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Paoliello E. et al..: PARTICIPATION OF THE PAN-AMERICAN GYMNASTICS UNION … Vol. 8 Issue 1: 71 - 83 PARTICIPATION OF THE PAN-AMERICAN GYMNASTICS UNION IN THE 2011 WORLD GYMNAESTRADA Elizabeth Paoliello1, Eliana de Toledo2, Daniela Bento Soares1, Tabata Larissa Almeida1, Cintia Moura1, Andrea Desiderio1, Michele Viviene Carbinatto3, Carolina Gontijo Lopes5, Bruno Barth Tucunduva4, Marco Antonio Coelho Bortoleto1, 1Faculty of Physical Education, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil, 2Applied Science Faculty, UNICAMP, Limeira, Brazil 3Physical Education and Sport School, USP, São Paolo, Brazil 4Maringá State University - Department of Physical Education, Maringa, Brazil 5Faculty of Economy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal Original article Abstract This paper focuses on the World Gymnaestrada (WG), the largest international Gymnastics for All festival, organized by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). The aim was to analyze the participation of the National Federation members of the Pan-American Gymnastics Union (PAGU) in the 14th edition of the WG, held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2011. The data collection was made by a semi-structured questionnaire with eight of heads of delegation of the eleven participating American national federation. The results highlight the largest delegations were Brazil, Canada and the USA, respectively, countries which also traditionally participate in this festival. The participants were majority female (74,5%) and the performance were strongly influenced by Artistic and Rhythmic gymnastics disciplines, as well as Dance. PAGU participation has increased in compare with past editions of the WG, ranking it as second in terms of continent with the largest number of participants (6,64%). Although the participation is strongly related to the economic factors, considering all the WG editions held in Europe. We conclude that non-competitive gymnastics still treat secondarily for most PAGU Member Federations, since they are focus on competitive gymnastics disciplines and especially on their national teams. Keywods: general gymnastics; gymnastics for all; North America; Central America; South America; gymnastics festival. INTRODUCTION The development of sports federation Gymnaestrada (WG) is the first step to be management represents a key aspect in the taken to understand, contextualize and practice of Gymnastics for All (GfA) in the support the development of GfA in this Americas. Thus, obtaining and analyzing continent. This has motivated the authors to data on the teams that practice GfA and that conduct this study, whose aim is to analyze participated in the 2011 edition of the World the profile of delegations of the PAGU Science of Gymnastics Journal 71 Science of Gymnastics Journal Paoliello E. et al..: PARTICIPATION OF THE PAN-AMERICAN GYMNASTICS UNION … Vol. 8 Issue 1: 71 - 83 member federations that participated in the One of the most appealing features of 2011 WG. GfA is to encourage a playful, educational and socially enriching practice that can contribute to health promotion and fitness. It About Gymnastics for All and World is a practice that allows highlighting cultural Gymnaestrada and identity aspects of each group, region or country in a free and creative way. These GfA is one of the seven disciplines of characteristics fundamentally set GfA apart the International Gymnastics Federation from other gymnastics disciplines under the (FIG) – and the only non-competitive aegis of FIG, making it so valuable to many discipline –, whose main principles are: practitioners (Russel, 2014). participation, pleasure, joy and promoting World Gymnaestrada (WG), which the health of its practitioners (Wichmann, literally means “gymnastics on the road” or 2015). According to FIG definition (2009, “gymnastics road” (FIG, 2009), is held p.3): every four years and gathers thousands of Gymnastics for All offers aesthetic gymnasts from several countries from all experiences in movement for participants over the world, with performances that and spectators while providing the show great technical, aesthetics and material opportunity to focus on items that are of diversity. Since its creation in 1953, this particular interest in a national and cultural festival has been one of the key contributors context. to the widespread practice of gymnastics, GfA brings back the roots of turning FIG into the first international gymnastics: fun and leisure (Fiorin- federation to propose sports practice in Fuglsang & Paoliello, 2008), as opposed to competitive and non-competitive settings the disciplinary and methodical character and to foster the lifelong values developed that gymnastics has assumed over time in each setting (Mechbach & Waneberg, (Soares, 1998). Therefore, it combines the 2011). historical and cultural origins of gymnastics Overall, the FIG principles that govern with the development of lifelong values the practice of GfA and, consequently, of through the practice of exercises (Soares, the WG are, namely: fun, associated with 1994; Vigarelo, 2003). In fact, in the past the pleasure of the physical practice and two decades some Brazilian authors (Perez- with the playful aspects of gymnastics; Gallardo & Souza, 1995; Paoliello et al., fitness, related to the impact on the 2014) have proposed concepts and gymnast’s physical health; fundamentals, methodologies that emphasized GfA as a represented by the basic gymnastics skills; major enabler of human development friendship, as a means to promote social (Maturana & Resepka, 1995; Ayoub, 2011; interaction and interchange of experiences Paoliello et al., 2014). Thus, in a in the context of gymnastics (FIG, 2010). pedagogical perspective, GfA can be By practicing GfA, people may experience described as these principles at any point in their lives, An expression of body language that regardless of age or background (Mechbach combines various interpretations of & Waneberg, 2011; Hartmann, 2012). gymnastics (Natural, Standardized, Artistic, Additionally, the WG has become an Rhythmic, Aerobics, etc) and blends them important opportunity for personal and with other practices (Dance, Folklore, professional development, a strong Games, Theatre, Mimicry, etc.), in a free instrument that fosters voluntary and creative way, according to the cooperative work and dialogue among characteristics of the social group, national federations that are FIG members promoting social interaction among (FIG, 2009). participants. (Perez-Gallardo & Souza, 1995, p. 292). Science of Gymnastics Journal 72 Science of Gymnastics Journal Paoliello E. et al..: PARTICIPATION OF THE PAN-AMERICAN GYMNASTICS UNION … Vol. 8 Issue 1: 71 - 83 A brief analysis (Table 1) reveals a Therefore, GfA seems to be better growing trend in the number of participating understood if we link it to the concept of countries and gymnasts: Sports for All and, as a consequence, of democratization of sports and leisure Table 1 (Toledo & Silva, 2013). Participation in World Gymnaestrada (1953- In alignment with this trend, the 2011) participation of PAGU member federations in the WG has significantly increased in the Year Number of Participants last editions of the festival. The first Countries participation of PAGU member Federations 1953 14 5000 was in the second edition of the WG in 1957 17 6000 Zagreb (1957), when two countries attended 1961 16 10000 (FIG, 2015). Ever since, the continent has 1965 26 15600 been represented in all WG editions, reaching a total of 11 Member Federations 1969 28 9600 in 2011 (Schwirtz, 2006), as depicted in the 1975 19 10500 figure below: 1982 22 14200 1987 26 17300 Participation of PAGU Member Federations in the WG 1991 30 18400 1995 34 19200 Among PAGU member federations, 1999 37 20800 Brazil and Canada had the highest 2003 45 21600 attendance rate, having participated in 13 2007 53 22000 WG editions (Schwirtz, 2006). Gómez (2014) analyzed some aspects related to the 2011 55 19000 development of GfA in the American * Adapted from FIG (2015). continent, as Paoliello (2014) did for South America, showing a gradual increase in participation in the WG, especially after the Participation in World Gymnaestrada 1999 edition, when it reached 11 federations (1953-2011) (of the 23 affiliates of PAGU/FIG) in 2011. For Russel (2014, p.15), “Traditionally It can be noted that the number of these forms of gymnastics were practiced participants has increased approximately by mainly in Europe, but there is now a large 400% between 1953 and 2011 editions of following in Asia and increasingly in Africa the festival (around six decades), and such and the Americas.” International growth was proportionally similar in the experiences have shown to be sources of number of FIG member federations, which learning (Hartmann, 2010). Gradually, increased from 14 to 55. Among other groups have developed innovative and aspects, this significant growth can be unique GfA proposals (training programs, explained by FIG’s greater incentive to the projects, festivals), which are aligned with practice of GfA and by improvements in the specific national and continental needs organization of continental unions and aiming at their development (with varying national federations and committees. It levels in each American gymnastics seems that GfA is moving in the opposite federations). The Asian Gymnaestrada, a direction of the neoliberal thinking, which festival promoted by the Asian Gymnastics overrates performance inside or outside the Union (AGU), is a good example of this sort sports arena (Ehrenberg,