Having adopted a bullish mentality about the sport’s growth locally, Jamaica Gymnastics Association (JAGA) President Nicole Grant is thrilled about the path of its development and grassroots programmes, which she hopes will not only be sustained but also strengthened.

Grant’s latest charge follows the successful outing of some of the country’s budding stars, who secured 65 medals at the recently-concluded Caribbean Classics in Trinidad and Tobago.

The 19-member team, which was selected from the Jamaica School of Gymnastics Regional Championships, comprised gymnasts from Kingston, St Catherine, Mandeville, Westmoreland and Montego Bay, ranging from ages five to 11 years old.

“JAGA is big on continuity as we aim at producing Olympians and World Champions in the sport and so having our youngsters exposed at this level is very important for the development and growth of the sport locally. JAGA works closely with our clubs where our grassroots are concerned as it is vital to develop the foundation levels of the sport through our club system,” Grant said.

“Our clubs have very strong developmental programmes for the kids especially through the schools. So as we develop the sport, we seek to motivate and keep our kids involved and engaged through competitions that will help them to have a sense of purpose. This move also helps us to use it as a tool to identify gymnasts who we wish to be a part of the National Future Stars Programme,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

The performances, which were achieved from only a few days of training, Grant believes speaks volumes of the collective effort by both schools, clubs and more so JAGA to secure Jamaica’s future in the sport.

“We don’t really use the term talent net often as we not only seek after talent, we seek kids who love the sport and are hard-working and determined. Based on my experience as a coach also, I get to realise first-hand that gymnastics is not a sport for talented individuals only because oftentimes the talented ones tend to get complacent or quit when they get to the higher, more difficult levels but the hard-working, determined kids are always seeking challenges to get better,” Grant opined.

She continued: “However, at this level we want them to enjoy the sport and see possibilities and opportunities where they can excel. We are truly proud of the gymnasts who went to Trinidad over the weekend and did very well. This batch of gymnasts tells us that they are ready for the future because they basically learnt the routines and the skills a couple weeks before they left.

“The schools’ programme in itself does not really prepare them for the level at which they competed in Trinidad because we don’t have the equipment in the schools. A few weeks before the kids left, they would train at the more equipped clubs, but this is what tells us how determined these kids are and the fact that their performances warrant a spot on the National Future Stars Squad.”

With the experience now under their belts, Grant pointed out that the aim is to now keep these athletes and others motivated, as they look toward the future.

“The final prep and primary group that will be travelling soon include gymnasts from the Nishida’s Gymnastics Regional Schools Championship. This would have incorporated all our kids in the schools programme and then we will finally choose the set that will form the full squad for the National Futures Programme,” Grant shared.

“So it’s about sustaining and strengthening the efforts that have been foundational to what we want to achieve and our growth is so important for us and our community. So we are thrilled to continue our work and look forward to the future.”