Gymnastics really is a sport suitable for both boys and girls, for both toddlers and teens and for young bodies of all shapes and sizes. There are, however, some ongoing myths and misconceptions about gymnastics that prevent parents from encouraging, or even considering, allowing their child to enroll in a gymnastics class. And that’s a real shame, so it’s about time to debunk some of the most commonly heard of them.

My child is not very coordinated (flexible, strong) so gymnastics is not going to be right for them.

These ‘weaknesses’ that parents perceive their child has are actually great reasons for a child to be enrolled in a gymnastics class. Gymnastics helps even the youngest children improve their basic gross motor skills, improve their flexibility and it’s great for building overall strength.

My child isn’t ever going to make a competitive team so why bother?

Once you get beyond the obvious question – why are you so sure they won’t make a team? – the fact is that gymnastics is a wonderful activity for young people in general, even if they never do pursue it competitively. In addition to all of the physical benefits it offers, it’s a great tool for learning self-discipline, for boosting self-esteem, for making new friends and simply having fun, all of which are beneficial for any kid.

It’s too dangerous for my child

If you casually watch the professional gymnastics championships then yes, you will hear of competitors being sidelined with injury. But that is the same in every sport! The fact is that gymnastics coaches have to be highly trained in issues like injury prevention, gym safety and, if needed, advanced first aid.

When and if a child progresses to higher level competitive gymnastics they may indeed face an injury at some point, but the chances of that are no higher than for a child who plays baseball, football, soccer or any other popular youth sport. So a fear of injury is no reason to prevent a child from pursuing something they may very well come to love.

My child is (is going to be) too tall for gymnastics

Yes, many of the greatest professional gymnasts have been rather petite, but that does not apply to all of them by any means. And in reality height is no barrier to success at the level most young gymnasts aspire to and if they are interested, and participating and having fun, why let any perceived difficulty limit them?

My child is too old for gymnastics

Many children do indeed begin to take gymnastics classes in late toddlerhood. But that does not mean that tweens and teens cannot become involved in gymnastics if they are interested in it. In some cases they may be a little old to make a competitive team – although maybe not – but they can still reap all of the mental and physical benefits that gymnastics has to offer.

Gymnastics is a girls sport and I have sons

This is a very common myth and one that the many supremely talented male gymnasts in the world laugh at. The fact is that there are few sports that provide such great ‘cross-training’ for males as gymnastics does, which is why an increasing number of pro athletes in other sports, especially football and baseball, now incorporate gymnastics into their training regimes.

And as for those male gymnasts? For three years running now, in their annual ‘Fittest Athletes’ rundown Men’s Health magazine have placed Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura third on the list, behind only US decathlete Ashton Eaton and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, miles ahead of all of the footballers, weightlifters and other pros some people consider to be ‘more manly’.

Visit the Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

Children lie to their parents. They can be sneaky. They don’t listen to what they’re told and somehow, they can often seem to have been born with the ability to press just the right buttons to drive Mum and Dad nuts.

None of this is really news to most parents. But many don’t stop to think that some of the things that they do might be driving their kids just as crazy and adding to THEIR stress.

We all want to raise kids that are good, well-adjusted creatures who do well in school, in sport, and in life, are popular and who will grow up to be useful, successful people in their own right. This is especially true sometimes of parents whose kids are involved in organized sports like gymnastics.

We also hope we can raise our kids to do better and have a better life than we have, but in doing so often hold some hypocritically high standards for our children, especially when they reach their tween and teen years.

Are you guilty of this? Consider these behaviors (and be honest here) and if you can see yourself in any of them then the time has come to learn to lighten up.

Expecting Your Child to Always be in a Good Mood

It’s annoying (to say the least) when you come home from a long day at work and your kid is in a bad mood. Why? You are the one who has toiled all day to keep a roof over their head and food on the table – as well as pay for that new leotard they were so desperate for. Surely the least they could do is stop their silly sulk that’s adding to your stress.

