Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I pay the registration fee every session?
A. NO. The registration fee is a once a year fee. Our year follows the school year and goes from Sept-May. There is no registration fee for summer classes.

Q. Can I enroll on line?
A. Sorry, but not at this time. The registration forms are on our Facebook page under the photo album "Flyers". There you can download and print the forms you need. Then return to the front desk with payment.

Q. When does my child advance to the next level?
A. Once you've enrolled in a class your child will stay in that class for the year. At the end of the year we test the students and will advance them based on their scores.

Q. What does my child wear to class?
A. Leotards are required. Dance & Cheer classes need to have the proper shoes. Boys need to wear shorts and t-shirt. NO BUTTONS, ZIPPERS, OR SNAPS on any piece of clothing! No baggy clothes of any kind.
*Shoes and socks are not necessary for any class except dance and cheer!

Q. What if my child missing a class?
A. If you miss a class, call the office and we'll help you set up a make up day.

Q. I filled out the registration forms last year why do I have to do it again?
A. We are required by law to have new forms filled out every year.

Q. Can my child join in the middle of a session? Will they be to far behind?
A. Yes you can join in the middle of a session! We will pro-rate that session for you so that you're not paying for the classes you weren't here for. (Please note that this applies to new students only! If you drop a session and then return later in the year you will have to pay the whole session and do make up classes) Our lessons plans progress throughout the year and every skill can be made easier or harder depending on the needs of the child, so no your child will not be left behind.

Q. Why can't siblings and Grandparents watch classes?
A. There are multiple reasons for this, the most important being Safety and Limited Space!

The Spring Show

Spring is in the air and we are busier than a hive of bees! While everyone else is making plans for Spring Break we are planning our Spring Show. The show is a Gonyons tradition going back many, many years. It's a big production with big rewards.

It all starts with a theme. Over the years we've had some memorable ones like Classic Rock, Animals, Show Tunes, Country, Around the World, and Candyland. This year it's Splish Splash. How do we pick the theme? Around Christmas time we have a staff meeting and we brainstorm! There's a lot we have to take into account before we can settle on a theme, for example we ask ourselves "Can we find music, leotards, and decorations to fit our theme?" Once the theme has been decided the coaches scramble to get their music.

Choosing a song for each class has it's own challenges. It has to be age appropriate and family friendly. Many times coaches will want the same songs! We have to post a song sheet and who ever writes it down first gets the song. We've learned it's best to be creative with our song selections.

Next we have to choose costumes/leotards to match the theme and the song. We also have to keep in mind the price and available sizes. Certain leotards are made for younger students, while others are made for the older kids. Also, we put a cap on the amount a costume can cost so we don't break the parents pocketbook. That means half of the catalog is automatically ruled out!

From there Coaches have to make up routines for each song. While this doesn't sound difficult, I assure you it's not an easy task. We have to make sure every student will be able to perform the skills in the choreography. That includes tumbling skills, dance moves, and use of props. Props can be an additional piece of equipment, ribbons, hats, maracas, etc... This guarantees no two routines will be the same!

Now comes the fun part, we kick the parents out of the gym and start teaching the routines to the kids. I know it's difficult not being able to watch classes, but parents we want it to be a surprise! Trust me, it's worth it!!! When the kids finally get to perform they are all smiles :)

As the day of the show draws near we get ready for pictures. At the beginning of May we start scheduling portraits. Pictures are not required, but for those who do want them they must be prepaid and scheduled in advance. It's necessary for us to do this so we know how long we need to book the photographer. Woodland Photography comes to the gym in the morning the day before the show. They do a fabulous job! Each year they make a special portrait of all the kids in their costumes for the Gym to display.

After the photographer is finished and packed up we get ready to tear the gym apart. Our entire staff and their families gather at the gym with as many trucks as possible and we pack up the equipment and haul it over to Oakridge Middle School Gym. We take the special regulation gym floor, bars, beams, rings, trampoline and vault. We also have numerous floor mats, wedges, port a pits, crash mats, and dismount mats to bring. Oh and don't forget we have to make sure we have all our props. Our checklist also includes tables, chairs, sound system, decorations, table service, trophies, and arts & crafts for the kids to keep busy back stage. Of course, hauling it to the school is just half the battle. Now we have to set up all the equipment and decorate the school. If it wasn't for our families volunteering their time and man power I don't think we'd be able to put on such an amazing show! It's a long hard day for all of us.

The day of the show we arrive at the school bright and early to do the final preparations. We have a concessions table that the Gym Team parents run while the Cheer Team parents sell flowers and candygrams.  All proceeds go to the teams. There's  lots of bustling going on  in the kitchen too. After the show students and parents are invited to stay and have cake and punch. 

