INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY: APPLIED BUSINESS AND EDUCATION RESEARCH 2021, Vol. 2, No. 4, 327 – 336 http://dx.doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.02.04.06

Research Article

The Making of the Champions: A Case Study of the Development of The Young Aerobic Gymnasts in Malay Aklan

Mike Jhun Detaro Valencia, Jimmy Bernabe Maming, Jesalem Hermosa Medina, Glenvee Dagohoy Macasarte*

Institute of Tourism Hospitality and Management, Malay College, 5608,

Article history: ABSTRACT Submission April 2021 Revised April 2021 The Philippines has the potential to excel in this field because an ath- Accepted April 2021 lete's height is not a requirement compared to other sports like swim-

ming, basketball, and the likes. This is qualitative research specifically *Corresponding author: E-mail: employs a single case study to explore the narratives of the young [email protected] aerobic gymnasts in the Municipality of Malay, Aklan. This study uti- lizes online interviews, observation, and data reviews in gathering the data while Yin's (2003) approached was utilized in the analysis of data. Themes emerged from stories of the participants like Personal Skills and Motivations of Young Aerobic Gymnasts is Foundational in Winning the Competition, Present DepEd Curriculum Lacks Content in Aerobic and Parents, School, Government, and Busi- ness Sector Support are Significant Factors for a Gymnast to Succeed. The output of the study is a proposed new Model of Young Aerobic Gymnastics Development.

Keywords: Making of Champions, Young Aerobic Gymnasts, Malay, Aklan, Philippines, Model of Young Aerobic Gymnasts Development.

Introduction Gymnastics is a sport integrated into the with abundant energy to burn (Gymnastics Vic- first Ancient , practiced interna- toria, 2021). It originated from group fitness tionally in different disciplines particularly in and aerobic classes of the late 1980s and this Women Artistic Gymnastics, Men Artistic Gym- sport present continuous, flexible, strong nastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Trampoline movement, including the utilization of seven Gymnastics, Tumbling Gymnastics, Acrobatic basic steps perfectly executing the difficulty Gymnastics, Gymnastics for All, and Aerobic level of elements (Fahmi, et. al. 2019). Re- Gymnastics. In aerobic gymnastics, it entails cently, this sport has been added to the disci- the staging of lively action patterns to heart- pline of gymnastics and boasts a growing pounding sound. One could find that this number of enthusiasts throughout the UK and activity is an ideal sport for dynamic people in most of the world (British Gymnastics, n.d.).

How to cite: Valencia, M. J. D., Maming, J. B., Medina, J. H., & Macasarte, G. D. (2021). The Making of the Champions: A Case Study of the Development of The Young Aerobic Gymnasts in Malay, Aklan. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research. 2(4), 327 – 336. doi: 10.11594/ijmaber.02.04.06 Valencia et al., 2021/ The Making of the Champions: A Case Study of the Development of The Young Aerobic Gymnasts in Malay, Aklan

