Why do we value youth sports? Beyond their physical benefits, they train athletes to work with teammates, communicate well, and push past mental boundaries. For a couple of Fair Oaks Ranch sisters, their version of pushing past these boundaries includes flips in the air and balancing acts atop a pair of steady hands, all a part of the lesser-known sport of acrobatics.

“Acrobatics is equal parts performance and partnership.”

–World Gymnastics. 

The sport of acrobatics requires an exceptional level of both physical and mental endurance, tied together with communication between teammates. Eleven-year-old Bella Cortez and ten-year-old sister Olive have participated in this sport for four years.

The girls originally took tumbling lessons, but when one of their coaches asked if they would be interested in acro, they were both eager to try it out. “I begged my mom to let me do it, and she did,” said Bella. 

The girls both began on level five. In American acrobatic gymnastics, the athletes usually graduate to new levels with the completion of each year-round reason, starting at level two for five-year-olds.

Bella and Olive took on their new sport with endurance and determination. Training for 11-15 hours each week – three hours for weekday practices and five hours on Saturday – they learned to break through not only their physical limits but their mental limits as well. Each acro season is a full year, concluded by a national competition in the last week of June. After that, the athletes take time off for two weeks, then jump right back into their sport with a three-week assessment of their skills. “It’s pretty hard sometimes," said Bella. “When I don’t want to go, I have to really push myself.” All this commitment does, however, pay off.

The girls showcase their skills and hard work at acrobatic meets, which take place in other states and even other countries. “My favorite competition so far is Las Vegas,” said Olive. She and her sister have even gone to Canada for an international competition, where they both actually won their category. They will also travel to Cancun, Mexico for another international meet this year.

Bella and Olive’s style of acrobatics, gymnastic acrobatics, features a pair or trio of performers. Currently the sisters both compete in duos. Bella performs a two-minute balancing routine and a two-minute dynamic routine, which includes tumbling skills and airborne flips. Olive balances on wooden blocks as part of her choreography and uses dynamic skills as well. The performers have to maintain their balance for five seconds each time, whether that is on the blocks or atop their partner’s hands.

This requires strong communication and connections between teammates, which creates an uplifting community among these athletes. “I get to work with a really nice partner, and we all support each other as friends,” said Bella. She and Olive have learned to count and be counted on by their teammates. The encouragement these athletes show each other creates one-of-a-kind bonds within the sport, and the communication and trust required to perform well together show.