Thirty minutes before show time students arrive, dressed and ready to perform. Parents drop the kids off at the locker room then find a spot in the bleachers. Coaches stay in the locker room with the kids. It it maned at all times. Kids stay in the locker room for the entire show. At the end of the performance they receive their trophies and they all come out for the grand finale. Now, usually we more than one show. For example: Mon & Tue classes in the first show, then Wed, Thurs, & Sat classes in the second show. The team kids perform at all show times. Some years we've had so many students performing that we've done three shows! In between shows the coaches grab a quick bite to eat before heading back to the locker room to do it all over again.

After the last show is done and the students have cleared the floor we go right into clean up mode. Immediately our staff and volunteers tear down the equipment and load up the trucks. We also clean the school so it's ready for students the next morning. By the time we haul all our stuff back to Gonyons Gym we're tired, sore, and hungry. We literally toss the equipment in the door and go out to celebrate a job well done.

During the next two weeks the staff deep cleans the gym and has to put all the equipment back together without the help of our families. Whew! We put a lot of time and energy into our Spring Shows! We also get all joy out of it. The kids are all beaming with pride after they get their trophies and, as a coach, that's priceless!!!

The Foam Pit

A gym without a foam pit would be like a school with no principal. It's an essential piece of equipment. While our littlest gymnast see it as a toy box, our team kids are thankful to have a soft place to land when learning new skills. And as with all our equipment it must be used properly to avoid injury.

Now, I know what you're thinking "How do you get injured in the foam pit"? Well, there are a few things to be careful of. Always jump in feet or butt first. Landing the the pit head first or on your belly can cause neck or spinal injuries! Also, if you don't look before you leap, you may end up landing on a fellow student.

Here are our basic rules for foam pit safety:
Do not land head first into the pit
Do not bury yourself under the pit blocks.
Do not attempt skills you cannot do by yourself safely
Do not dig holes in the pit blocks
Do not throw foam out of the pit
Do not pick the foam pit blocks apart
Do not throw foam blocks at anyone’s face
Do not jump into the pit from the trampoline

These rules are not meant to take the fun out of the pit experience, but are there to make sure your fun doesn't come to an unfortunate ending.

So, how is the pit an essential tool? Foam pits are very useful because it eliminates a huge amount of spotting from the coach. There are certain gymnastics skills that are very hard to spot and on occasions a coach spotting just gets in the way.

It's also great for conditioning! You see, those foam blocks are incredibly deceptive. The more you weigh the more they pull you towards the bottom. It makes moving difficult and gives your muscles a great workout!

Weather you're playing, conditioning, or practicing new skills a foam pit is a must for every gymnastics club.

The ABC's of the Gym

A is for Athlete. Gymnastics is the root of all sports. The strength and muscle memory you build can be carried over into every other sporting event.

B is for Balance. Gymnasts have a way of making even the smallest of movements look easy. The truth is it takes years to master the balance needed to prefect those tiny skills.

C is for Cartwheel. Of of the most basic skills. Seems so simple, but there's 4 things going on at once. That's why kids have to practice them A LOT!

D is for Dismount. It's the last thing the judges see and it's important to nail it. Our littlest gymnasts know it better as TA-DA.

E is for Elite. When you dedicate yourself to long hours in the gym you stand apart from everyone else.

F is for Flip. The ultimate show off skill to all your friends.

G is for Grace. Knowing how to hold yourself, present yourself, and even knowing how to correctly fall. It's not natural, it's a learned skill.

H is for Hurdle. This is the skill right before a round off. It's the power behind the skill.

I is for Iron Cross. It's the ultimate skill for men on the rings.

J is for Jump. Believe it or not, but there is a correct way to jump! Seems like a no brainer, but there are different types of jumps that use different muscles.

K is for Kip. The kip is an important skill that is used as both a mount and an element or connecting skill in a bar routine.

L is for Leotard. It's important to be properly dressed.

M is for Meet. Whether your at a sanctioned meet or a fun meet performing in front of judges can cause a case of the jitters.

N is for Never give up. There's no such thing as I can't.

O is for Obstacles. There will always be obstacles in life. How you overcome them is what makes you strong.

P is for Practice. Practice make permanent so practice like you are performing.

Q is for Quick. When doing all those skills you have to make sure you quickly spot where your gonna land.

R is for Run. Essential for building power.

S is for Stick it. Here's that dismount skill again. It's a difficult thing to stop all your movement in one small moment.

T is for Tumble. The very first tumbling skill is the forward roll. It's the building block of skills to come.

U is for Uneven Bars. The women's apparatus in which the bars are different levels of height.

V is for Vault. To run full speed at a stationary object and skillfully vault over without crashing into it!