Furthermore, Aerobic Gymnastics has been Literature Review part of the International Gymnastics Federa- There are fundamentals skills needed by an tion (FIG) and undergone reglementary review athlete in excelling at aerobic gymnastics. Xin, purposely to achieve a high level of functional- et. al (2020) stressed that kindergarten-aged ity, harmony, and consistent structure among children are closely linked with physical activ- judges (Guitiezney and Vertina as cited by ity and a significant period in developing these Mehrtash and Farzaneh, 2015). foundational skills. Their findings revealed that In the Philippines, Gymnastics has been pi- this foundational year critical in the formation oneered by Director Candido Bartolome and of an athlete to master these skills and excel. Mrs. Francisca Aquino (John, 2011). The Philip- Bayhan &Artan as cited by Demir, et. al (2020) pine Constitution specifically Article IV, section postulates that children's experiences gain by 19 mandates all learning institution to incorpo- using their bodies are significant in their per- rate the study of MAPEH by “Promoting physi- ception and appreciation of the world. cal education and encourage sports programs, This is especially in the early years of their league competitions and the likes to advance engagement as they experience and accumu- self-discipline, teamwork, and excellence for late knowledge and skills to form the organiza- the development of a healthy and alert citi- tion of motor, social, and cognitive develop- zenry (DepEd K to 12 Curriculum Guide Physi- ments. It was believed that the identification cal Education, 2012, p. 2). and growth of children's skills in the initial year Reflecting on the above provisions, the of their growth and development are regarded MAPEH Curriculum under the DepED contents as a fundamental subject area in education. In lacks preparations for aerobic gymnastics. In honing the skills of an aerobic gymnast, the mo- Grades 2 and 3, one could notice the presence dality of instruction must be considered. One of rhythmic routines but its content centers on could think of Inquiry-Based Instruction and ribbon, hoop, and balls. In Grade 11, one could Direct Instructions. An inquiry-based instruc- notice the Fitness/Exercise with aerobic activ- tion model is a student-centered approach ity but its activity is on traditional aerobic steps wherein the instructor or coach guides the stu- in the form of Zumba. Aside from Grades 2, 3, dents through questions posed, methods de- and 11, there are no curriculum contents that signed, and data interpreted by the students. adhere to the aerobic gymnastics sports with Direct instruction in the honing process fol- the DepEd Curriculum Guide (K-12 Curriculum lowed the command style and evaluated it as a Guide Physical Education, 2016). very effective method for realizing physical and The researchers would like to explore the cognitive learning. Furthermore, this style is narratives of aerobic gymnasts who won cham- used for achieving goals such as uniformity, pions in the National Competition simultaneous performance, conformity with a and representing the Mu- model, promoting the team spirit mentality of nicipality of Malay, Aklan, and out of its find- the group, and using time productively, by ings, a new Model of Aerobic Gymnastics Devel- providing the opportunity for a greater number opment. of repeated movements under the management of the teacher or the coach (Mosston & Ash- Objectives worth as cited by Demir, et.al, 2020). Culjack, 1. To explore the narratives of the aerobic et.al (2014) stressed that the daily activity of gymnasts who competed and won in the children affects both the growth process of Batang Pinoy National Championship and gymnast skills and elemental activity skills. Palarong Pambansa; Basic gymnastics, in combination with the 2. To determine the gaps and challenges in proper daily activity of young children, can im- honing the skills of the aerobic gymnasts; prove their foundational skills like running, and hopping, leaping, and jumping. The objective of 3. To propose a New Model of Aerobic Gym- this is to control the movements particularly in nastics Development. throwing, catching, kicking, and striking. To es- tablish stability or balance activity the rolling,

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Valencia et al., 2021/ The Making of the Champions: A Case Study of the Development of The Young Aerobic Gymnasts in Malay, Aklan landing, bending, and stretching skills are sig- these requirements of simple or composite mo- nificant to the formation process (Zeng, et. al, tor skills in advance for the utilization of mod- 2019). After a gymnasts master the fundamen- ern technology and three-dimensional models tal movement skills, motor skills will be the to measure their use to learn skills and upgrad- next essential step to master. Zhang and ing the physical and dexterity aspect of aerobic Cheung (2019) disclosed that the low organiza- gymnastics (Elhabashy, 2019). In Aerobic gym- tional games approach physical fitness lesson is nastics, activity-specific skills rely on how an an effective intervention to enhance children's athlete mastered essential steps and motor development of their motor skills. This organi- skills fundamentals. zational series of motor movements in aerobic Once an athlete is ready for another degree gymnastics combines the movement patterns of difficulty element, the coach or trainer will body segments like the foundation join the introduce the specific skills and activities that games and related activities. A factor that is sig- are essentials in maximizing the skills of an ath- nificantly affecting children's engagement in lete. Szloboda, et. al (2020) suggested that the activity to become skilled children that coaches should take into consideration the manage their physical attributes and acquire basic principles of tissue adaptation for complex skills in aerobic gymnastics activities. strength, flexibility, power, and endurance of Furthermore, it contributes to physical activi- the gymnasts particularly on muscle, tendon, ties and natural enjoyment by allowing an ath- ligament, bone, cartilage, skin, and body sys- lete to understand and improve their confi- tems to adapt with an imposed stress during dence in maintaining an active lifestyle. Luban, the rest or recovery period. Morgan, Cliff, Bernett & Okley as cited by Kha- An athlete must be prepared gradually for jooei, et. al (2019) stipulate that these founda- several years to be able to safely sustain and tional motor skills include the day-to-day activ- generate the forces required in aerobic gym- ity like locomotor, movement management, nastics. It is suggested that the age group devel- strength capabilities among others. opment and competition program must accord Webster, Martin, and Etaiano (2018) on with the Educational Academy Program of the foundational motor skills, screen-time, and Federation International Gymnastics (FIG) that physical activity, opined that the children's mo- focuses on the safety well-being of the gym- tor capabilities connected to intensive activi- nasts in attaining high-performance in training ties can positively give the children more expo- and competitions. Federation Internationale sure to activity to develop holistic develop- De Gymnastique (2017) set rules through its ment. They construed that honing childhood to Code of Points. In this Code, there are catego- foundational motor skills is through the physi- ries of difficulty elements that a young gymnast cal fitness movement pattern. These patterns should perform. This difficulty of elements is involved large muscle groups and fundamental known as Dynamic Strength, stationary engagement in the activation of smaller muscle strength, bound and Leaps, and stability and groups while the gross skills for the motor are flexibility. generally categorized into control of objects, In the National Developmental Level, it strength skills, and locomotors like symmet- ranges from nine to eleven (9-11) years old and rical, asymmetrical, and lateral movements. For it is expected that gymnasts can perform a max- object control skills, it involves the control and imum of six (6) difficulty elements with four (4) management of the item through projecting compulsory difficulty elements like the Push- away. On the strength skills, it focuses on the up in the area of the dynamic element, straddle stabilization of the midpoint of gravity for the support in static strength element, air turn in body. Establishing the skills in a larger spec- the area of jump and leaps element, and verti- trum of foundational motor skills is essential cal- split in the area of balance and flexibility. In for translation to more contexts - specific pat- the Age Group One Level, it ranges from twelve terns of movements to a lifelong movement ex- to fourteen (12-14) years old. In this level, a perience. Players should have full knowledge of maximum of eight (8) categories of difficulty el-

