At gymnastics club Saltare, it’s not about podium finishes but about having fun

As the smallest student gymnastics club in the Netherlands, T.S.T.V. Saltare doesn’t stand out with medals or top results, but with an informal atmosphere and love for the sport. ‘I used to think you could only become a good gymnast if you trained until you cried. Here, I learned there’s another way.’

It’s Wednesday evening in the gymnastics hall of Kunst & Kracht in Tilburg-West. The air is filled with the scent of magnesium powder and sweat and AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’ is blasting from the speakers — clear signs that things are taken seriously here. The members of student gymnastics club Saltare have just started their warm-up: a mix of running exercises, jumps, and lots of stretching.

Tonight’s training is led by chair Tewanka van Gils (24), who immediately notes that this is usually the quietest evening of the week. Still, eleven eager participants have shown up. That’s a decent number, considering Saltare has only about 40 members, making it the smallest student gymnastics club in the country.

And they’re proud of that. The board members wear t-shirts featuring the Minions cartoon characters, a subtle hint to how Saltare is known in the student gymnastics world. ‘We’re not only the smallest club, but our colors are also blue and yellow,’ says secretary Annika Kokshoorn (22) with a laugh.

For everyone

Saltare offers classes for both beginners and experienced gymnasts, which is reflected in the group’s composition: there’s a wide range of ages and skill levels. Take Tijmen Meuleman (19). He joined Saltare last year — with no prior gymnastics experience — through a friend and stuck around because of the friendly vibe. The same goes for 47-year-old Diederik van der Plas, who joins the students for training several times a week alongside his full-time job.

Among all the familiar faces, there’s also a newcomer in the gym. Serbian student Sonja Rozental glides through the warm-up so smoothly that Van Gils asks whether she has done gymnastics before. ‘Yes, I did gymnastics for ten years,’ she replies, effortlessly rolling out of a handstand into a somersault.

After about fifteen minutes of warming up, members are free to split off and train independently. The Dutch Student Championships (NSK) are in two weeks, and some still have quite a bit to practice.

All around the gym, people are training on the balance beam, the uneven bars, and the rings. Some are more fanatic than others. Meuleman makes a futile attempt at the Iron Cross on the rings — a move where you hold yourself up in a T-shape with arms fully extended. ‘I’ve only been doing gymnastics for a year, and some skills are just really hard to master,’ he says.

Meanwhile, board member Laura van den Aker (24) is snapping photos for the club’s Instagram and TikTok. A canvas tote bag is hung on member Margaretha’s (21) leg while she stands in a backbend, a gymnastics move where you’re upside down and arched over on your hands.

Toxic world

On the other side of the hall, Bodhi Zouteriks (24) is training on the bars. He’s been a dedicated member for seven years and has done gymnastics since he was a kid. But his relationship with the sport hasn’t always been so positive.

‘Gymnastics can be a pretty toxic world, where you sometimes have to drill one move for hours on end,’ he says. ‘I used to think the only way to get good was to train until you cried every time. But at Saltare, I’ve learned there’s another way.’

Though he’s no longer a student, he’s still a member. Zouteriks: ‘I met my absolute best friends here. The competitions, drinks, and activities are the highlights of my student years.’

Wink

Competitions are a favorite for many members. Saltare doesn’t compete in national gymnastics tournaments but is present at all the student championships. According to chair Van Gils, things go a bit differently at those events compared to ‘normal’ competitions. ‘At an NSK, you can score bonus points if you wink at the judges,’ she says. ‘Or if you twerk on the beam — that also gets you some,’ adds secretary Annika Kokshoorn.

Another big highlight for many Saltare members is the Tilburg Carnival Volleyball Tournament (CVT). According to Kokshoorn, Saltare transforms into a volleyball club in the lead-up to the event each year: ‘We start practicing a few months in advance, just at the end of gymnastics practice,’ she says. ‘But we still come in last.’

By the end of the ninety-minute training, some Saltare members are still working on their floor routines for the upcoming NSK. Zouteriks flips into a handstand and sings along to Cher’s ‘Believe’. PR manager Laura van den Aker makes the rounds to ask who’s up for ‘a beer afterwards’. Most people can’t say no to this.

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