Powell River Gymnastics Society’s new head coach Merle Pyke, who has experience coaching at the national level, has been helping and instructing gymnasts for more than 41 years.
Having arrived in the community at the beginning of August, Pyke is now working to facilitate excellence for local gymnasts.
He started gymnastics at the age of six but was also involved in the martial arts. He became serious about gymnastics around age 13 and competed through a club in Cornwall, Ontario, but also went back and forth to Ottawa to train for judo. However, his affinity for gymnastics led him into the coaching ranks of the demanding sport.
Pyke’s wife is also a gymnastics coach and they have been coaching together since 1992.
“We went to many national championships, provincial championships, eastern and western championships,” said Pyke. “We also went to world championships, having travelled to China in 2014.”
One of Pyke’s athletes was national champion, western Canadian champion and provincial champion all in the same year. Another was training for the Olympics but sustained an injury and was unable to compete.
In terms of his objectives for the club, Pyke said he is coming in and taking a look at what it has currently, and will make suggestions about where potential can be developed.
“From what I’ve seen there are a lot of talented kids,” added Pyke. “For a small town, I am really impressed with the work ethic, and just generally how the kids accept the information that I am giving them.
“I’m here to do an assessment and figure out what the long-term plan is because the society will be looking at what the five-year plan is, and for me to be able to come up with where I would like to see the club in five years.”
Pyke, who has coached high performance athletes, wants to challenge those who are participating in gymnastics at the local facility.
“You don’t want to create anxiety but you want to make sure they are not bored,” said Pyke. “The program that I’ve put together so far is accomplishing that.”
He said he is also working to provide education for the coaching staff at the gymnastics facility and wants to ensure they are certified with the national coaching certification program. He said he is also a coach evaluator.
There are about eight coaches at the facility, currently. Pyke said he would eventually like 10 to 12.
Pyke said he has had lots of success in men’s and women’s gymnastics and is excited to be getting started in this community, which has been very welcoming.
“I’ve had success over the time I’ve been coaching and I hope to repeat that here,” said Pyke. “There is a lot of growth potential here. I think a lot of kids are going to want to get into it; there is untapped potential here.
“Gymnastics is a sport that has many positives. It teaches children responsibility, work ethic and dedication – all of the things required to be successful in life in general.”
According to his biography, Pyke is a husband, a father to four sons, a grandfather to 13 grandchildren and is an author of children’s fiction.
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