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Valencia et al., 2021/ The Making of the Champions: A Case Study of the Development of The Young Aerobic Gymnasts in Malay, Aklan ements. Out of eight (8) difficulty elements un- to join their kids in this sport will certainly en- der this level, four (4) compulsory elements re- gage their children in very early learning and quired from a gymnast to master and perform. exposure to this sports to develop their motor Specifically, these four (4) compulsory ele- and psychological senses and eventually, later ments group is the Dynamic Strength Element on, be directed to another sport. The parent's that involves helicopter to Push-up and Sta- participation in the total development of their tionary Strength element that manifested in kids is homogeneous in attaining their success. straddle support maximum to one turn, Bound Their area minority of parents expected their and Leaps element indicated by one turn tuck child to achieve great sports success, while jump, and Stability and Flexibility are shown by many parents expect positive development of one turn to vertical split. Aerobic Gymnastics is motor, cognitive, affective, group skills. an event demanding great focus and discipline Kavasoglu and Alakurt (2021) share their in- in terms of physical training and mental alert- sights on gymnastics and the role of parents. ness. Gymnastics as a sport will hone their chil- Athletes enjoin themselves in this kind of dren physique and future into sports they sport not just simply to acquire knowledge and might be interested in. Rouquette (2020) lays skills but to compete locally, nationally, and in- down the parents' participation in athletes' in- ternationally. Success at a gymnastics competi- sights of supports that directly affects the mo- tion demands high commitment and focus in rale and well-being among young athletes abiding by the coach's training plan program. through demonstration of parent's provisions The DepEd (2016) curriculum framework par- to their young ones throughout the honing pro- ticularly MAPEH requires mastery of an athlete cess including the competitions. These will fur- who has an active life for fitness and health par- ther add weight to sport organizations to in- ticularly in Elemental Movement Skills, Motor clude rather than exclude parents in the train- Skills, and Activity-Specific Activity Skills ing processes. Knolls (2012) shared his under- through body management, rhythms, and standing of the training of the young gymnast. dances, and games and sports. There are times that an athlete experiences un- Starting with the self, family and school, derlying disorders because of strenuous train- community, and society as the essential sup- ing and other challenges caused by aerobic port components of gymnast development. In- gymnastics on physical and psychological per- terestingly, Knoll (2012) stressed that, unlike fections. There are times that an athlete may other sports that are performance-based, A experience “anorexia nervosa of or bulimia gymnast is judged based on his/her appear- nervosa.” During these moments, a gymnast ance and performance. For a competitor to win, who experienced disorders needs not only the he/she must maintain the required weight be- attention of medical experts but supports of a cause an athlete's weight affects his/her move- coach/trainer, friends, siblings, and parents. ments and so with their performances. Milti- Parents with the right knowledge may extend adis, Fotios, and Michalis (2014) proposed that supports to an athlete by providing rest, emo- the program for gymnastics should contain in- tional encouragement, and preparing hearty ner reinforcement through volition, deferment meals for their kids. In the same manner, the of negative feelings like fear, adaptive training, learning institutions are an extension of the organization of approved training, and tactics home development and considered as the of approved training. The gymnast's success nursery of the athletes. Republic Act No. 5708, does not only confine in his or her preparation, section 1 provides a framework for the devel- and motivations but also to his/her mental opment and financing of an integrated physical stamina during the preparation and competi- education program for schools by propagating tions. The home and community have signifi- to young individuals the significance of physi- cant contributions for the athletes to succeed in cally sound citizens, hone athletics including this field. Kunjesic (2012) cited parent's role the grace, poise, coordination, stamina, and and support to their young ones. He stressed strength; holistic physical education program that parent who is a former athlete deserving and development to address personal, physical,

