Giants Blouberg - Plusto.com

Newsletter 4: 15 Aug 2013
GIANTS
Gymnastics
A branch of WHPAGO
026-769-NPO
930004834 PBO
Coach: Donna Lowry
Cell: 081 271 2799
E-mail: dmarriott@telkomsa.net
Calendar:
23/24th Aug South Zone Challenge
(PE)
6/7 Sep Western Cape
C h a m p s L e v e l 4 - 6
Oudtshoorn
22-29 Sep SA Nationals Level
4-6 Durban
Fun Day October (TBC)
16 Nov WP Awards fun day
Inside this issue:
Competition pictures 2
Why I love gymnastics 2
Our featured gymnast 3
Results 3
A word from the coach 3
About Giants 4
Newsflash 4
Competition Time
South Zone Challenge (Level 1-3) (Port Elizabeth) 23-24 August
Venue: Uitenhage Indoor Sports Centre, Parklane Street, College
Hill, Uitenhage (map was sent through via email).
This is the highest level at which our level 1-3 gymnasts compete.
South Zone consists of Western Province, Eastern Province and
Boland. Well done to the following gymnasts who qualified and good
luck for the competition.
Level 1 Girls: Mickenzie Buret, Alexia Pla, Summer Scott, Teyha
Leonard, Chloe Goldman, Anaya Hoggins, Chante’ Beaurain, Calli
Caralis
Level 1 Boys: Kiran Condon; Philip Nel, Max van Rooyen
Level 2 Girls: Anastacia Smuts, McKenna Nel, Makenna Coleman,
Hanna Banwell, Kayley Marques, Aimee Langenhoven, Teegan
Thomas, Jenna Basson, Victoria Lightheart, Jade Apsey, Rebecca
Welsh
Level 2 Boys: Emile De Klerk; Luca Marques
Level 3 Girls: Megan Isaacs, Anuk Botha
Donna will be going as WAG one of the judges.
Western Cape Champs (Level 4-6) (Oudtshoorn) 6-7 September
Congratulations to our first Level 4 girls from Blouberg to make the
WP team. This is the qualifier to represent their province (Western
Cape) at SA Nationals in Durban at the end of September.
Good Luck to: Lauren Isaacs, Ceara De Gouveia, Lilian Nel and
Nicole Pollard
Further details of exact times will be e-mailed as soon as they become
available.
Have a safe trip and see you there.
Class times:
Tiny Tots: 2.5—5yrs
Mon/Tue 14h00—14h45
Beginner: 5—12 yrs
Mon/Tue/Wed 15h00-16h00
Intermediate: 7-12 yrs
Thur 15h00-16h30
Novice: 7—14 yrs
Mon/Wed 16h00-18h00
Squad girls: 6—9yrs
Tue/Thu 16h00-17h30
Venue:
Grace Baptist Church
77 Ringwood Drive, Parklands
Fundraising Update:
Funds raised to date:
R10 500
Thank you very much to all
parents for their support –both
financial and time.
Do’s and don'ts
No parents in the hall during
practice sessions
No eating or drinking in the
hall. There is space in the
foyer for this.
Please dress warmly for practice.
Cold muscles injure easily.
No playing on gym equipment
unless accompanied by a
coach
Please mark all belongings
including water bottles.

GIANTS
Page 2
Is your company looking for
a qualifying socio-economic
development beneficiary for
their BEE Scorecard.
Competition pictures
Giants Gymnastics is one.
We will provide you with all
the required evidence so
you can claim on your
scorecard.
Contact Candice, our administrator
for more info.
Phone: 072 806 4947
E-mail: candicemac1@gmail.com
In the warm-up area at Swartklip
Level 3 qualifiers: Megan and Anuk
Missed a previous edition of
the newsletter
Some of the Level 2 girls who qualified
Level 4 girls lining up for bar
Go to our website:
www.giantsgymnastics.co.z
a and find them under the
newsletters tab.
Why I love gymnastics—by Jade Apsey
Encourage the children to
draw a picture, write a story
or send us any interesting
photo’s you have (related to
gymnastics) and we will
publish when space allows
or put onto our website.
V i a e m a i l t o
aisaacs1@mweb.co.za or
hand to Donna or Melanie

