Want to Learn a Cartwheel or Handstand? Try Our New Skills Clinics
Updated: Sep 2
“Can you teach me how to do a cartwheel?”
“I want to learn how to do a handstand!”
If your child has been wanting to learn a cartwheel or handstand, or they can already do one and want to keep improving it, our new Cartwheel and Handstand Skills Clinics are an opportunity to spend some dedicated time working on both.
This October school holidays, Inner West Gymnastics is running three-hour clinics where school-age children can work on learning and improving their cartwheels and handstands with the support of our gymnastics coaches.
The clinics will run at our gymnastics centre in Strathfield South, Sydney, on:
Wednesday 7th October · 12:00pm–3:00pm
Friday 9th October · 12:00pm–3:00pm
Both sessions include cartwheels and handstands. Children can attend one clinic or come along to both.
We're also running our full-day School Holiday Program on Tuesday 6th and Thursday 8th October from 8:30am–3:30pm, giving families another option during the October school holidays.
How can my child learn to do a cartwheel?
Cartwheels can take time to learn. There's coordination, strength, body awareness and confidence involved in putting the different parts of the skill together.
During our Cartwheel and Handstand Skills Clinics, our coaches will use exercises and progressions to help children work on the skill from their current ability.
For one child, that might mean learning where their hands and feet need to go. Another might already be able to cartwheel and want to work on straighter legs, technique or control.
They don't need to arrive with a perfect cartwheel. That's what they're there to work on!
How can my child learn to do a handstand?
Handstands also take practice. Being upside down while supporting your body weight involves strength, balance, body awareness and control.
Our coaches can break the skill down and use different exercises and progressions depending on where each child is currently at.
Some children may be working on becoming more confident upside down, while others might be trying to improve the shape, balance or control of a handstand they can already perform.
We can't promise they'll walk out holding a perfect ten-second handstand after one afternoon, but we can give them dedicated time and coaching to help them make progress towards the skill they want to learn.
Does my child need to be a competitive gymnast?
No.
We've previously offered school holiday skills clinics aimed at competitive gymnasts working on specific higher-level gymnastics skills. These clinics are a little different.
Cartwheels and handstands are foundational gymnastics skills, so these sessions give more children an opportunity to spend some focused time working on skills they're interested in learning.
Children may be at different stages. They might still be learning their cartwheel or handstand, or they might already be able to perform the skill and want to improve it.
Can my child learn cartwheels and handstands if they're new to gymnastics?
Yes. Your child doesn't need previous gymnastics experience to start learning cartwheels and handstands.
If your child has been interested in trying gymnastics, a skills clinic can be a great way to get started. They'll have three hours in our Strathfield South gymnastics centre working with our coaches on two popular gymnastics skills, with exercises and progressions suited to where they're currently at.
If they enjoy their time in the gym and want to keep learning, they can continue developing their cartwheels, handstands and other gymnastics skills through our regular programs during the term.
What else is on these October school holidays?
Alongside our new skills clinics, our full-day School Holiday Program is back for two days.
Tuesday 6th October · 8:30am-3:30pm Full-Day School Holiday Program
Wednesday 7th October · 12:00pm-3:00pm Cartwheel + Handstand Skills Clinic
Thursday 8th October · 8:30am-3:30pm Full-Day School Holiday Program
Friday 9th October · 12:00pm-3:00pm Cartwheel + Handstand Skills Clinic
All sessions are held at Inner West Gymnastics, 8 Pilcher Street, Strathfield South, in Sydney's Inner West.
Our regular term classes don't run during the school holidays, with the holiday programs above running in their place.
Ready to work on that cartwheel or handstand?
If your child has been asking to learn a cartwheel or handstand, or wants some extra time to work on one they can already do, we'd love to welcome them into the gym this October.
Places in our October school holiday programs and skills clinics are limited, so we recommend booking early.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
- The IWG Team8 Pilcher Street, Strathfield South · Inner West Sydney
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