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www.aplushomes.ca Adam Campbell Broker of Record 905-844-4444 B R O K E R A G ER E A L T Y C O R P . INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR Already one of Canadas leaders in tumbling andwomens gymnastics, the Oakville GymnasticsClub is working on adding another elite program to the mix. Under the supervision of Don Holmes, the club is building a team of acrobatic gymnasts with the goal of becoming the countrys leader in the discipline while introducing the sport at the same time. I decided I really wanted to deliver it to Canada, said the 34-year-old Holmes, the OGCs head coach of acro- batics and an acrobat himself. I think its one of the most dynamic and inter- esting of all the gymnastics disciplines. Its really unusual that Canada, with our strong Cirque du Soleil corporation and all the cir- cus arts going on here, has had no competi- tive acrobatics. Until now, that is. Holmes first began thinking about developing an acrobatics program last fall. He was encouraged by Gymnastics Canada as well as Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian entertainment company known for its dra- matic mix of circus arts and street entertainment. Holmes attended a course in Portugal, where an international coach suggested he put together a team of boys ages 11-16 to compete in the 2010 world age group championships in Poland. Fourth in world championships debut Holmes assembled a four-person team last December in preparation for the worlds, only to find out two months later that one of the boys didnt have Canadian cit- izenship. He scrambled for a replacement until Jack McGarr, a talented gymnast with tumbling experience, joined the team. That team of McGarr, Jamie Patrick, Steven Tucker and Cory Marsh went on to finish fourth in its division at the age group worlds earlier this year. They were the first-ever boys four-person acrobatics team from North America to compete at the world championships. Holmes said the four boys experience in other disciplines of gymnastics enabled them to quickly thrive as acrobats. They were already high-level provincial or national athletes and were already used to twisting and flipping elements, Holmes said. In acrobatic routines, all the throws and catches are simply that, flips and twists. Then they do some individual tumbling in routines as well. My boys were able to pick up some degree of dif- ficulty points by having better tumbling than other kids. Acrobatics sets itself apart from the standard gymnastics disciplines by using other gymnasts as the apparatus. Acro builds pyramids and catapults bodies high into the air while going through choreo- graphed routines, similar to cheerleading. Its almost the figure skating of gym- nastics, said Holmes. For a lot of the older kids, its a con- tinuation of their gymnastics career. It also really suits those athletes that are maybe not ideal for the other disciplines. Gymnasts tend to be short little strong tough kids but for acrobatics, were looking for kids over 5-foot-10 who can be bases and those tiny flexible gymnasts to be able to do handstands on top of those big strong gymnasts. It allows us to open the door wider for different body types and keep more kids in the program. Holmes said its not uncommon for teams to have members separated in age by 10 years or more. The older athletes can form the pyramids, while the younger athletes perform the routines on top of them. Team plans to compete at next worlds in 2012 Holmes will continue to work with Patrick, Tucker, McGarr and Marsh in preparation for the 2012 world championships. Holmes also hopes to compete at those worlds as part of a senior team. But his main focus these days is continuing to build the clubs acrobatics program, which currently has 30 members and count- ing. Holmes said his goal is to make the OGC the hub of acrobatic gymnastics in Canada, but he was quick to stress that acrobatics wont be all the club is known for. Being a leader in acrobatics would set our club apart, but our club sets itself apart by being one of the most professional clubs in Canada, he said. We aspire to be the place in Canada for acrobatic gymnastics, mens gymnastics, womens gymnastics, tumbling. Any of the programs were offering, we want to do it the best. If we dont feel like we can do it the best, we dont offer that dis- cipline. SportsOakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2010 33 Getting acrobatic I decided I really wanted to deliver it to Canada. I think its one of the most dynamic and interesting of all the gymnastics disciplines. Don Holmes Oakville Gymnastics Club introducing dynamic discipline to Canada HISTORY MAKERS: The Oakville Gymnastics Club team of (clockwise, from top) Jamie Patrick, Steven Tucker, Jack McGarr and Cory Marsh is the first boys four acrobat- ics team from North America to compete in the world gymnnastics championships. ANDREW PATRICK / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER OAKVILLES MUSIC STORE