Gymnast to run trial sessions for children

THE Papua New Guinea High Performance Centre will facilitate a ‘come and try’ gymnastics programme for children starting today.
The programme, targeting children from as young as four to 12 years, will be run by Gymnastics Australia’s Oceania development manager Brooke Kneebush at the Taurama Indoor and Aquatic Centre (TIAC) and starts at 11am for children aged four before the five-year-olds trial at 12pm.
The programme continues again tomorrow for six to eight year-olds (3pm) and nine to 12 year-olds from 4pm.
The event is a first and is aimed at capturing the interest of children who may have an aptitude for sport.
According to Kneebush, gymnastics is to sport what the alphabet is to reading.
In other words, it develops all the skills and physical traits used in just about every sport.
Children will be taught the fundamental movement skills and general coordination they need to lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
The fundamental movement skills are about a child’s ability to have an awareness of their body relative to their environment, to control their movement and to maintain or regain their balance.
Gymnastics plays an important role in developing movement competence in children.
Kneebush, together with High Performance Centre staff and other professionals from Australia, will facilitate the programme.
The event is free-of-charge and participants are expected to come with their parents or guardians.
PNGHP sport science manager Tom Frost said Papua New Guineans were born with a natural ability that made them most suited for gymnastics.
Kneebush will be conducting similar programmes in schools across the city during her one-week visit. For details, contact PNGHP on 7266-2257.