Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG)

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG) is a sport that exemplifies strength and dynamic ability. Many of the participants in men’s gymnastics experience the thrill of defying gravity, and performing skills that would seem impossible to the average individual. It is a sport that begins with the development of balance and strength and continues to develop the complete range of physical demands that many other sports only partially develop.  It is a balance of artistry with the raw force of strength, power, speed, agility and coordination.

MAG events cover these 6 apparatuses: Floor, Pommel Horse, Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars, and Horizontal Bar.

The process: Athletes train as per their competitive categories/levels. Every category or level has a skill set that needs to be mastered with perfection to move up a category. The category an athlete trains at is determined by the coaches and factors in the age, skill, ability level/potential of the athlete and the goals of the athlete/program. The age of a participant may sometimes determine the level at which an athlete can compete at certain competitions.

The following are the possible pathways for male gymnasts:

a. Elite Pathway: Prepare athletes for International success at individual and team competitions.
b. Provincial Pathway: The Provincial Pathway consists of 6 levels. Provincial 1, 2, and 3 compete within their province. Provincial levels 4 and 5 compete in Regional competition (Westerns and Eastern Championships), and National Open competes at Canadian Championships.

Enrollment: Participation in this program is by invitation and/or assessment only. We are currently accepting athletes for the 2024-25 season. The season will commence in November and will go until June of the following year.

Program requirement: 11-12 month commitment for the season, along with regular attendance, which allows for continual progression up the levels. Discipline, attitude, work ethic, coachability, skill, and physical testing determines an athlete’s suitability for the program. Athletes should be internally motivated to work hard, have fun and achieve. Participants should be willing to compete, pursue excellence and enjoy the thrill of competition.

Age requirements: Training can start as early as age 5. Choosing to participate depends on the assessment, interest, and goals.

Training times: Hours of training vary from 6 to 20 hours (2-5 days) per week depending on the team program an athlete is part of. The number of training hours, training schedule, and the level an athlete trains at are determined by the Lead Coach. Athletes must stick to their scheduled training days and ensure consistency in training. Training days and timings are different over the summer and over the school year (i.e. September onwards). Summer training hours (July and August) are considered the start of the season and are important since the athletes work on existing and newer skills to be fully prepared to balance other activities with training when September arrives. Training hours during July and August are during the day i.e. morning or early noon time. When school is in session, training is after 3:30pm on weekdays, and possibly one day on the weekend.

The team at RGA believes that while we work hard to develop quality gymnasts, we are also attempting to help children become well-balanced individuals who will flourish in whatever endeavors they will undertake in the future.

Competitions: An athlete’s readiness for competition is based on their mental and physical ability for the level they will compete in. The coaches finalize which competitions/level an athlete should be registered for. There are numerous factors that affect the ability of an athlete to compete. Athletes train/compete to achieve success at their own level amongst other clubs, or at a Provincial or National level, whatever each’s goals may be.

Fee: In addition to the monthly fee of the program (ranging from $300 - $500 per month), there are additional fees associated with an initial application fee, team uniform, entry fee to attend competitions, travel fee (if applicable), training camps fee, some necessary training aids such as grips etc. The fee of entry to a competition is determined by the host club or the organizing or governing body of such events such as Gymnastics BC or Gymnastics Canada.

ASSESSMENTS FOR THIS PROGRAM - we are currently accepting athletes in this program. Please sign up for try-outs.