Photos by Mild Du Coach Sydney Brandt spots for Linea Koch on the vault during the Marshall youth gymnastics camp last week.

MARSHALL — With loud music blaring over the speakers and fun cheers from the campers starting each day, the first-ever Marshall youth gymnastics camp was in full force last week.

The camp was held from June 27-29 at Marshall High School, with MHS gymnastics coach Sam Nielsen and current gymnasts leading the camp. Twenty-four youths took part in the camp, ranging from grades K-6th. Beginner/Basics lessons for boys and girls ages 3-4 and Intermediate/Advanced lessons for boys and girls ages 5-12 were held in the morning while private group lessons for boys and girls ages 5-12 were held in the afternoon.

Nielsen said every day, campers go through drills from each of the four rotations in vault, the uneven bars, the balance beam and the floor exercise and learn both basic skills and improve skills they already possess.

“Each day they have a four session rotation; they go through vault, bars, beam and floor once a day and then we have different drills for basic skills including somersaults, back walkovers, pullovers, back hip circles, basic vault and basic jumps on beam,” Nielsen said. “They are learning the basics and also getting better at the skills they already know how to do.”

Nielsen also advocated about the importance of continuing to build the gymnastics program from the youth levels, especially with the program relocating to its new facility at Marshall Middle School.

“We came to realize this year that we need to build our program, especially if we’re going to be moving to a new facility, we would like to build our program in that,” Nielsen said. “It all starts from the little youth ages, so if they can get involved in these camps and lessons, then that can make them a better gymnast in the future.”

To find out more about the gymnastics camps and other Community Services recreation programs, visit https://ci.marshall.mn.us/community_services.