The Smithers Saltos Gymnastics club has started the fall season and are looking forward to trying out some new programs this year.
Among the highlights for the club are redeveloping their high school team. From October to March they hope to have good numbers come out for the team, which welcomes boys and girls.
Saltos head coach Alana Jensen said that in the high school program, many of their former gymnasts have graduated which left a gap in the younger kids.
Getting new members hasn’t been a hurdle for the club, which has seen strong growth in membership numbers over the past two years.
“We have approximately 250 to 300 members,” Jensen said.
She said that the club has seen great success ever since they moved from their previous location at the Fall Fairgrounds five years ago.
Their competitive team, at 60, is also the largest this side of Kelowna.
What is also helping their numbers is the changing face of gymnastics. She said it’s no longer the exclusive domain of smaller sized people.
For instance one of their programs, X-Treme Running, is a trendy sport that appeals to the adrenaline-seeking personalities of boys - the club’s pamphlet describes the sport as running up walls and back flipping off of tables.
Jensen is also keen to grow the club’s gymnaestrada program, which is a mix of gymnastics and dance.
The coaches prefaced the season by taking courses in Minneapolis, where they were taught by Olympic-level instructors.
Anyone with questions about the Saltos Gymnastics Club and their programs can call them at 250-847-3547 or stop by their location at 1621 Main Street.