I thought the old Mississauga gym was one of the best in Canada.
Alex Bard’s face is numb. The upshot from constantly smiling.
When the Gymnastic Mississauga head coach is not overcome by giddiness describing the spacious new facility the club now calls home, the immense promise of his protégés certainly leaves him in a perpetual happy zone. …
“This is the best facility in Canada for sure. In North America for sure,†as his eyes scan one end of the gym to the other and 35 feet up to the ceiling.
“Size, space, equipment, number of equipment. We now have additional equipment for drills.â€
Three uneven bars, seven beams, two adjacent full-sized floors, two running vaults, a pit four feet deep full of sponge, a floor so pliable if feels like you’re constantly walking on a diving board, Bard can’t get the words out of his mouth fast enough. There’s also a video and audio unit used for reviewing a gymnast’s performance.
“Now, the boys and girls don’t have to share the floor, an advantage to developing new skills.â€
While the registration numbers are only marginally improved from 791 gymnasts at the old centre, to the current number of 846, the introduction of new programs for schools and clubs, should lift the number well into the four digits.
The club has even agreed on a deal with the Erin Mills Soccer Club. With the players working out this winter in the SportsZone’s new indoor soccer facility, many of the elite players have been signed up for an 18-week program to work on their strength, flexibility, balance, plyometrics and acro elements.
Then there’s also rhythmic gymnastics. “We want to keep the facility operating close to 18 hours a day,†said Bard.
There are some fantastic gyms in the USA that Alex has never seen. Best in Canada, maybe.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 