat levels 5 and 6 for more than one season. That is deliberate. Mastering the basics introduced at these levels is what makes everything above them possible.
Optional travel opportunities may include other provinces and the United States. All optional travel is at the coach discretion and requires mutual agreement and commitment from every member of a partnership. No extra travel is guaranteed.
Initiates
| Ages | 7 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Training | 9 hours per week |
| Level | Please confirm current level assignments with a coach |
| Travel | Please confirm with a coach |
Initiates sits between the developmental competitive levels and the high performance stream, at nine training hours per week.
Note for the club: a full description of this stage was not available on the previous website. Please add the current level assignments, training days and travel expectations here.
Contenders
| Ages | 8 to 30, including adult athletes |
|---|---|
| Training | 11 hours per week |
| Levels | USDP levels 7 and 8, and the international Aspire stream |
| Travel | Domestic travel throughout Canada is required |
Contenders introduces athletes to the high performance stream. It combines USDP levels 7 and 8 with the international Aspire program, based on World Gymnastics Age Group 1 for ages 11 to 16.
Level placement depends on the ages within a partnership, Canadian citizenship or residence, and readiness. Many partnerships stay in this range for several seasons while they build the physical strength, coordination, mental discipline and commitment the higher levels demand.
Optional travel may extend to Pan American countries across North, South and Central America. As at every level, optional travel requires mutual agreement from all partnership members and is never guaranteed.
Specialists
| Ages | 9 to 30 |
|---|---|
| Training | 17 hours per week |
| Level | Please confirm current level assignments with a coach |
| Travel | Please confirm with a coach |
Specialists is a high performance stage at seventeen training hours per week.
Note for the club: a full description of this stage was not available on the previous website. Please add the current level assignments, training days and travel expectations here.
Masters
| Ages | 10 to 30 |
|---|---|
| Training | 18 or more hours per week |
| Level | Please confirm current level assignments with a coach |
| Travel | Please confirm with a coach |
Masters is our highest commitment stage, at eighteen or more training hours per week.
Note for the club: a full description of this stage was not available on the previous website. Please add the current level assignments, training days and travel expectations here.
Request an assessment or tryout
If a coach has not already invited your child and you think they may be ready, request a tryout and we will assess them properly rather than guessing from a description.
Not sure whether competitive is right for your family? Talk to us first. We would rather have an honest conversation about hours, cost and travel up front than have a family find out three months in.
Competitive program questions
How does my child get on the competitive team?
Most athletes are invited by a coach who has watched them in a recreational class. If your child has not been invited but you think they may be ready, request a tryout.
Can my child move up mid season?
Yes. Athletes in the pre-competitive program can be called into the competitive program at any point in the year when a partnership position opens and they are ready for it.
Does competing require travel?
It depends on the stage. Rookies partnerships may need some travel within Alberta. Apprentices requires domestic travel within Alberta. Contenders requires domestic travel throughout Canada. Optional international opportunities exist at higher levels but are never guaranteed and require agreement from every member of a partnership.
What is the difference between a base and a top?
A base supports, lifts and throws. A top is lifted, balanced and caught. Pre-competitive athletes try both before a role is settled, and coaches assign partnerships based on size, strength, skill and how well athletes work together.
Is competitive acrobatic gymnastics the same as artistic gymnastics?
No. Artistic gymnastics is the individual discipline with vault, bars, beam and floor. Acrobatic gymnastics is a partner sport, with balance, dynamic and combined routines performed by pairs, trios and groups.