The fact is though, kids have bad days too. They get a bad test score. They had a terrible practice in the gym. They could not master a brand-new routine even after eight attempts. They had a fight with their BFF. The teacher or their coach was particularly mean today (at least they thought so).

The fact is that children experience things during their day that anger them, stress them out and upset them just like you do. They deserve to be cut a bit of slack. Kids are not always going to be in a good mood and parents just have to accept that. Now, if they are never in a good mood, that’s a different story. But for the most part leaving them alone, while making the offer that you are there to talk if they need it, is better than haranguing them to ‘cheer up’ just because it will make you feel better.

Expecting Your Child to Be Perfect in School or in Sports

There is nothing wrong with wanting your child to do well at school and in sports. There is nothing wrong with encouraging them to do so and for setting boundaries for study times or encouraging them to stick to their practice routines. There is even nothing wrong with becoming a little frustrated when they get a low mark in a test or perform not quite up to their best standard at a meet. But expecting your child to be perfect in school or in sports is not just unreasonable, it can border on cruel if you set the bar too high.

Are you perfect at work? Do you never make a mistake? No, you do, and you learn from it, continue to try to do your best and move on. You should encourage your children to do the same and try to sympathize a little more when things don’t quite go to plan.

Expecting Your Child Never to Mess Up

It’s frustrating when a child messes up for sure. How did they rip those jeans? How did they manage to get that move wrong when they had practiced it a hundred times? How did they manage to drop that phone? Do they think iPhone screens grow on trees?

The question here to ask yourself is why do we often hold kids to a higher standard than we do ourselves? If you did sports at school did you never make a mistake or put in a less than perfect performance? One odd step or slip and you might drop your phone as well. And the chances are you’d be mad, but you’d forgive yourself and move on to finding a solution to the problem. So, if you don’t do the same for your kids then yes, you are being quite unreasonable.

For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

Young gymnasts perform some amazing feats every time they step into a gym. However, as back to school time rolls around again and a new school year begins young gymnasts begin trying to master a balancing act that has very little to do with a four inch beam; balancing their school work with their athletic commitments.

Not that participating in gymnastics should be considered an obstacle to academic achievement. In fact, study after study has shown that children who participate in formal sports tend to do better in school than many of their peers who do not. What is called for however, in order for students to reach their maximum potential in both sports and schoolwork is some planning, time management and support from the adults in their life.

With this in mind, here are a few tips for achieving this delicate, but potentially very beneficial balance.

Talk to All the Stakeholders

Right at the beginning of the school year a young gymnast and her parents need to take the time to speak to both teachers and coaches, to teachers about their gymnastics commitments and to coaches about their academic ones. This way everyone understands what the student is dealing with and can be supportive if a little stress starts to set in as the year goes on.

Have a Plan – and a Planner

The key to good time management is proper planning. And a planner is a great tool not only for making plans but for sticking to them as well. When a child will be juggling schoolwork, gymnastics and trying to also have the social life any kid needs having a proper schedule is often the only way to make it all work.

You can make use of something as simple as an old-fashioned notebook or go a little more high tech and opt for a software based planner like Trello. Whatever you do just ensure that both child and parent have access to the planner at all times.

Make Clever Use of Time

Gymnasts can use their planner to ‘find’ extra little chunks of time to get things done. For example, often a lot of homework assignments can be done in a few 10-15 minute chunks. The commute from home to gym, or from gym to meet can offer that time and, as a bonus, if a gymnast is a little nervous about facing a big competition distracting themselves in this way can help keep pre-performance jitters away as well.

Encourage Kids to Get Help If They Need It

Even with all the planning in the world, and all of the best intentions, the balance between achieving great classroom marks and great marks on the gym floor can sometimes get to be a little much for young gymnasts of all ages. Parents should be aware of this fact and make it clear to their child that it’s OK to ask for help if they need it; from coaches, from teachers and from them.

For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

Believe it or not, it’s not too long until the big holiday season rolls around again. If you are an organized, savvy holiday shopper – as most of us do try to be every year – no doubt you’ve already at least started thinking about your shopping lists and what should be on them.