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Valencia et al., 2021/ The Making of the Champions: A Case Study of the Development of The Young Aerobic Gymnasts in Malay, Aklan and social growths adherences for all pupils school administrators, and the Head of SK Fed- and learners with superior athletic achieve- eration in Malay using the purposive sampling ments for those who are sports inclined; and an procedures. Data gathered were analyzed right integrated program on sports and develop- after every interview to immerse the research- ment. Aside from the personal, parents, school, ers with the data. Research protocols were ob- and community support system, studies re- served as embodied in the ethical considera- vealed that the active role of the government tions of entire research activities. and the private sectors matters in every gym- nast's claim to succeed in any competition. Results and Discussions President Fidel V. Ramos during his term is- The data collected from the online inter- sued an Order to advance the sports and athlet- view via zoom that was audio recorded were ics of the country through and Executive Order transcribed. From the transcription, it was an- No. 163, series of 1994 on Philippine Games as alyzed to structure the pattern, identifying sig- the Centerpiece Program. This Order includes nificant statements to cluster the theme. The all LGUs in propagating and creating a sports themes that surfaced from the stories of the in- development council that will think-thank formants are: body for the Sports and Development Program initiatives in the locality. Through the council, Theme # 1: Personal Skills and Motivations the LGU was directed to extend its full support of Young Aerobic Gymnasts are Founda- and active participation in the Philippine Na- tional in Winning the Competition tional Games. Unlike other sports events that require Along with this, the LGUs were allowed to height requirements like swimming and bas- set budget in whatever amount necessary from ketball, aerobic gymnastics has no height re- their available budget for the propagation and strictions. Our young aerobic gymnasts can advancement of the National Policy and Pro- compete nationally and globally and possibly gram which is the “Sports for All”. Under sec- won. To be successful first, an athlete should tion 3 of this Order, all non-government organ- master the elemental movement skills consid- izations, the Philippine Olympic Committee, the ered critical during the honing of an athlete. National Sports Associations, and the private First, these initial moments of his/her training sectors were urged to lend their cooperation and the experiences they gained formed motor, for the success of the National Games leading social, and cognitive development. Second, a towards Philippines 2000. Republic Act No. gymnast should master the motor skills known 6847, section 6 asserting the commission's as the organizational series of movements in duty to lead, set policies and priorities in the aerobic gymnastics that combines the move- Commission emphasizing grass-roots partici- ment patterns of body segments like the foun- pation and participation of all sectors in advo- dation to join the games and other related ac- cating the growth and development of amateur tivities. An essential element that affects the sports including budgets. gymnasts' progress and accumulation of skills in becoming well versed to manage and control Methodology bodily movements to more complicated skills This study is qualitative research that em- in an athlete's activities. Furthermore, it con- ploys a Case Study as a design. It utilized Robert tributes to physical activities and rapid satis- Yin's (2003) approach in exploring the phe- faction by allowing an athlete understand and nomena within their context to establish the ri- improve their confidence in maintaining an ac- gors of the research. The study was conducted tive lifestyle. The third is the activity-specific- in Malay, Aklan from September 2020 to Janu- activity that relies on how an athlete mastered ary 2021. There were Fifteen (15) participants essential movements and motor skills. Once an that participated in the study composed of athlete is ready for another degree of difficulty young aerobic gymnasts who won as Champion element, the coach or trainer will introduce the in Batang Pinoy National championship and specific skills and activities that are essentials Palarong Pambansa, parents of the gymnasts, in the development of an athlete.

