Where Movement Begins

June 2026 

“Where Movement Begins!” 

For many of Saskatchewan’s youth, simply getting to a gymnastics facility is a barrier. Overcoming this difficulty and providing access to Gymnastics throughout Saskatchewan, starts with a vision to expand movement opportunities to more young people in more communities. With an increase in accessibility to the world of Gymnastics, we are striving to help close some of the movement and physical literacy gaps in today’s youth.  

With support from Sask Sport’s Spark Ideas Grant, Gymnastics Saskatchewan is heading up a plan to execute this vision. By prioritizing partnerships and innovative programming, Gymnastics Saskatchewan is building a provincial network that exposes more young people to Gymnastics numerous fundamental movement variations.

Since September 2025, that work has been supported by the addition of Ben Davidge to Gymnastics Saskatchewan as the Coordinator of Movement, Inclusion, and Outreach. In his role, Davidge is focused on developing novel provincial initiatives that help remove barriers to participation. By building partnerships with a variety of program providers throughout the province, we have a better ability to combine our resources and have a bigger overall impact.

GymSask CEO Terrol Russell is committed to building a participation stream, where a holistic experience in sport and activity is provided for Saskatchewan’s youth. “Using Gymnastics teachings as a tool to refine movement fundamentals, our vision includes an increase in participation rates, higher levels of enjoyment, a more connected youth community and a strong foundation in long term health and wellness”. 

One of the first initiatives to emerge from this work has been a partnership with the Saskatoon Dream Brokers, an organization dedicated to connecting youth with positive sport and recreation opportunities. 

Through the partnership, Gymnastics Saskatchewan collaborated with member clubs in Saskatoon to deliver school-based gymnastics programming for local students. Since its inception, the initiative has provided over 1,000 children with the opportunity to experience gymnastics, many for the first time. By covering transportation needs and providing a snack for participants, the program has helped to remove common barriers that often prevent youth from accessing sport opportunities. 

While the school programs represent an important step, Davidge sees them as part of a much larger vision for expanding movement opportunities across the province. As he continues to learn the Gymnastics Saskatchewan landscape and build connections with Saskatchewan’s organizations and communities, Davidge has begun developing a future concept: the travelling “road show”. This concept will eventually bring mobile gymnastics equipment directly to Saskatchewan communities, where schools, community groups, and local organizations could potentially host pop-up movement workshops without the need for permanent facilities or equipment. 

By providing access to equipment and programming directly at the community level, this initiative could bring the spirit of gymnastics into new spaces and empower local leaders to create sustainable participatory opportunities. For Davidge, he adds that “as we establish short term exposure with our school trips, and longer, multi-day sessions with our traveling equipment, we can continue setting our sights higher and aim for more numerous, longer lasting, and sustainable gymnastic opportunities for all.”  

Through partnerships, outreach, and innovative programming, Gymnastics Saskatchewan continues to explore new and innovative ways Saskatchewan’s youth can experience sport and the joy of movement. Be on the lookout for our travelling roadshow in a community near you.  

About Gymnastics Saskatchewan

Gymnastics Saskatchewan is the provincial governing body for gymnastics in Saskatchewan and is committed to providing safe, inclusive, and accessible opportunities for participation in gymnastics across the province. Through partnerships, outreach initiatives, and community investment programs, Gymnastics Saskatchewan works to remove barriers and expand access to movement and sport for all.