FIG Academies return to Algeria for Trampoline Gymnastics

The Algeria Gymnastics Federation hosted a Level 1 Academy for Trampoline Gymnastics in the capital city of Algiers on October 3-10, 2016. The classes were held in the Trampoline training centre in the Beyrouth Gymnastics Hall.

This was the second Academy hosted by Algeria. The previous one was for Aerobic Gymnastics in 2012. It was the 50th Academy hosted in Africa.

This Academy was partially funded by the FIG Development Fund for the Zone 1 of the African Gymnastics Union (UAG). Seventeen coaches participated from four north-African FIG member federations – Algeria, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.

The course leader was Chris Evans of Great Britain who is an osteopath and women’s Gymnastics coach and has served as FIG expert at numerous Academies. He taught all of the theory lectures. Because of visa problems he arrived after the first day and that required an emergency change in the schedule of lectures. Two other experts taught the technical lectures at this Academy and they filled in for the leadership functions during the opening session and the first day of classes. Sergio Lucas of Portugal taught all of the Trampoline and Double Mini-trampoline (DMT) lectures. He served as an Academy expert for the first time and had earned a coaching brevet in the first Level 3 Academy for Trampoline in 2010. He currently coaches in Switzerland and before that in Australia and Portugal.  Christophe Lambert of France took time from his busy schedule to attend for two days and teach the Tumbling lectures. He is a member of the FIG Technical Committee for Trampoline and the Technical Director for all Gymnastics disciplines in France. He is also a member of the Academy-working group that developed the curriculum and content of the Trampoline Academies.

This Academy was challenging for the experts because lectures were presented simultaneously in English and French and the examination was made available also in Arabic.

The examination at the end of the Academy consisted of a two-part examination that includes a theory examination and a practical examination involving the teaching of a Trampoline, DMT or Tumbling skill. The results for the examination were mostly satisfactory to good for the participants, most of whom had not had much previous experience with Trampoline Gymnastics. The highest result was achieved by Ali Djaber Brahimi of Algeria. Second and third were Foudil Lazar and Mustpaha El Amine Benabdallah both also from Algeria.

We thank and congratulate the Algeria Gymnastics Federation and its President Ali Zaater and his staff and group of volunteers for hosting this event so successfully. Farida Rahmoun did all of the preliminary communication and organisation for the Academy.

This Academy overlapped with a Level 3 Academy for Artistic Gymnastics in Mexico and coincided with the exact dates of an Aerobics Academy in Namibia. The rest of the year will continue to be busy for the FIG coach education programmes. Six Academies remain to be held before the end of the year – Rhythmic and Trampoline Academies in the Philippines, a Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Academy in Qatar and Academies for Aerobics, Rhythmic and Trampoline in Australia. Work will also continue with the FIG Age Group Development and Competition Programmes with training and information sessions for Artistic Gymnastics in Peru and Portugal and meetings at the FIG Headquarters to finalise the programmes for Rhythmic and Trampoline Gymnastics.