Free Family Acro Day introduces families to Fantastic Gymnastics

Last Saturday, families got a chance to try acrobatic gymnastics for free at Fort Erie’s Fantastic Gymnastics on Lewis Street. Organizer Sarah Morin pitched the session as a way to introduce newcomers to a sport she said many residents confuse with acro dance.

Morin told Fort Erie Radio acrobatic gymnastics, or “acro,” is a collaborative team sport with roles for different builds, plus flexible pricing aimed at parents whose routines change week to week.

“People think when they hear acro, they think dance, but this is more like Cirque du Soleil on steroids,” Morin said.

The young athletes practiced in routines of two, three or four, where teammates lifted and balanced each other while following a planned routine.

The sport has room for different roles that demand different strengths, according to Morin, who argues that the sport valued diversity in strength and stability, rather than a single body standard.

“Acrobatic gymnastics has a spot for everybody,” said Morin. “Doesn’t matter if you’re thick thighed. As a matter of fact we look at you like you’re super strong, and we want you underneath those kids, throwing kids.”

The gym framed the free session as a chance for residents to try acrobatic gymnastics at no cost, while staff kept track of how many people came and what ages showed up. The turnout and feedback were expected to guide whether the club offered the event again and what it might change next time.

“This is the first time we’ve sort of offered anything like this, so I’d call this sort of the pilot program,” said Morin.

Acrobatic gymnastics builds skills that carry into many sports and day to day life. It teaches balance, body control, coordination and spatial awareness, which help in hockey, soccer, basketball and track.

“Gymnastics is your fundamental for all sports,” said Morin.

Families who wanted to come back could choose flexible options Fantastic Gymnastics offers instead of a fixed weekly schedule. The gym offers a $15 drop-in class for younger children and a punch card that never expires, so parents can skip weeks without losing the value of the pass.

“Anybody who has kids knows, they don’t want to go do that thing every week,” said Morin.

Acrobatic gymnastics has been expanding in Ontario as more clubs add programs and more athletes enter competitions, which Morin described as part of a newer competitive pipeline than older disciplines such as artistic gymnastics.

She has been contacted by Canisius University in Buffalo about athletes who could be recruited for full scholarships, which she presented as a sign that post-secondary opportunities were opening up close to home.

Morin said committed athletes in the sport could progress quickly because the field is still developing compared with longer-established programs. A motivated participant could train for three to five years and reach a competitive level that put them in range for a scholarship opportunity, while still living in the Niagara region and travelling across the border for school, according to Morin.

If interest continues in the community, Morin plans to hold more free Family Acro Days in the future.

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