W is for Warm up. It's important to properly warm up before doing any sport to prevent injury.

X is for X marks the spot. The dismount skill is so important it's made the list for a third time.

Y is for Yes. The exclamation you make when you stick it.

Z is for Zone. An athlete's focus.

Progressions

The art of Progressions is the foundation of teaching and learning Gymnastics. This makes it safe and approachable for anyone, regardless of the amount of experience they have.

The first step is to break down the skill and  learn the movement pattern. For example, if the skill is a backward tuck, then the very basic movement pattern is a straight jump followed by tucking the knees into the chest. This is practiced without the full turnover against a wall or on a resi pit so that you can learn to apply speed and power to the skill. It also teaches you to jump high before tucking.

Once you know what you're supposed to be doing you practice with assistance. The ides is to make strength and power requirements less by using mat layouts and elevation. For example, doing a back tuck into the foam pit to make sure you're landing on your feet or using the trampoline so you can focus on the flip and not worry about the height. From there the coach will spot you through the skill. This will provide enough support without taking the hard work out of the task. You'll be given some helpful hints on how to improve from your coach and gain confidence.

Then practice makes perfect! It will take 800 repetitions to perfect the action so that the body does it instinctively. That doesn't mean 800 back tucks, that means 800 progressions! Practicing the individual drills for a skill keeps you from getting sloppy and picking up bad habits. It also keeps you from getting injured.

Once you've gotten the basic movement patterns, you can perform the skill in pieces. Again using the backflip, you can practice the jump and tuck without a full turnover by jumping back against a mat set up on a wall. As you jump backward, you will hit the wall with your upper back as you tuck your knees to your chest. This step gives you the sense of going through the motions while also applying speed and power. It also teaches you to jump high before tucking.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/438513-gymnastics-drills-and-progressions-for-skill/#ixzz2DY0Hqeue

all gymnastics skills are taught and learned through the use of progressions that make them safe and approachable for anyone, no matter how much gymnastics experience you may have.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/438513-gymnastics-drills-and-progressions-for-skill/#ixzz2DXwHdAe2

all gymnastics skills are taught and learned through the use of progressions that make them safe and approachable for anyone, no matter how much gymnastics experience you may have.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/438513-gymnastics-drills-and-progressions-for-skill/#ixzz2DXwHdAe2

all gymnastics skills are taught and learned through the use of progressions that make them safe and approachable for anyone, no matter how much gymnastics experience you may have.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/438513-gymnastics-drills-and-progressions-for-skill/#ixzz2DXvybker

Tricks and Treats

There are many ways to "trick" kids into learning and "treat" them to some laugh out loud fun in the process. Let me reach into my goodie bag and show you some Tricks and Treats of learning at the gym.

Cartwheels. Often we'll use a piece of foam for kids to jump over or hold so they can kick while learning cartwheels. The strategy is they're focused on the foam more than the "I can't or I don't know how". This makes it fun and helps them learn to pop the hips and lift the legs.

Balance. Bean bags on the head while walking on the beam is crazy fun. Instead of them looking at the beam to walk, they have to focus on keeping their heads up and look only at the far end of the beam. Some kids will figure out how to place it so their ponytales hold it in place, while others hold it with their hands til they get the hang of it.

Rainbows. The rainbows hold endless fun. From helping learn how to hold the splits to learning how to spot backward skills. The kids just see it as something to climb on and rock in. They have no idea that they're learning gymnastics until the Coach helps them finish the skill. The surprised looks of "Oh wow. I did it!" always bring a smile to coaches, students, and parents.

So next time you see your child having way to much fun, remember they're being tricked into learning some pretty awesome skills, and the end result is rewarding :)

The root of all sports

Gymnastics is the root of all sports. It involves the performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance.

In ancient times, exercises began with athletic feats performed by each individual according to his own notion. The youths were encouraged to combine amusement with exercise. In time, this kind of exercise was incorporated into a system that figured prominently in the state regulations for education. In fact, the period for exercise or gymnastics was equal to the time spent on art and music combined. All Greek cities had a gymnasium, a courtyard for jumping, running, and wrestling. The term included stretching exercises and warm-up preparations for athletes. These were based on military exercises.

 In the year 1569, Girolamo Mercuriale from Italy wrote Le Arte Gymnastica, that brought together his study of the attitudes of the ancients toward diet, exercise and hygiene, and the use of natural methods for the cure of disease. De Arte Gymnastica also explained the principles of physical therapy and is considered the first book on sports medicine.

In the late eighteenth century, three pioneer physical educators created exercises for boys and young men on specific apparatuses  that ultimately led to what is considered modern gymnastics Today, both men's and women's gymnastics now attract considerable international interest, and excellent gymnasts can be found on every continent.