Check out the new team in town! We’re sure you’ve heard of gymnastics before, but maybe you haven’t heard that there’s a whole other sport called Acrobatic Gymnastics, and it doesn’t involve swinging on bars or balancing on beams. Instead, participants balance on each other! This is a competitive sport where young athletes work together in partnerships to create amazing shapes with their bodies, combined with tumbling and dance into a routine that is set to music.
OSEGA Dream Academy is based out of Fletcher, NC, and features an Acrobatic Gymnastics team. Coached by Cassie Preyss and Ryan Hamity, OSEGA Acro is just about to enter into its second season as a team. The team consists of seven girls ranging between the ages of 6 and 18, who together make up a variety of pairings that compete regionally. Coaches Cassie and Ryan have been acrobatic partners for seven years and have taught and performed around the world. Now that they are both settled in Asheville, they decided to create a youth program that would allow young athletes to pursue the sport and get a taste of something new, while also getting to put to use their many talents as coaches.
Open House & Carnival This Saturday, January 25 from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Everyone is invited to this FREE EVENT! Explore what Osega is all about! Get the details here!
So why choose this sport when there are so many other options for movement around in the Asheville area? Acro helps kids learn early on how to work in partnerships and have good communication. The team builds trust through the work of literally lifting each other up (and catching them as well if they fall). Osega teaches students about hard work and discipline, and how to perform under pressure while maintaining a performance attitude. Not only do these young athletes get all of the physical benefits of competitive athletics, but they are learning life skills to take out into the world as they grow up.
Lauren Pipes, an 18-yr old senior on the team, just received a college scholarship to Belmont Abbey for Acro, where she will be attending in the fall. Did you know that this was an option in college? Acro is a great way for kids to use their athletic talents to support their endeavors as they grow! Many acrobatic gymnasts also go on to perform for world-renowned organizations such as Cirque du Soleil.
OSEGA’s acro team has been working hard and gearing up for their second season, which will kick off at a local meet in Greensboro, NC. The team also will travel this year to surrounding states between now and the spring to compete against regional teams and prepare for their championship meet at the end of the season. If you are interested in checking out what Acrobatic Gymnastics is all about, you can come see for yourself at pre-season Mock Competition, happening at OSEGA Dream Academy, Sunday, February 9th from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. After the competition, stay for a meet and greet with the team and coaches to ask questions and maybe even try a few poses with your kids or for yourself!
Where: OSEGA Dream Academy
16 National Ave.
Fletcher, NC 28732
Contact: Cassie Preyss
828-424-1909
