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PAGE 18G
- FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - SuncUy, March 28, IWO
SPORTS, LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT
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Local gymnastics programs
growing fast - at every level
ByTherese Allen
Staff Writer
Could Forsyth County become
the next Mecca for gymnasts from
all over the southeast? Owners of
local gyms would like to think so.
North Wind Gymnastics, Lanier
Academy of Gymnastics and the
Cumming and Forsyth County
Parks and Recreation
Departments all have growing
programs.
Their combined enrollment is
now more than 1,250. A few years
ago, access to facilities like
Northwinds and Lanier were
almost non-existent in the county.
Today, gymnastics and cheerlead
ing are continuing to gain popu
larity with Forsyth County youth.
The parks and recreation depart
ments offer an inexpensive way
for a parent to see if their child .is
acclimated for the sport of gym
nastics. The city’s program holds
classes in the old Russell’s build
ing off the town square and holds
advanced classes at the
Chattahoochee Elementary school
gymnasium.
Forsyth County Parks and
Recreation classes are held at
Midway Elementary and Vickery
Creek Elementary.
Both programs have competition
teams: The Cumming
GymSations and the Flyers. Both
pipgrams have accredited coach
ed most of whom were former
competitive gymnasts. Lynn
Hendrix, with the Forsyth County
Parks and Recreation Department,
said that because of the lack of a
proper facility for more advanced
gymnastics training, the competi
tive team can only attain a level of
stbr6.
“Kids that really develop a pas
sion for it usually go on to a pri
vate gym,” she said.
instructors with the Cumming
Recreation and Parks Department
are frustrated as well about the
lack of a proper facility. Officials
with both programs agree, that
until they have better equipment
and a facility, they are just a step
ping stone for an advanced gym
nast with talent and ambition.
JThere are three private gyms in
Pprsyth County, with one geared
toward teaching cheerleading
tumbling stunts on McFarland
Road. The others are gymnastic
braining facilities, with former
dlympic and world champion
IforthWind Gyninastics (770-
475-6103) is the only gym in the
County that has competitors above
a Level 6. Competitive gymnas
tics at North Wind goes all the
way the way to Level 10. In com
petition since September, owner
Peggy Simpson said her trophy
table is full.
Like many programs,
North Wind begins children at 18
months with their mom or dad
and continues on up to Olympic
level competition. North Wind is
located in the McFarland-400
business park.
Lanier Academy of Gymnastics
in Cumming (770-781-8371)
boasts a former Olympic coach
for the Russian gymnastics team.
The three-year program is grow
ing, with more than 400 children
enrolled.
Lanier’s slogan is "we train
a
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Maddie Carroll, Cheyenne
Heard, Danielle Priest and
Kristina Lugus prepare for
gymnastics as part of the
Cumming Parks and
Recreation’s Mom, Pop and
Tots class for aspiring gym
nasts ages 15-36 months.
Instructor Trish “Miss Trish”
Merck assists Kristina Lugus
on the balance beam.
Photos/Tom Brooks
champions” and, competitively,
this gym also does extremely
well. Officials at Lanier said
because the program is young that
the highest level of competition is
6. They say they are building the
program step by step.
Both private gyms will be offer
ing summer camps and activities.
Officials at Lanier said their sum
mer day camp is an alternative to
day care and is a program that
offers a lot of flexibility for par
ents and many different activities
for children.
Summer programs at the
Cumming Recreation and Parks
Department (770-781-2030) are
full, but slots are still available for
some county (770-781-2215) pro
grams.
A half-dozen Under-6
Rowdies soccer players
appear to be doing a soccer
dance during a set of games
earlier in the month.
Photo/Stephen Underwood
ROWDIES from 14G
fields at Sharon Springs and
Midway Park. A practice football
field at Bennett Park is available
as well.
But availability of football fields
is limited in the fall. Another pos
sibility may be scheduling more
games on Sundays.
The organization is considering
other ideas. Is it possible, that if
the parks departments couldn’t
keep up with the demand, the
Rowdies might be able to find
someone who would donate or
spearhead a campaign to raise
funds for a privately-built soccer
complex?
“We’re all just volunteers,” said
Parks. “But we may need some
one to look into that avenue.”
Parks also said the club hopes to
work a little more closely with the
Forsyth County Parks and
Recreation Department.
The Rowdies have 76 teams this
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year, including 11 select teams -
five Athena (girls) and six
Premier (boys).
In their recreation program, the
Rowdies have 16 teams in the
Under-6 division and 17 in the
Under-8, both which play a ver
sion of co-ed micro soccer. In the
Under-10 division, there are nine
girls teams and 10 boys teams.
The Under-12 and Under-14
teams travel outside the organiza
tion for competition. There are
four U-12 girls teams, five U-12
boys teams, two U-14 boys teams
and one U-14 girls team. Finally,
there is one Rowdies U-16 co-ed
team.
The Rowdies are especially
pleased - with their mini-camp for
the very youngest children. “In
the fall, we had 50 kids and last
spring we had 80. Now we have
130 signed up,” said Parks.
The program starts April 9 and
runs from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at*
Sharon Springs Park for four con
secutive Fridays.
; Also on the docket is a coaching
clinic for the Under-10 coaches. ’•
Not only is the quantity of par
ticipants increasing, but also the'
quality of the performance. The
boys Premier U-14 ‘A’ team won
five and tied two out of seven
matches under coach Alphonso
Bonilla last year; they are expect
ed to be the first Rowdies team to
be able to move to the first
Classic level next year.
“We’ve come a long way,” con
cluded Levensalor, “both num
bers-wise and quality-wise. We
also have a great board.”
He only hopes that the organiza
tion can continue to get more
parental participation and, like
everyone else, that more fields
can somehow, some way become
available.