At long last, Pembertonians have a dedicated gymnastics facility to call their own.
Whistler Gymnastics has been trying to complete the initiative for a decade. Sessions previously occurred in the Pemberton and District Community Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays, eventually expanding to Wednesday evenings as well. Up to 250 kids attended these programs on a weekly basis.
It was a successful operation in many respects, but chronically sharing the Community Centre with many others did pose various logistical hurdles. According to Whistler Gymnastics program manager Catou Tyler, her organization made four previous attempts to establish a purpose-built gym in Pemberton. At one point they were a day away from signing a lease—but COVID-19 swooped in.
Fifth time's the charm.
The brand-new building is situated at Unit 6, 7342 Industrial Way. It covers just under 3,000 square feet and is already bolstering the student experience, as well as making coaches' lives much easier.
"First of all, there will be less wear and tear on the equipment [as we won't need to be] setting it up and taking it down," said Tyler. "We'll be able to have more equipment, like a sprung floor trampoline, set up for a while. We're running six days a week: Monday to Friday after school, and then all day on Saturdays which is new for Pemberton."
Despite being part of the Whistler Gymnastics umbrella, Pemberton kids essentially form their own cohort in practice. Now they'll be able to continue training with many more options at their fingertips.
'A foundation for all sports'
Toddlers as young as one year old can get their first taste of guided movement in Pemberton's Active Start curriculum. Under the watchful eye of experienced coaches and their own parents, they'll learn the basics of running and jumping, balance and coordination as well as group social skills.
Fundamentals classes expand upon these building blocks with tumbling and trampoline offerings, as well as a ninja course reminiscent of NBC's popular American Ninja Warrior show. The latter tends to attract more boys than girls, although it is marketed and run as gender-neutral.
Dedicated gymnasts can also sign up for Interclub programming, which grants them opportunities to perform at contests across the Lower Mainland. High-level athletes will have their developmental needs met close to home now more than ever before, reducing the need to go to Whistler.
Some of these individuals won't remain in gymnastics beyond their elementary-age or teen years, but all end up learning valuable physical literacy skills that are transferable to any other sport. Bikers and skiers must know how to fall safely, for instance, while hockey and rugby players need explosiveness.
"Gymnastics is such a foundation for all sports," Tyler said. "We're offering more spots because we're a new facility and we have more time, we're recruiting more advanced-level coaches because we'll have more advanced programming. It's just a great opportunity. Kids won't have to drive 45 minutes down to Cheakamus to train."
Many families have already experienced the Pemberton arm of Whistler Gymnastics to be a community-oriented, multi-generational outfit able to meet a variety of needs. Some coaches entered the program as three or four-year-olds, blossoming under Tyler's wing for more than a decade before ultimately taking on their own pupils.
Going forward, Tyler and her colleagues plan to introduce new options suited for parents and infants under the age of one, as well as seniors. Programs capable of better accommodating neurodivergent students or those with special needs are also in the works.
Learn more about Whistler Gymnastics and its full slate of offerings in Pemberton at whistlergymnastics.com/programs/pemberton-programs/.
