HEAD OVER HEELS…
One of the Ribble Valley’s best kept secrets – a 420-strong acrobatic club recently saw four of its young members compete in the British Championships!
The success of Ribble Valley Acrobatic Academy that started a decade ago is nothing short of remarkable. The Academy started with just six members and now has more than 420 and a whole host of accolades and achievements.
The most recent being the success of the Academy’s Espoir group, the Raindrops, who finished fifth in the UK after competing in the Gymnastic Aerobic and Rhythmic British Championships.
The Espoir competitors are all aged nine to 12 years old and the Raindrops – Lilly-Ella Smith, Olivia Cordeau, Genevieve Metcalf and Jasmin Poppy Hamilton were thrilled to qualify for the national championships earlier this year, competing against 38 clubs throughout the UK.
Competing in the national championships, the elite foursome completed two two-minute routines. A choreographed free routine without equipment and a ball routine with perfect balances, spins and synchronised exchanges, in which they achieved a high score in artistry and execution, which clinched them fifth place.
RVAA founder and coach Toni Connolly explains: “This was our first British championship and we entered not expecting too much, but what a result! What a fantastic achievement!”
Former professional dancer Toni began RVAA 10 years ago in Clitheroe, operating from school halls but the organisation quickly outgrew them.
“I used to coach my son Finn, from when he was just 18 months old. Children love acrobatics and gymnastics when they are taught properly. There is a real niche for it.”
“RVAA now coaches children from tots to adults. Everyone just loves it, it is such fun, friendly and very sociable. We also have our elite group, which practices for up to 19 hours a week – so members can perform at any level.”
The academy started purely as artistic but Toni went on to add rhythmic gymnastics to the class timetable. As it has flourished RVAA now offers disciplines in women’s and men’s artistic, rhythmic gymnastics, free running, parkour and mini-gym.
Elite members of RVAA have the opportunity to progress to the British Gymnastics Apprenticeship Scheme in Lilleshall, Shropshire, to gain coaching qualifications and a number of elite members are now ‘mini-coaches’ in the 23-strong RVAA coaching team which has 11 qualified British gymnastic coaches.
“Ideally we would like to branch out into different places and create hubs to feed into our club,” adds Toni, who quit a full time job as Sports Development Manager at Bury Football Club to develop RVAA, which operates every night after school and all day Saturday.
“Our ethos at the academy is very much that it has to be fun. There is no back-biting, everyone is friendly and that’s why our members enjoy it so much. We have high membership as very few leave!”
From Mini-Monsters for tots on Saturday mornings and one morning mid-week, to mainstream classes that start when children reach four years old, the RVAA has been a dream come true for Toni, who has managed to secure funding from various sources including Northern Medical Ultrasound.
As a result, specialist gymnast equipment is now at the RVAA’s disposal at their spacious headquarters in Blackburn, which includes a full gym, bars, beams, a fully sprung floor, full vaults, asymmetric bars, spring boards, safety landing mats and a ballet studio with bars and mirrors.
Level 1 General Gymnastics coach and proud mum of one of the elite squad to compete in the British Championships, Zoe Metcalf says: “Rhythmic gymnastics is a wonderful sport and is growing more popular every year.
“From little girls who want to dance with ribbons, hoops and balls, to our elite gymnasts who train for many hours every week to compete all over the country, our club is a fantastic and fun place to be part of!”
In September the RVAA is hosting a competition with Gymnova at Oakhill School, Whalley, in which they have invited both rhythmic and artistic local gymnastics clubs to join them to give not only elite gymnasts, but recreational gymnasts, a chance to participate against other clubs.