The best holiday gifts of course are those that the recipients will not only like and enjoy but find useful in their everyday lives. And this certainly true of young gymnasts. With this in mind, and to help you as you compile your holiday shopping list for the gymnast(s) in your life here are just a few helpful suggestions for the best gifts for gymnasts this holiday season.

Gym Clothes

If you are thinking of treating your gymnast to some new clothes this year then clothing that can do double duty – as in gear that can be worn both in and out of the gym – is a great choice. Hoodies, maybe with a gymnastics themed print or slogan, simple leggings, which are great for wearing during warm ups or just to keep warm and fun t-shirts are all good, useful choices. And of course, maybe a new sparkly leotard tucked into a stocking would be a rather nice thought too…

Home Gym Equipment

Once a young gymnast starts to get a little more serious about their sport they know that their efforts can’t simply begin and end when they are actually at their chosen gymnasium. And while we are not suggesting that you try to recreate a full gymnastics set up in your basement there are some simple – and not that expensive – pieces of ‘home gym’ equipment that can make both great holiday gifts and useful additions to a gymnasts day to day training you can opt for.

Need some ideas here? A simple pull up bar, the kind that affixes in a doorway, offers a great way for gymnasts to work on improving their all-important upper body strength and most of them can be installed and removed on an as needed basis. Exercise bands and jump ropes are great for overall conditioning as well and they make great extra little ‘stocking stuffers’. Want to buy a really useful piece of home gym gear though? Opt for a folding gym mat that can offer gymnasts of all ages and all skill levels a safer place to practice at home.

Gymnastics Inspiration

Gymnasts of all ability levels and all ages benefit from a little encouragement and inspiration wherever and whenever they can find it. In terms of gift ideas this can come from a great gymnastics book. For older readers Letters to a Young Gymnast by Nadia Comaneci and Raising the Bar by Gabrielle Douglas are two of our favorites and for very young gymnasts who are also still developing their reading skills DK Readers: First Day at Gymnastics is a fun and informative choice.

If you’re looking for world class gymnastic training for your child, visit our Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

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If you followed the gymnastics competition at the 2016 Rio Olympics – and we’re sure you did to at least some extent – the you probably know that at the end of the women’s competition, when the US’ ‘Final Five’ emerged even more triumphant than many people had expected, it was a slightly bitter sweet occasion, as for the legendary Martha Karolyi it marked the last time she would lead the US team, as she has now joined her equally iconic husband Bela in retirement after almost half a century of coaching some of the best gymnasts in the world. And to mark the occasion we thought we’d take a look back at her stellar career and the impact she’s had, especially on the success of US gymnasts.

In the Beginning

As a young woman Martha Erőss was a competitive gymnast herself, in her native Romania. While enrolled as a full time college student at the Romania College of Physical Education, her gymnastics coach was a rather young and dashing hammer throwing Olympian named Béla Károlyi. And while she never did quite make the Olympics, she did believe she had met the man of her dreams and the pair married in 1963.

Deciding what to do with their lives together, the Karoylis moved back to the small mining village where Béla had grown up and opened a modest gymnastics school within the confines of the local elementary school. Within a few years however the couple’s reputation as an excellent coaching duo led to them being invited by the government of the day to set up a national training school.

In scouting for gymnasts for those first classes, the Karoylis made a habit of visiting a number of schools all over the country. At one, they encountered a particularly talented six year old girl called Nadia Comăneci and the rest, as they say, is history. Nadia was Martha’s first personal prodigy, but there were many more to come.

Coming to the USA

Already known worldwide after the successes of their teams, especially Nadia, in world and Olympic competitions, the Karoylis made a big decision in 1981, deciding to leave behind the oppressive political climate of the time in Romania and defect to the United States.

With their stellar reputation as a solid reference the Karoylis set up their first US training facility in Houston, Texas and quickly had many potential students eager to learn from them. One of those early students was a young girl called Mary Lou Retton, who had lobbied hard to be allowed to leave her home in West Virginia to head to Texas to become a live in student at the Karoyli facility.

