Youth Athletics - Community Education

Learning, growing and having fun!

Youth athletics provide skill development, exercise, and active learning in a fast-paced sports environment.

Camps, clinics, leagues and special events programs for all ages and abilities are offered at various times throughout the year. The program is highlighted by a partnership with Stillwater Area High School Athletics by offering Pony Sports Camps & Clinics. These offerings led by Pony coaches and players are a great place to meet the coaches and players and learn more about the sport of choice.

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Gymnastics

Not sure which level a child should be in? See the Levels and Skill Requirements for the Stillwater Community Education program below!

Parent and Me

For children ages 2-4 years old, parents will have the opportunity to work on big motor skills with their child in this class. This is an introduction to basic gymnastics skill, while having fun with parents.

Preschool

For children ages 4-kindergarten, the preschool class is a great transition class after Parent and Me. This class is also available for our youngest gymnasts that aren't in kindergarten yet. In this class, gymnasts work independently on the basic skills with a coach in small groups.

Beginner (Ages 5 and up)

Prerequisite: Enrolled or completed Kindergarten. This class focuses on the fundamental skills of gymnastics.
Skills at this level include:
Floor: handstands, cartwheels, forward rolls, bridge
Vault: hurdle, pop on
Bars: L hold for 10 sec, pull up (10 second hold), swing with re-grip, front support
Beam: releve walk, front kick, side kick, lever and straight jump
The skills listed above must be mastered before moving on to Advanced Beginners.

Advanced Beginner (Ages 5 and up)

Prerequisite: Enrolled in Kindergarten and recommendation from a Beginning level coach
- This is the second class in our progression. Building on the skills that were taught in the Beginners class, this class focuses on form and introduces a new set of skills for each event.
Skills that we work on at this level are listed below:
Floor: cartwheel, roundoff, front walkover, back walkover
Vault: hurdle, pop-on, handstand arch over, handspring
Bars: pullover, pull-up, backhip circle, squat on
Beam: jumps, levers, cartwheel, dismount
The skills listed above must be mastered before moving on to Intermediates.

Intermediate

Prerequisite for this class is a recommendation from a coach, at the Advanced Beginner level.
In the intermediate class, we focus on the next set of skills in our progression.
Skills that we work on at this level include:
Floor: aerials, backhandsprings, roundoff backhandsprings
Vault: handsprings, quarter-on
Bars: kips, longhang kips, flyaways
Beam: front and back walkovers, twisting jumps

Junior Ponies MAGA Program

This practice is for gymnasts who are developmentally ready to compete. This team participates in the MAGA Association, Midwest Amateur Gymnastics Association. Gymnasts at this level focus on building skills and routines that will be used to compete on vault, bars, beam and floor.

As gymnasts progress through Beginners, Advanced Beginners and Intermediate, your daughter may be identified as someone we feel would be a good fit for the team. However, if you are coming from another competitive gymnastics program, please feel free to contact us to find out more about this team.

High School Co-Head Coach, Joan Ledson - ledsonj@stillwaterschools.org

Sports and Recreation

Swim Lessons

The American Red Cross offers the best training and tips on how to be safe in, on, and around the water. They have been the leader in swimming instruction since 1914. Now the winning tradition continues with an exciting collection of courses designed to make learning easier and to help with the latest research on instructional techniques.

Stillwater Community Education is proud to be an authorized provider of American Red Cross swim lessons.

Register online

Not sure which level a child should be in? See the Red Cross Learn-to-Swim descriptions for each level listed below.

Level 1 - Water Exploration (Ages 5-12)

Prerequisite: NONE. The objective of Level 1 is to help students feel comfortable in the water and enjoy the water safely.
Skills Taught: Elementary aquatic skills; development of good attitudes and safe practices around water; safety rules; buddy system; demonstration of buoyancy; and willingness to try new things and overcome fears.

Level 2 - Fundamental Aquatic Skills (Ages 5-12)

Prerequisite: Enter water unassisted, move forward 5 yards, bob 5 times. Front float with support with face in water for 5 seconds, roll onto back and back float with support.
Skills Taught: Success with fundamental skills; simultaneous and alternating arm and leg action on the front and back; begin rotary breathing; fundamenals of treading water; and self-help and basic rescue skills and floats.

Level 3 - Stroke Development (Ages 5-15)

Requirements: Enter chest deep water, front float 5 seconds, roll over to back float 5 seconds and stand up. Swim front crawl for 15 feet.
Skills Taught: Coordinate the front crawl and back crawl; introduction to elements of butterfly, breaststroke and elementary backstroke; efficiency with of treading water; rules and skills for headfirst entry; and additional safety skills.

Level 4 - Stroke Improvement (Ages 5-15)

Prerequisite: Jump into water, swim front crawl 15 yards, tread water 30 seconds and then swim back crawl for 15 yards.
Skills Taught: Developing confidence in the strokes learned in previous levels; improve front and back crawl skills and increase endurance; build on butterfly; breaststroke and elementary backstroke; introduce sidestroke; and basics of turning at walls.

Level 5 - Stroke Refinement (Ages 8-16)

Prerequisite: Jump into water, swim front crawl 25 yards, back float for 1 minute, and swim elementary backstroke 15 yards. Swim breaststroke 15 yards, tread water 1 minute back crawl 25 yards.
Skills Taught: Coordination and refinement of strokes, front crawl, back crawl, butterfly, breaststroke, elementary backstroke, sidestroke; increase distances; increase treading water time and efficiency; and flip turns.

Level 6 - Swimming & Skill Proficiency (Ages 8-16)

Prerequisite: Shallow dive, swim front crawl for 25 yards, back float for 1 minute, swim elementary backstroke 15 yards. Swim breaststroke 25 yards, tread water for 2 minutes, swim back crawl 50 yards.
Skills Taught: Refine strokes-ease, efficiency, power smoothness of greater distances; introduction to other aquatic activities; surface dives, survival swimming. Areas of Focus: personal safety and fitness swimming.