The Gymnast Phenomenon

It's a fact that children who become gymnasts do better in school. Studies have shown that gymnasts as a whole, get better grades than other athletic groups from elementary to high school and throughout college. A college gymnast is three times more likely to win an NCAA academic award or post-graduate scholarship than an athlete from any other sport. In fact, the NCAA awards more post-graduate scholarships to gymnasts than to any other female sport (source: http://www.mit.edu/~fog/stats.htm). But why? What makes gymnasts so special? How can a competitive student gymnast spend 15-20 hours a week, year-round in a gym and still excel academically, get homework done and make the honor roll? The answer lies in what they learn from gymnastics: self-discipline, dedication, and commitment to the sport. It translates into success in the classroom and beyond. If you've met a few gymnasts, you already know they are some of the brightest, sweetest, most gifted children on the planet. However, it didn't happen overnight or by accident. Their parents first persuaded them to try it, and then they learned from their coaches and teammates. What motivates them? They want to grow and get better with each practice. Every day they strive to become a little bit better than they were the day before. With that attitude it's no wonder that children who become gymnasts do better in school. Now imagine spending your time as a parent, coach or teacher with that wonderful group of hard workers, helping them learn, watching them grow into the best that our world has to offer. It makes you want to be better as well, and do everything you can to help them. It might even inspire you to build your own gymnastics school from scratch!

Selling A Dream

Selling a dream to someone else isn't easy, especially when you are asking for a large financial commitment and the prospect of years before you see a return on your investment. Starting a gymnastics school from scratch requires help from a lot of different people including your spouse. My husband is a shrewd investor by nature, who takes his time with any decision that involves money. From the start, he insisted that I go very slowly, research the market, learn the area, take business courses and develop a business plan that looks at least 5 years ahead. I would also have to start small in whatever suitable space I could afford to rent. While it's disappointing not to break ground on a new building (we all want instant gratification), I also understand my husband's points about trade-offs, cost-to-benefit, and time to profitability. His motto is, "You can have whatever you want once you've earned it." It's hard to wait when you are so committed to bringing something so badly needed in this area right now. However, you have to sell it, even to those closest to you. You can't forget that. It's not enough to have a passion for something you want without a detailed plan. You have to bring others on board, even if it means bringing yourself down to earth, starting where you can, and waiting for that dream groundbreaking one day -- after you've earned it.

When 'Good Enough' Really Isn't Good Enough

One of the decisions I've had to make in building a gymnastics school from scratch is how far to go in equipping the gym in the best and safest way possible. Some might think that carpet-bonded foam or mats placed over the floor to cushion a vault runway is 'good enough' to keep athletes safe, but is it? When a gymnast sprints down that 78-foot runway to complete a vault, there are no cushioned shoes to absorb the impact. The body, especially the knee and ankle joints, absorbs it all. Constant repetitions on the runway mats, even on very good mats can cause knee joint problems and shin splints, especially in those last driving steps as the gymnast approaches the spring board. Take the case of Annia Hatch and several other gymnasts who were injured during the 2002 World Championships. Hatch was practicing the vault, her best event, when she tore her left ACL the day prior to the competition. Then, Courtney Kupets, the U.S. all-around champion, tore her achilles before the team finals. What was the culprit? Runway mats placed over a hard floor looked 'good enough' but in reality it wasn't good enough to prevent injuries. The solution is to install a raised, flexible vault runway system that will help absorb the shock of constant repetitions. It will also be one of the first things in the new gym! If it saves an injury to just one child, it is more than 'good enough!'

Disappointments, Perseverance, Never Give Up!

You think you've found the ideal building until the phone rings. The call begins with a pause, and then the slow, pained words "Unfortunately due to the building being in an industrial area the business you are starting wouldn’t fit the code criteria, it would only fit under commercial." Then some words of encouragement to keep looking. The dream has had many highs and lows, along with some "what if's." You second-guess yourself. Maybe one of those less-than-ideal buildings I passed up could have worked for awhile? Time to focus on other things. Time for some ice cream. But... I know a lot about gym locations and I know that many gymnastic schools are allowed in industrial areas. Why not in Eau Claire? So what if I fail? Why not try to make a case for it here?  So that is what I did. I contacted the City and found out what to do, how to apply and make a case for an amendment to change the rules. My husband and I researched the Industrial statutes of every medium to large city in Wisconsin and found some surprising facts. More often than not, cities such as Janesville, Madison, Beloit, Green Bay, Wausau, etc., DO allow some types of indoor recreational use in industrial areas. It wasn't a lost cause, the city agreed, and we won!

Location, Location, Location.... Finally!

What most people don't know is that gymnastics equipment requires a very specific kind of building. Of course, ceiling height is important, but walk inside just about any commercial building and you will find a support post within 32 to 36-feet of where you are standing. This is because commercial buildings use support posts to efficiently support the flat roofs above them. Important fact about gymnastics: a regulation spring floor is 42-feet square, which means you can't fit one in a typical commercial building that has support posts. On the other hand, buildings in industrial areas such as warehouses are often "clear span" with heavy roof supports that stretch from wall-to-wall with no columns in the middle needed to hold them up. Clear span warehouse buildings are designed so that large inventory can be moved around easily. However, warehouses range from dirt-floored sheds with no heating system or plumbing, to multilevel complexes with loading docks, offices, and all the comforts of home. The trick is to find a clear span building that is not too big, not too small, has plumbing and climate control, along with a great location that is also affordable. In my experience over 5 years, finding such a building is just about as easy as a Double Back with Double Twist (a difficult skill on that spring floor that won't fit:-) So when a friend calls you about a building just listed in Eau Claire that provides everything you need, you might want to go out and buy a few lottery tickets! Thanks Melissa, dinner on me one night you're free!

It All Starts with a Dream

My journey began after we moved from the Phoenix, Arizona area to Chippewa Falls where my husband's dream was to find the ideal lake home where he could fish to his heart's content. While we said goodbye to the negatives of big city living, we also left behind excellent gymnastics and fine arts programs that we had come to love. While I found excellent coaches and gymnasts in the area, there were no private gymnastic clubs that provided the kind of gymnastics experience I grew up with as a Parkette gymnast in Allentown, Pennsylvania, or that I had enjoyed as a parent of aspiring young gymnasts in Arizona. It didn't take long for me to decide that I could make it happen here, in the Chippewa Valley. That's how the dream started. However, I didn't know I would have to persevere for 5 years, searching in vain for a location, and finally having to change the city's laws to realize that dream!