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Valencia et al., 2021/ The Making of the Champions: A Case Study of the Development of The Young Aerobic Gymnasts in Malay, Aklan

Theme # 2: Present DepEd Curriculum lacks field has no height restrictions. This sport is content in Aerobic Gymnastics highly competitive physically and psychologi- Republic Act No. 5708, section 3 mandated cally that requires an athlete's early training, the Department of Education a program of focus, and determination to win the competi- physical fitness for all learners. Looking at the tion. The personal skills development and mo- K-12 Curriculum content, revealed that the lack tivations of the young aerobic gymnasts are a of preparations particularly in gymnastics. For cornerstone of winning in any competition. example, in Grades 2 and 3, one could notice the Along with this, a relevant and responsive cur- presence of rhythmic routines but its activity is riculum would support the gymnasts' dream to on ribbon, hoop, and balls while in Grade 11, succeed in this event. Parents and community the fitness exercise is present in the form of support matters to the athlete during the train- Zumba. This perhaps the reason why the train- ing period and in joining any competitions. No ing on aerobic gymnastics if not neglected is be- man is an island as they say. This holds to the ing undermined. life of an aerobic gymnast.

Theme # 3: Parents, School, Government, Recommendations and Business Sector Supports are Signifi- It is strongly recommended that a gymnast cant Factors for a Gymnast to Succeed should be trained at the early stage of her life There is a saying that “It takes a village to for them to develop better personal skills and train a child.” There are times that a gymnast motivations in aerobic gymnastics. Schools encountered problems like arm fracture, swol- both public and private under the DepEd len muscles because of stretching and splitting, should revisit their curriculum in Physical Edu- and colds and fever due to muscle pain. This cation and incorporate the study and training sometimes discourages the gymnasts go with of aerobic gymnastics in the curricula in Ele- the training. During this time, parental support mentary to Senior High School. Active partici- is badly needed. Since aerobic gymnastic train- pation of parents and community in this sport ing ideally starts at nine (9) years old, the must be adhered to to ensure the success of an school plays a pivotal part in the honing jour- athlete during training and most especially ney of a gymnast. The school facilities, curricu- during the competitions. Valencia, Maming, Me- lum, and trainer matter in the development. dina, and Macasarte Model of Aerobic Gymnas- One could not negate the assistance from the tics Development is proposed for the gymnasts' public and private sectors as partners in this development. Further studies will also be con- endeavor. When an athlete competes, he/she ducted. needs financial assistance and can seek help from the LGU and other related agencies. This References serves as a good motivation for the athletes to Aerobic Gymnastics, Code of Points (2017 – 2020). Feder- excel during the competition. In exchange, the ation Internationale De Gymnastique (FIG). Alsauidi, F. (2015). Reasons influencing the selection de- government will receive merit and accolades cision making of parental choice of school. Interna- for athletes winning in every event since they tional Journal of Research in Education and Science, represent the locality. Along with this, a private DOI: 10.21890/ijres.57410 company can share the burden by sharing their Aurini, J. D., Heath, M., & Howells, S. (2016). The how-to of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Pub- resources as part of their Corporate Social Re- lications. sponsibility (CSR). It is assumed that athletes Bacciotti, S., Baxter-Jones, A., Gaya, A., & Maia., (2017). The can be a future employee of companies partic- Physique of Elite Female Artistic Gymnasts: A Sys- ularly in the tourism industry such as enter- tematic Review. Journal of Human kinetics vol. 58 Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative Case Study Meth- tainer, sports event coordinator, and a member odology: Study Design and Implementation for Nov- of the team building activities. ice Researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13 (4), 544- 559. Retrieved from: Conclusions https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol13/iss4/2 The Philippines has the potential to excel in the field of aerobic gymnastics because this

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IJMABER 333 Volume 2 | Number 4 | April | 2021

Valencia et al., 2021/ The Making of the Champions: A Case Study of the Development of The Young Aerobic Gymnasts in Malay, Aklan

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IJMABER 334 Volume 2 | Number 4 | April | 2021

Valencia et al., 2021/ The Making of the Champions: A Case Study of the Development of The Young Aerobic Gymnasts in Malay, Aklan

Appendix A Valencia, Maming, Medina, and Macasarte Model of Young Aerobic Gymnasts Development