At a time where the sport of women’s gymnastics was almost completely dominated by the Soviet Union, Mary Lou changed the face of gymnastics in America. At the 1984 Olympic Games, Mary Lou needed to score a perfect 10 on her final event, the vault, to win the first ever Olympic all-around title for an American woman. In front of a home crowd, she did it. Mary Lou was America’s first gymnastics sweetheart and from there, a new standard was set for the sport in the United States. Enrollment to the Karoyli’s gym multiplied by hundreds within weeks; because it seemed that everyone wanted to be just like Mary Lou.

Martha and the National Team

The Karoylis made a decision, in 1996, that they would retire from coaching individual gymnasts. Bela was then named the head of the US National team program and along with Martha implemented a ‘unified’ training system that is still in place today. Although each girl now had her own coach in the interests of team unity it was agreed that once a month would come together to train at “The Ranch,” a 2,000 acre ranch built by Bela himself. But in 2000 he decided that it was time for him to retire and he handed over his duties to his wife.

Gymnasts who particularly credit Martha as the catalyst for their stellar careers include all of the members of the Magnificent Seven and the Fierce Five, as well as the Final Five who proudly named themselves as a nod to the fact that they would be her final team.

Martha may now officially be retired and the couple may have officially sold ‘The Ranch’ to USA Gymnastics but as the couple still live right next door she has admitted it may be hard to stay away completely, so perhaps another generation of gymnasts will get to benefit from her wisdom after all.

Integrity Gymnastics offer world class gymnastic training for your child, visit our Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the neds of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

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There were some moments though that stand out as truly memorable, the kind that will be repeated in highlight and clip shows for years to come. Here are some of our favorites of them:

The Brazilian Teams’ Performances

Both the Brazilian men and women impressed everyone when they qualified for the team finals by placing in the top eight. The ladies team eventually finished in that eighth place while the men finished sixth and picked a bronze and two silvers in individual events along the way.

What was most memorable though is the heart and pride each of the gymnasts displayed and the way their home crowd reacted. In two weeks, the ten athletes become national stars and national heroes in a country where soccer rules supreme, and the fact that it was so obvious that the gymnasts appreciated every cheer they garnered was a joy to see.

Oksana Chusovitina’s Vaults

The first time that Oksana Aleksandrovna Chusovitina competed at the Olympic Games in 1992 she was 17 years old. In 2016 she’s 41 and the mother of a teenage son and yes, she was back at the Olympics again, representing Uzbekistan as a vault specialist. She finished 7th in the final and made history as she did it, performing the Produnova, the world’s most difficult vault and drawing praise from young women like Simone Biles who were not even born when she competed in her first Olympics!

Andreas Toba’s Team Spirit

Just moments before the horrifying fall that broke French gymnast Samir Ait Said’s leg another male gymnast, Germany’s Andres Toba, also took a fall that injured his knee and threatened to knock him out of the competition as well.

However, although teams come to the Olympics with alternates who are ready to step in if one of the five team members is injured before the competition starts. But once qualifications begin, an alternate can no longer be swapped in. So Germany faced the prospect, it seemed, of trying to reach the team final with just four men.

Toba, however, knew that he was needed. So with a heavily strapped knee he completed a clean and impressive pommel horse routine, at the end of which he was carried from the floor by his grateful teammates, who carried on to the final and a seventh place finish that would not have been possible without Tobas’ grit.

Simone Biles and Aly Raisman’s 1 2 Floor Exercise Punch

As they are known for their electrifying floor work a lot was expected of Biles and Raisman in the event but the performances they delivered stunning, gravity defying routines that earned Simone 15.933 points and Aly 15.433 and the gold and silver medals respectively and the awe and admiration of the whole world.

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Visit the Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

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Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman lived up to every expectation that had been placed on them at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and more. They came home with nine medals between them, including the team gold and have officially gone down in the record books as the most successful US Women’s Gymnastics team in Olympic history.