GIANTS
Page 3
Our Featured Gymnast: Ceara de Gouveia
Another veteran at Blouberg, Ceara (pronounce ki-ah-ra) has been with Giants since she was 7 years old.
She is 12 years old, in grade 6 at Tableview Primary School. She enjoys playing outside, playing on her
phone and of course, practicing gymnastics. Ceara was born in Namibia and the family moved to Cape
Town in 2007. This was when the little tomboy decided she had had enough of ballet and chose gymnastics
instead...and she hasn't regretted that decision. Ceara is among the first group of gymnasts from
Blouberg to compete at level 4 this year and we had a chat to her….
How often do you attend practice
3 times a week for 2 hours per session
Favourite apparatus
Floor—I don't know why, but I just love it
Least favourite
Beam—because I keep falling off
Highlights
When we were at level 2 and all of us qualified
for South Zone.
Lowlights
Nothing specific, but I do feel very sad when
any of us don't do well, because we all work so
hard.
Results (see last page for more results)
There are a few words to describe the recent WP trials, but the most appropriate would probably be nail
biting—for the gymnasts, parents and coaches alike. Some gymnasts did exceptionally well, while others
qualified by the skin of their teeth (oh gosh, the stress!!!!). But now the slate’s wiped clean and you go into
the next round of competition as if its your first. The slips and falls and even successes of the last round
need to become a distant memory and you need to focus your attention on what comes next.
This is the largest contingent of qualifying gymnasts from Blouberg and that is a proud moment for all of us
as the Giants community.
When your hand are
ripped and your
body is sore,
gymnasts get up and
ask for more
Then there were a few gymnasts who didn't qualify... while there is understandable disappointment, on the
day, that was their best. There will be loads more opportunities in future. So don't lose heart and continue
working hard.
A word from Donna
For many parents the decision to enroll their child in a gymnastics programme is made after watching elite
level gymnasts perform. Not all gymnasts will reach that level; some won’t even come close. But the benefits
of gymnastics will be there to stay. Here are some reminders of the benefits to your child.
Motor skills, co-ordination and balance
Remember the days before TV, Playstation,Wii took over…you rode a bike, climbed a tree and just
played. Your kids need that physical activity as well. It reduces the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes
later in life. Gymnastics builds good all-round muscle strength, endurance and power. So gross
motor skills are improved and fine motor skills are all developed as a result.
Social Skills
You children have to learn to communicate with kids their own age and the adults around them. They learn
the basics of listening, following directions, concentration, being quiet, waiting their turn and basic respect
for others.
Confidence
Kids learn to overcome their fears – from the first day where they have do get their bodies upside down to
do a cartwheel, to the progression where they do that very same cartwheel 1m off the ground. The discipline
of practicing something to perfect it and the self confidence achieved from mastery of a new skill
cannot be underestimated.
So while your children may not be at the stage where the triple salto is part of the repertoire, gymnastics
undoubtedly provides significant benefits in their overall development.
Did you know
Artistic Gymnastics has been
contested at every Olympic
Games of the modern era
since 1896.
The first Olympic gymnastics
competition took place in
Athens and involved 18 gymnasts
from five nations. The
18 gymnasts were all males—
women only started competing
in 1928.
Only voluntary routines on six
apparatus were performed -
high bar, parallel bars, pommel
horse, rings, vault and
rope climbing.
Only Gold and Silver medals
were awarded and Germany
won the majority of them.

Registered Address:
6 Johanna Close
Plattekloof Geln
Monte Vista
7460
Phone: 072 806 4947
E-mail:
candicemac1@gmail.com
Bank Details:
Nedbank Savings Account
Account holder: WHPAGO
Acc no: 100 9788 329
Cape Town Foreshore
Branch code: 100909
Go to our website:
www.giantsgymnastics.co.za
for more information.
You can also find us on
facebook.
About Giants
We continue in our series and introduce you to Wynand Pretorius,
head coach of Giants, based at the High Performance Centre in Philippi.
He is married to Esmeralda and they have a 4 year old son, Rikus, (who
strangely enough is not doing gymnastics yet). He has been a multidisciplinary
sportsman throughout his life but has now shifted his energies
to the challenges of golf.
Wynand has been coaching gymnastics for 16 years, the last 6 of which
have been at Giants. He has attained a Level 3 FIG (Federation International
de Gymnastique) coaching qualification which is the equivalent of a Level 5 SA Gymnastics
Coach, which is the highest coaching qualification.
He is serious about safety… it is important to him to ensure that the gymnasts don’t get injured in their
critical growth period, between the ages of 10-13 when their brains haven’t quite figured out where all
their body parts are. An injury at this stage could taken them out of the sport completely.
Even though Philippi is one of the best gymnastics facilities in the Western Cape, he wishes he had
access to a safety pit (that’s what the gymnasts can safely fall into when they do difficult skills that are
new to them). There is not a single facility in the Western Cape that has one; this means that they have
to be extra cautious during practice, which in turn takes them comparatively longer to master these new
skills.
Wynand’s vision for the next few years is to see one of Giants gymnasts once again qualify for the national
team, as well as filling up the high performance centre through the talent identification process.
Newsflash
While a club is always looking to grow its numbers,
some have taken this literally….
Congratulations to Donna and Alan on their pregnancy.
Their baby is due on 8 Jan.
Need directions to Swartklip or
Philippi
Go to “venues” on our website.
Good luck over the next few months.
Thanks to Lizelle De Bruin for stepping in to assist while Melanie is away. We will still be seeing
more of her as she joins the coaching staff for the beginner group when Melanie returns from Germany.
Melanie gets back on 2 September.