Just before flinging their body into the air, has your child ever said, “Hey, look what I can do!” Your body breaks out into a sweat because you’re terrified they’re about to hurt themselves. We’ve heard countless versions of this story at Gem City Gymnastics & Tumbling.
We are here to help with our encouraging atmosphere, expert coaching, and facility designed specifically with safety in mind. Founded in 2006, Gem City Gymnastics & Tumbling, LLC. has roots that extended back decades with a current set of coaches that have over 215 years of combined coaching experience.
Aside from learning actual skills – cartwheels, handstands, back handsprings, and more – gymnastics and tumbling classes offer your child life skills. Kids make big gains with their balance, flexibility, goal setting, social interaction on an extracurricular level, respect, and self-confidence when attending regular classes.
Find our fall class schedule here!
Balance
Having a sense of balance – physically and emotionally – are excellent qualities to develop in a young child. While on a balance beam, a child learns to be steady as they learn to control their body and mind. They must work through any fear of height, keep calm, be patient, and to keep trying even if they fall.
Find our fall class schedule here!
Flexibility
Gymnastics and tumbling incorporate many stretches into each and every class. We have many children that start classes completely unable to touch their toes with straight legs. Flexibility helps in ALL sports, not just gymnastics. Being flexible, not hyper flexible, is so good for youngsters. Having tight muscles can be painful. Regular stretching and stretching in fun, creative ways can help your child become more familiar with their own bodies. Being able to do simple stretches prevents future injury.
Find our fall class schedule here!
Goal Setting
Setting goals and working toward them is at the heart of gymnastics and tumbling. Gem City’s coaches help kids set realistic goals and keep working toward them in the long term.
We have set progressions to help all children learn the skills they want to learn. If you come into our facility and tell us what your goal is, we guarantee we can help. Better yet, we’ll stick beside you while you strive to meet that goal. Whether your child is 2 or 12, we can help. You commit your time and efforts and we’ll commit to great coaching and encouragement.
Find our fall class schedule here!
Social Skills
Being able to socialize with children that are a little older or a little younger than you but have the same skill-set as you is harder than you think for children. Not only are these kids asked to be in a class with kids of different ages but they’re also encouraged to work on the same skills together. This is healthy competition! However, being able to be proud of your classmate when they attain a skill that you can’t quite yet do is just as important! Growing up being comfortable with others’ successes while still striving for your own success paves way to an amazing adulthood. And doing that at gym is a special thing that most people don’t even consider. We aren’t affiliated with a school or a church. Kids aren’t told they *have* to be here – they WANT to be here! The energy is high and the hopes are high, so it makes for a great time of learning and making new friends.
Find our fall class schedule here!
Respect
Respecting yourself, adults, peers, and others around you early on can be one of the most important things a child can learn. Listening to their coach give directions and following directions is expected. It is also a learned skill. We don’t expect every child to walk in the door with the listening skills of a college student (we wish!), so bear with us…we’ll have your kiddo saying “thank you” and “you’re welcome” and “please” in just a few short weeks if they don’t already!
We thrive in knowing that we’re helping shape them as people and not just athletes. In classes children learn when it’s okay to ask questions during directions, when it’s okay to cross in front of another class, how to wait for their turn, and more while enrolled in a Gem City class. These are skills they can take beyond the gym.
Find our fall class schedule here!
Body Awareness
Aside from attaining goals, getting stronger, making new friends, and moving up in level – learning to be comfortable in your own body while young will help enable each child to appreciate their own body instead of comparing it to others, regardless of age or gender. Knowing that your body can be taught how to do amazing skills or extreme stretches builds self-confidence. Every child is a different shape and size. Being confident in your body and mind is something that kids don’t get from other activities they participate in.
Find our fall class schedule here!
Let us help your little one attain the skills they’ll need to keep moving forward. And when we say little, we mean younger. A lot of our athletes have grown into larger humans than their coaches! Ha! We start classes at 18 months old. We have boys and girls regularly attend classes – sometimes up to five times a week. We even have a preschool group and an adult group that meet every week as well.
Check out our class schedule, Preschool Playtime, and Adult Gymnastics times at the button below. We LOVE what we do, and we know how to do it well. We can’t wait to see you attend your TRIAL class. Yes, all new and prospective members get to attend a trial class before committing to a full session. Call 217.224.8491 to setup your trail today! Try Gem City!