GRAINVILLE School played host to a landmark event in Jersey’s sporting calendar last week, as it welcomed the British Schools Gymnastics Association [BSGA] and their official judges to oversee the Channel Islands Regional Schools Trampoline Competition.
This event marks the first time the BSGA has judged a competition in Jersey, opening the door for local gymnasts to compete at a national level.
Until now, no Channel Island school has been involved in the prestigious event, but Grainville took the initiative to organise and host it.
The aim is for this to become an annual fixture, with a view to include additional schools from Jersey and potentially even Guernsey in future years.
This year’s competition saw students from three local schools competing: Beau-lieu Convent School, Hautlieu School and host Grainville School.
In total, 34 gymnasts, aged between 11 and 16, showed their skills, and 19 of them will represent the Bailiwicks at the National Finals in Derby on Saturday 15 March 2025.
The students who have qualified were: Johnny Dupoy, Henry Zeale, Zachary Doyle, Lucas Milbank, Katie Herivel, Carina Coleman, Ava Smith, Emily Freitas, Lexi Pallot-Walsh, Dorian Leszczynski, Alfie Le Maistre, Thomas Spacie, Jake Bourke, Lani Herve, Nikola Kozoil, and Amber Dupoy.
These talented and hard-working individuals make up the CI contingent, competing at the Derby Arena in March for national glory.
Aaron Maynard, from the PE Department at Grainville School, was the driving force behind organising the event.
He expressed his gratitude for the support of the BSGA and for Andi Revell, a key figure from the BSGA, who travelled from Sunderland to officiate the competition.
Revell had visited Jersey earlier in the summer, during which, highlighted the lack of representation from the Channel Islands in national gymnastic competitions.
To encourage the development of gymnastics in Jersey, the BSGA offered local gymnasts a unique opportunity to bypass the regional finals, and go straight to the national finals.
Maynard commented on the success of the event, saying: “We were very grateful to Andi and his team for travelling over to officiate and judge at Friday’s competition.
“It was a great event, very competitive, and a lot of sportsmanship was displayed, making for a positive atmosphere.
“It was fantastic to see these students, who have put in so many hours of preparation, perform so well.
“With 34 gymnasts representing three different schools, we are already looking forward to seeing that number grow in the future.
“Ultimately, we hope that in the coming years we will have gymnasts from all local secondary schools competing.”
The introduction of this event is a significant step forward for Jersey’s gymnastics community, and there is hope that Guernsey will join in the competition next year, fostering even greater collaboration between the two islands.
As the young gymnasts make their way towards the Nationals in Derby, the event represents a promising future for trampolining in Jersey, with more schools likely to get involved in this exciting and dynamic sport in the years to come.
