After receiving an invitation to the Arborg Gym Club, on November 10th, 2017, I had the pleasure of attending one of their classes. This was my first trip to Arborg, so I had a lot to catch up on. I had met the head coach, Stacey Johnson, at one of our annual gymnastics meetings in Winnipeg and was interested in knowing how her new program was coming along. She told me it was back in 1990 when she first joined as a gymnast under the direction of Sheila Stoyanowski, coach and founder of the club. Stacey liked gymnastics so much that in 2012 she took the level 1 foundations course to be able to coach gymnastics.
After a 3 year absence from the Arborg gym, due to an equipment storage problem, Stacey came back to her community willing to coach once again, when a new storage room was built last year. Now in her second year at the Arborg Middle school gymnasium, Stacey is hoping to have a few competitive gymnasts prepped for the 2018 season.
Presently, Stacey is head coach with a staff of 5 trainee coaches and several helper volunteers. The club now boasts 70 girl and 10 boy gymnasts. Their ages range from 5 to 13 years old and come from as far away as Ashern, an hour’s drive away. Classes are on Fridays with beginners practicing 1 hour and the competitive group practicing 2 hours with some classes on Saturdays. The coaching and helper staff is made up of Paige Abuda, Niki Harrison, Savannah Johnson, Adraona Kraus, Dayna Pull, and Heida Simundsson. **(Jessica Stobert and Mckenzie Adair were absent)**
Besides taking photos which is a common activity for me, I spent time learning about the club’s program and the coaching staff and talking to some of the parents. I also had the chance to speak with one of the grandparents and feel it important to share his comment. He remarked that gymnastics is a sport that requires a lot of discipline. It is for that very reason that after careful consideration his son and daughter in-law chose gymnastics for their daughter. I found that statement very encouraging for the sport.
In closing, I wish to thank Stacey Johnson, her staff, the gymnasts, who were curious as to who I was, and also the parents for their warm hospitality.
Lawrence Oystryk
MGA President