Yet when the media pushed the team to name themselves, as their predecessors had, the name they eventually chose seemed rather mundane. Although fans had lobbied for ‘The GLAM Squad’ and Simone Biles’ parents suggested ‘The Slay Squad’, the girls arrived in Rio admitting they did have a name, but they would not reveal it until after the team final was over. Again, just like their predecessors The Magnificent Seven and, more recently The Fierce Five. When they did, it was, as we all know ‘The Final Five’. And the question was, why such a simple name for such an extraordinary team?

Why the Final Five?

Just prior to the Olympics, at a reunion/meet and greet, Dominique Dawes recalled that they did not actually get a say in the naming of their team, it was a PR exec who coined the moniker ‘Magnificent Seven’. The 2012 squad were given the choice and originally chose ‘Fab Five’, but when they were reminded that that name had also been used by the University of Michigan’s 1991 men’s basketball team they renamed themselves ‘The Fierce Five’, a suggestion put forward by the ever feisty (and fierce) McKayla Maroney.

When the 2016 team captain, Aly Raisman, led her team off the medal podium and they began to cheer’ we are the final five’, many fans of the sport assumed the name was a reference to the fact that as of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics countries will only be able to field a team of four, therefore indeed making the ladies of 2016 the final five. But as was later revealed, the team name was a lot more personal than that.

The nickname actually was coined as a tribute to team coordinator Martha Karolyi. The legendary Romanian coach has held that position for fifteen years, but at the age of 74 decided to step down and retire, which she did immediately after the Olympics. Therefore Simone, Aly, Madison, Laurie and Gabby were HER ‘final five’ and the girls wanted to honor her and the impact she has had on all of their careers.

For instance, it was Karolyi who invited Simone Biles to a one-on-one training camp after Biles had a disastrous showing at one of her first senior competitions in 2013, and a few weeks later Biles won her first of four national titles.

She was also the one who insisted that Gabby Douglas be named to the 2016 team despite a less than stellar showing during the Olympic Trials, trusting that she’s be back in top form for Rio (which she was) And when Aly Raisman contemplated retirement after a poor performance in the 2015 World Championships it was Martha who worked with her one on one to restore her confidence.

And for once, the legendarily tough coach admitted she was overcome with emotion; “From my nature, I’m really not a sentimental person, honestly,” Karolyi said told reporters, “I’m known for being really tough, so I felt like, what’s happening to me, really? But I’m very proud and, yes, I cried.”

A fitting ending to a stellar Olympics and a legendary career, don’t you agree?

If you’re looking for world class gymnastic training for your child, visit our Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the neds of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

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In the run up to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, which are now finally here, the Women’s US Gymnastic team has received a huge amount of attention. And not just from the US media either. The ladies are considered hot favorites to scoop up the golds, especially 19 year old ‘supergirl’ Simone Biles and so the whole world has been watching.

But what of the Men’s US Gymnastic team? Four years ago in London they too went in as hot favorites, but then failed to make an impact, finishing in a disappointing fifth place overall.

This year the men claim things will be very different. They have been training far more intensely, have made a point of training together – which is not always the case for Olympic gymnasts – they have perfected more challenging routines and, they say, they are as coordinated and tight knit as any team could be. But who are the men hoping to bring home gold from Rio and shine as brightly as their female counterparts? Let’s take a look:

Sam Mikulak

Although at 23 Sam is one of the younger members of the team, the fact that he would be named captain was something that many pundits called long before it became official after the Olympic Trials in July.

Rio is Sam’s second Olympics, and this year he is in far better shape than he was four years ago. Back in 2012 he was sidelined for five of the six events after suffering a sprained ankle on the first night of competition. And despite having torn his Achilles Heel back in 2015, he has been training hard enough to feel that he is in the best competitive shape of his career.

Danell Leyva

Danell wasn’t supposed to be going to Rio at all. The 24 year old lost his place on the team – a place he did occupy in 2012 – to John Orozco. However, shortly after the team was officially announced, Orozco re-injured a previously torn ACL and was forced to withdraw.

