Coach Jade and the tumbling tots at Nassau ‘Nastics relax after a stretching routine.

Nassau, The Bahamas…..It’s a typical Saturday morning for Alejandra. She wakes up, takes a bath, chooses a leotard and gulps down her breakfast all the while insisting that she is late. She and her classmate Hannah have spent the entire week at their school talking about Saturday and until they get to a former warehouse in Oakesfield, they simply don’t think their parents are being fair. Once there, they take off their shorts and without being told, head on over to the floor mat discussing ‘important matters’ such as their pretty leotards, what happened on the last episode of Dora the Explorer and what colour popsicle their coach might reward them with today. What more can be expected from the members of the Nassau ‘Nastics Tots Programme?

Don’t mind them being only three years-old   - Alejandra has powerful little arms to pull herself up on the bars while Hannah has already learned to twist her body into positions that would envy a rejected Cirque de Soleil acrobat. Both have the balance of kittens when it comes to walking and crawling the beam, and they are just two of the eager members of Coach Jade’s class in Nassau ‘Nastics Oakesfield location.

“For most parents, the first few classes are hard,” says Coach Jade. “First is the stretching which looks painful but truly isn’t for the kids. Their bodies are still flexible and they are full of energy. Then we do the obstacle course, some parents are afraid because their kids have never climbed a ladder or walked a balance beam but the kids are eager and with us standing on guard they have that extra confidence knowing we are right there when they are starting to fall. Even when it comes to motor skills, we have some kids still in diapers who are more balanced than some four-year-olds.”

A swingin’ good time – Nassau ‘Nastics tots coach Jade helps 3 year-old Alejandra on the uneven bars.

Class always starts with stretching and ends with a trip on the trampoline followed by a big group hug led Coach Jade. While that’s all well and good, the tots know that Head Coach Trevor Ramsey is the one to impress and they look forward to his high-five of approval.

“I don’t know why, but the little ones are always going out of their way to greet me,” says the head coach who has been called everything from Coach Treasure to Coach Travel by the tots who often debate the correct pronunciation of his name. “But the little ones have the most commitment to the sport because to them it’s a place they get permission to run around and put their feet on the wall and jump about with supervision.”

Coach Trevor also pointed out that gymnastics has a major impact on toddlers in more ways than just athletics or health.

“Many doctors say what kids learn as toddlers can affect them the rest of their lives,” he noted “At Nassau ‘Nastics, it may look like healthy child’s play but it is so much more than that. First, they learn the importance of listening and following instructions from their coaches. They learn to take chances and try new things especially when they think they can’t do something. They also learn how to take turns and share with each other. They aren’t competing at this age but when they see the older kids on the uneven bars and doing flips they learn to set goals by saying ‘I can’t do that now but I’m going to learn how to do that one day’.”

“I think one of the major things we’ve learned is that gymnastics boosts their confidence and teaches them that practice makes perfect,” he added. “Also because, gymnastics is such a small sport, more than likely these kids are the only people in their class or school who can do it. When a child shows off their skills and gets the ooh’s and ahh’s of amazement, they feel special.”

The Nassau ‘Nastics Tots Programme takes place on Saturdays in Oakesfield while Parent and Tot classes take place in the Seagrapes Shopping Plaza on East Prince Charles Drive during the week.