Figure 1. Valencia, Maming, Medina, And Macasarte Model Of Young Aerobic Gymnasts Development

In the development of the young aerobic fundamental movement and motor skills. gymnasts, there are skills needed to master like Coaches and trainers should consider the basic the fundamental movement skills that need to principles of tissue adaptation, flexibility, establish in the formative years particularly in power, and endurance training of gymnasts to the pre-school age which is closely linked with sustain the safety and generate forces required physical education. Children’s experiences con- in aerobic gymnastics. There is a degree of dif- tribute to their perception and recognition of ficulty elements that the gymnasts and trainers sports. As a mode of training and instruction, or coaches should take into considerations. one could embark on inquiry-based and direct- They are the Dynamic Strength, Static Strength, based modalities. Other skills that need to mas- Jump and Leaps, and Balance and Flexibility. ter are the fundamental motor skills consid- Aside from the degree of difficulty, there are ered as the building blocks that lead to special- levels set in aerobic gymnastics such as the Na- ized movement sequences and sports skills re- tional Developmental, Age Group One, and Age quired for ample involvement in physical activ- Group Two. ity in children, adolescents, and adults. Low or- Taking these into considerations, a gym- ganization game methods can be an effective nast's self-preparation and motivations matter intervention to this level of skills acquisition. in winning over the competition. This sport is This is a combination of movement patterns regarded as highly competitive in terms of ap- such as foundations to participate in games and pearance and psychological stamina. An athlete other physical activities that involves the daily must maintain a balance between the two. Tak- routine and physical activities. One could not ing the suggestions and advice of his coach or negate the fact that children’s motor skills trainers would give the athlete an advantage to linked to Vigorous Physical Activity (VPA) can be highly competitive and winning the compe- help develop holistic growth and development. tition since his/her coach can easily figure out Player's understanding of all requirements like his routines, weight, and performances. Not- the simple and composite one can facilitate withstanding, this sport is a judged one there- their upgraded physical and skills understand- fore the subjective lens of judges matters to the ing in aerobic gymnastics. Acrobatic-Specific scoring and winning in the game. Skills rely on the attainment of a gymnast's

IJMABER 335 Volume 2 | Number 4 | April | 2021

Valencia et al., 2021/ The Making of the Champions: A Case Study of the Development of The Young Aerobic Gymnasts in Malay, Aklan

Parents and community support are essen- does not employ height restrictions compared tial elements for the gymnasts to reach their to other sports like basketball, , dreams in the field of aerobic gymnastics. Par- swimming, and other related sports. Carlos ents who have knowledge and experiences of Edriel Yulo won the gold medal in the 49th FIG the games tend to let their children train early. Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in This is to develop their motor (physical) and Stuttgart, Germany on October 12, 2019 (Ino- psychological aspects. However, there are cencio, 2019) while Charmaine Dolar nabbed times that young gymnasts experience disor- the Southeast dated December 9, ders due to the nature and demands of this 2019, at Rizal Memorial Coliseum (Esponga, sport. At this juncture, the support of siblings 2019). Sometimes in August 2019, the Malay and parents matters to the recovery and con- Gymnastics Team represented the Municipality tinuous participation of the young gymnasts in of Malay to the National Championship Batang aerobic gymnastics, to compete and excel. The Pinoy Competition and Palarong Pambansa community plays a pivotal role as well by ex- garnered Gold Medals. Those glories, could not tending helps both morally and financially to be without the restrictions, difficulties, and the athlete particularly in the time that an ath- challenges on the part of the gymnasts, the lete will compete locally, nationally, and inter- coach, and the parents. For the Philippine gym- nationally. nastics to advance and stay afloat, the govern- Part of the nurturing process of an athlete ment both local and national including the pri- is the school. A relevant and responsive curric- vate sectors should assist by allocating budget ulum would not only offer them a physical edu- to the sports sector to support the gymnastics cation but will hone an athlete’s giftedness in clubs, groups, and advocates. Developing Aerobic Gymnastics. It is believed that the ear- young gymnasts does not exempt the trainee lier the training and development of a young and the trainer from financial difficulties. gymnast into this kind of sport the better their Therefore, the government and private sup- chances to be skillful and advance in this sport. ports play a significant role in surviving and Moreover, a Filipino athlete has the poten- winning every competition. tial to excel in local, regional, national, and in- ternational gymnastic competitions because it

IJMABER 336 Volume 2 | Number 4 | April | 2021