An Olympic medal winner – the bronze medal in the Individual All-Around – in London Leyva, who was born in Cuba but came to the US as a child when his gymnast mother defected by swimming across the Rio Grande, intends to make the most of this unexpected second chance.

Jacob Dalton

Jacob Dalton’s year began with a new element on the parallel bars being named for him in the Men’s Gymnastics Code of Points. The move, a roll backwards with a half tuck to hang, now assures him some measure of professional immortality, but it’s Olympic gold he is far more interested in.

Like most of his teammates Dalton’s road to Rio has not been easy. A member of the 2012 team in London he was sidelined for much of 2015 with a shoulder injury but recovered well enough to put in impressive vault and bars performances at the Olympics trials that earned him a second shot at the ultimate prize.

Alexander Naddour

Alex was named as an alternate on the 2012 London Olympic team but to his great disappointment was never called upon to compete. Four years of hard work later – and some very impressive performances in national and World Championships, especially on the Pommel Horse – and his passage to Rio was booked.

Cheering him on will be the newest member of his personal team, his six month old daughter Lilah, a little girl who may have gymnastics in her blood, as her mom is former US champion gymnast Holly Vise.

Chris Brooks

Chris was only an alternate in London, but this year he gets his chance to shine. At 29, this may be his last trip to the Olympics and he intends to make the most of it.

Chris’ challenge to himself is about more than medal glory though. As a child he was coached by his father Larry, a former gymnast himself. According to Chris, he sacrificed all kinds of things to help keep his son’s career alive and see him reach the Olympics. Sadly his father was killed in an automobile accident in 2008.

Where some might have crumbled though, Chris was determined to make his Dad proud and carried on, both through crippling grief and serious injury. So if you want to gymnast to really root for Chris is certainly one of them, as he sets out to make his – and his father’s – Olympic dreams come true.

If you’re looking for world class gymnastic training for your child, visit our Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

But the Fierce Five were not the first set of American women gymnasts to set the Olympics, and the world in general, on fire with their talent and skill. Before them came The Magnificent Seven and 2016 marks the twentieth anniversary of their stellar success.

Who Were The Magnificent Seven?

As the current US team members were either not born, or mere babies, when the Olympics hit Atlanta, Georgia in 1996 it’s hardly a surprise that many of their biggest fans don’t know very much about the 1996 US Women’s Gymnastics team. For those who don’t remember, The Magnificent Seven was comprised of Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes, Kerri Strug, Amy Chow, Amanda Borden, and Jaycie Phelps. And they achieved a feat that many had thought impossible; they won the first ever team gold medal for gymnastics for the United States, breaking a stranglehold the now defunct Soviet Union had held on the competition since 1950.

‘The Atlanta Miracle’

It was acknowledged that the team headed to Atlanta in 1996 was a very strong one, led as it was by Shannon Miller, who is still the most decorated American gymnast in history and was that year’s reigning national champion. But even with seven stellar girls on the team (for the first and only time in Olympic history) most pundits expected bronze for the U.S at best, behind the Soviet Union and China (or Romania or the Ukraine. Few gave the Americans a chance)

Although there were stunning performances from all of the girls on the US team – with Miller, Dawes, and Chow all winning individual medals – the one moment most people who were around and watching in 1996 remember is a single vault performed by the tiny Kerri Strug.

This is how ESPN, then a fledgling sports network, described the drama at the time.

“The U.S. is locked up in another captivating battle with Russia. There is just one apparatus left for the U.S. — the vault — as it leads second-place Russia by .897.
But shockingly, the U.S. lead begins to evaporate after Dominique Moceanu — one of America’s golden girls — falls not once but twice, registering only a 9.20, wiping out a chunk of the U.S. lead and leaving the gold up for grabs.

The gold medal now comes down to Kerri Strug, the quiet gymnast, the understudy to stars Moceanu, Dominique Dawes and Shannon Miller.”

And so ‘little’ Kerri got up to vault. Her first attempt was a nightmare. She fell and and audible crack was heard as she landed badly on her left ankle. Her score was not good – 9.162 – but she had a second attempt left.

