Teaching Rhythmic Gymnastics:A Developmentally Appropriate Apprch
Heather C. Palmeris the program coordinator for Rhythmic Gymnastics Alberta. She discovered rhythmic gymnastics at the age of 19 (the time of her retirement from competitive artistic gymnastics), and she has been actively promoting the sport ever since.Although she has served as a coach and judge at the competitive level, Palmer has more recently shifted her emphasis to developing rhythmic gymnastics at a recreational level. She has held numerous positions on Alberta's Provincial Rhythmic board, including coaching chair and provincial coach; the skill development program that she designed, known as PRISM, has been adopted throughout Canada. In 1992, Palmer received the Calgary Volunteer Award for developing the sport of rhythmic gymnastics in Calgary.As a classroom teacher herself, Palmer also understands the demands of teaching: She has taught movement and rhythmic gymnastics to children throughout her teaching career. She has also taught rhythmic workshops for teachers for 12 years. She is certified as a level 3 coach in Canada's highly regarded National Coaching Certification Program and as a course conductor for level 1 and 2 technical courses in rhythmic gymnastics.Palmer attended the 1999 World Gymnaestrada in Sweden as a team manager and hopes to attend a World Gymnaestrada as a performing gymnast. A member of the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and the Coaching Association of Canada, Palmer lives in Calgary, where she teaches at Hillhurst Community School. She also runs a private club that focuses solely on recreational and performing programs. In her free time, she and her husband, Brian Unterschultz, and their two children enjoy skiing, camping, and hiking.