What is Sport Aerobics?
Sport Aerobics is a competitive sport that has captured the imagination of sports enthusiast. It is a unique combination of aerobic choreography and gymnastics elements. This sport creates an opportunity for adolescents, young adults and adults to compete in a sport that requires less risk than gymnastics while keeping the artistic quality and fun of aerobics.
Sports Aerobics is a recreational and competitive sport that combines aerobic choreography and gymnastics elements.
The definition from the Code of Points 2001-2004 defines the sport as: "Sports Aerobics is the ability to perform continuous complex and high intensity movement patterns to music which originate from traditional aerobic dance. The routine must demonstrate continuous movement, flexibility, strength and utilization of the seven basic steps with a high degree of perfectly executed elements of difficulty."
There are currently five categories in competition, Individual Male, Individual Female, Mixed Pairs, Trio and Group. Trios and Group can be any combination of men or women, but the main difference is how the score is calculated for difficulty.
Athletes perform a two-minute floor routine to music, demonstrating stamina, strength, flexibility, power, and artistic qualities. Artistic, Execution, and Difficulty judges assess aerobic content, choreography, musical interpretation, co-ordination, intensity, execution, and difficulty of the routines.
Each routine is judged for three separate components. Artistic, Execution and Difficulty. Artistic is the composition of the routine, creativity, variety of movements to the music and expression, lifts in pairs, trios and groups. Execution is the perfection of each movement. Difficulty is the number of required gymnastic elements demonstrating strength, flexibility, power and local muscular endurance (physical capacities for the sport).
Any clubs interested in Sport Aerobics should contact the Development Co-ordinator.
History
Sports Aerobics, also known as competitive aerobics, began in 1984. However, there is an ongoing debate about whether the sport began in Japan or the United States.
In the early 80's, fitness instructors were looking for a challenge and so they created competitive aerobics. In the early days of the sport, there were no rules and no judges.
In 1995, the Federation International de Gymnastique (FIG) adopted Sports Aerobics as the 4th discipline of Gymnastics. Today there are four international federations organizing Sports Aerobics competitions in the world. FIG, however, maintains it has the sole responsibility of developing the sport competitively, and organizing World Championships.
FIG began competitions in 1995 with the 1st World Championships in Paris, France. Each successive World Championships have boasted more athletes and more nations participating. At the 6th World Championships in Reisa, Germany, 50 countries from every continent competed. FIG is the only international federation that is continually increasing the number of athletes competing in the World Championships.
Today, over 45 nations worldwide host national competitions that qualify athletes for numerous international and world championship events such as:
- Suzuki World Cup
- FIG World Aerobic Championships (rotating European countries)
- World Aerobic Championships (USA)
- World Games (rotating countries)
- Pan American Championships
- Brazilian Grand Prix
- Adidas World Cup (Korea)
Challenges
Sport Aerobics will face many challenges as it continues to grow in popularity. Some of these challenges include:
- The sports community confuses the sport with fitness competitions on television.
- There is a need to create a stronger identity.
- Acceptance within the gymnastics community.
- External organizations competing for the same athletes.
- Slow to develop as an optional program with the gymnastics community.
- A need to create opportunities to demonstrate the sport.
Future
Athletes trained in other disciplines have highly developed skills that can be utilized in continuing in the gymnastic family. The training regime, skills, strength and flexibility are attributes necessary for Sports Aerobics.
Between the ages of 11-16 there is a dropout rate in gymnastics that could be turned into a high drop-in for Sports Aerobics. There is a need to create a gymnastics retirement strategy that could introduce Sports Aerobics as a viable alternative. The sport appeals to dancers, fitness enthusiasts and gymnasts. In Canada there are many opportunities to go to the World level very quickly.
There has been an International Working Group created that is responsible for creating an Age Group Program, which is development of juniors, and progressions in the sport that can be used anywhere in the world.
In Canada, the sport is being developed through promotion activities, athlete and coach development opportunities, and judge's courses. Canada has a National Working Group that is at the beginning stages of National development.
This is a new and dynamic sport. Benefits to the sport are that it allows athletes at any age to participate. This sport is also timely in terms of audience appeal at events.
The goal of the FIG Sport Aerobic Committee is to have the sport included in the Olympics.