It’s now known that Kerri had torn two ligaments in her ankle and should not technically even be able to stand straight. But she did. and she vaulted, and she stuck the landing. The team gold was assured for the US and the world went crazy.

After the Gold

For a full year after their triumph, The Magnificent Seven were everywhere. On chat shows, guesting on TV shows, Keri even appeared in a Prince video, at the star’s request. But 20 years on their lives are very different.

Dominique Dawes has been an integral part of Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign. Dominique Moceanu is an author and jewelry designer. Kerri Strug works for the federal government’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Shannon Miller beat ovarian cancer and now designs gymnastics apparel. And Amy Chow is now Dr. Chow, a highly respected pediatrician.

Only two members of the team really ‘stayed’ in the sport. Jaycie Phelps runs an athletics center and coaches younger gymnasts and Amanda Borden coaches and serves as a gymnastics commentator for several broadcast outlets. However, although they have all gone very different ways, the women got back together again in July, just before the Olympic Trials, giving the 2016 team the chance to meet the women who paved the way for them two decades ago.

If you’re looking for world class gymnastic training for your child, visit our Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

Anyone who has even the slightest interest in gymnastics knows that in Rio in August all eyes are going to be on the 19 year old Texan phenom that is the hurricane known as Simone Biles. Many pundits and even former Olympians feel she now has what it takes to make the kind of impact on women’s’ Olympic competitive gymnastics in the 21st century that Nadia Comăneci and her perfect 10 did 40 years ago in 1976.

But Biles aside, who else may make a huge impact this year? Not just from the US Team but from across the globe? Here’s a look at four gymnasts we believe are well worth keeping an eye on as they compete for gold and glory in the 2016 Olympic Games:

Kohei Uchimura, Japan

Uchimura, who recently turned 27, is, in the eyes of many, the male ‘version’ of Simone Biles, a gymnast so innovative and talented that they may be, in some events at least, impossible to beat. He’s a six time World all-around champion (a record), a nine time National Champion back home in Japan and despite his slight 5’3″, 121lb frame is considered to be one of the strongest athletes, pound for pound in the world. And yet he’s a likable, humble competitor too, never one to sit on his laurels. Of competing in Rio, he recently said he planned to train at least an extra hour a day because his competition is ‘so good.’

Manrique Larduet, Cuba

One of the gymnasts giving Kohei Uchimura a run for his money recently has been 19 year old Manrique Larduet. Never heard a Cuban Olympic gymnast before? Not too surprising actually, as the last one to appear at the Olympics was Eric Lopez in 2004.

Manrique has qualified for Rio based on some very solid recent World Championships performances, including a silver in the all-around competition, just losing out to a man he calls his idol, Uchimura. There is going to be a lot of pressure on this talented teenager, the whole country already holds him as a hero, but the pundits feel he is more than up to the pressure.

Oksana Chusovitina

There are lots of things that make Oksana Chusovitina stand out as a gymnast. The fact that she has competed on behalf of three different countries; Germany, the Soviet Union and Uzbekistan. That she is an Olympic gold and silver medalist. And perhaps most notably, in the eyes of many, that she is 41 years old, over 25 years into her professional career, a Mom to teenagers and will still be competing in Rio, under the Uzbekistan flag.

And her appearance is more than a gimmick. Her qualification scores were excellent and some believe she is still a very credible threat to is still a threat to medal on the vault, the event that has brought her so much success in the past.

Dipa Karmakar, India

Dipa Karmakar, who is 22 years old, is another gymnast who will be making history simply by being in the Rio games at all. That’s because Dipa is the first ever gymnast from India to qualify for a place at the Olympics, a high honor indeed for a girl who was once told, at six, she would never be a gymnast because of her flat feet.

And like Oksana, Dipa is a credible threat. She is one of just five women on the international gymnastics scene who has even attempted the very challenging Produnova vault, a move that calls for a front handspring entry with two front flips before landing. The vault earned her fifth place in the recent World Championship and she hopes for even better in Brazil.

Visit our Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com