Oceania Gymnastics and Oceania Sport Education Program (OSEP) Sign Memorandum of Understanding

Oceania Gymnastics and Oceania Sport Education Program (OSEP) are pleased to announce the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).  Gymnastics is the newest sport on the scene in the islands of the Central and South Pacific.  Whilst gymnastics has existed in Australia and New Zealand for well over 60 years, it wasn’t until 2015 that the sport was established in other Oceania countries.  Emerging Gymnastics Federations of Oceania may not yet be competing at the Olympics or on the world stage, but that is the ultimate goal and it is for this reason that, Oceania Gymnastics Development Manager Brooke Kneebush believes this MoU is particularly important.  The purpose of the MoU is to formalise Oceania Gymnastics as an OSEP-accredited training provider across the Pacific.  

OSEP is a partnership between the Australian Sport Commission (ASC), Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) and the Organisations of Sport Federations in Oceania (OSFO).   The program is funded and managed by ONOC through its Suva office.  Oceania Gymnastics consists of member federations Fiji, Cook Islands and American Samoa (in addition to Australia and New Zealand).  Support is also being provided to Guam, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Samoa who are seeking membership of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).   

OSEP offers sport administration, coaching training materials and other sport education including governance.  OSEP assists partners to assess their readiness, roles and responsibilities of organisations to develop and support sport volunteers and professionals (coaches, administrators, team managers etc).  Oceania Gymnastics sees these resources as vital to the establishment and sustainability of Gymnastics Federations and to achieving strategic priorities of the organisation; growing the capability of the gymnastics workforce, improving the delivery of gymnastics in clubs and utilising new and existing technologies.

This partnership will provide an opportunity for sharing of resources and alignment of activities to create accreditation pathways for coaches and administrators.  Oceania Gymnastics sees that more coaches and administrators with improved skills and knowledge will set the sport on a pathway toward their Purpose: To Grow the sport, make it exciting and secure the future.