The challenges faced by the sport of gymnastics due to the increasing difficulty of performances, which stems from intense training at younger ages, forces the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to think about the implementation of a long-term strategy to maintain the sustainability of our sport.
This trend has led to scrutiny and criticism from medical, educational, and media professionals who perceive such practices as abusive and excessive. The FIG acknowledges these concerns and is actively working to address them through rule changes and coach education initiatives aimed at improving effectiveness while safeguarding gymnasts' well-being.
The FIG Age Group Programme (AGP) was introduced in 2011, with the partial support of the IOC, to provide comprehensive physical and technical coaching training, as well as a guide for developing competitive routines. The program emphasizes safe and optimal long-term development of gymnasts toward high level performance, offering gradual and safe progressions and standardised programmes suitable for all coaches and affiliated national federations.
By providing accessible and standardised training frameworks, the program aims to foster a culture of safe and sustainable athlete development within the sport of gymnastics, presenting good practices guidance and promoting the health and well-being of gymnasts worldwide.
The FIG Age Group Programme is integrated with the FIG Academy Programme (here), seeking for robust educational development. Click here to access the Overview of the FIG Education System.
The systematic approach to the development of gymnasts' performance in the long term opposes an early specialization or a concentration only on elements of high difficulty, as this can lead to aesthetic and injury-related problems, which ends up taking the public away from the sport. Instead, the focus should be on gradually increasing the loads to develop lasting support and capabilities of the motor system.
The key points highlighted for effective performance development include:
Systematic increase in load: Gradually increase loads to develop long-term support and motor system capabilities, rather than focusing only on immediate results.
Preliminary Development: Focus on the development of flexibility, power and basic structures to mitigate the negative effects of repetitive movements and defective techniques.
Promotion of polyvalent gymnasts: Encourage the development of polyvalent gymnasts to ensure a balance in the distribution of the load between the different elements.
Use of favourable motor learning phases: Take advantage of optimal motor learning periods for effective acquisition of skills.
Collaborative Approach: Coordinate the efforts of gymnasts, coaches, doctors and physiotherapists to ensure responsible training practices.
Balanced training and competition: Maintain a safe and proportional balance between the training, competition and recovery phases.
Methodical use of equipment: Use methodical equipment and pay attention to the construction of the training room to facilitate effective training practices.
The philosophy of gymnastics emphasizes beauty, complexity and safety, the importance of education centers in relation to competition halls, and the role of training facilities in promoting the development of athletes.
FIG Safeguarding Programme here
FIG Code of Ethics here