Frequently Asked Questions

Gymnastics is 90% CONFIDENCE, and 10% SKILL.

Q-Why is gymnastics a good sport for my child to be involved in?

A-Studies show that children learn cognitive skills more effectively in an environment that includes the body as well as the mind. Gymnastics & early childhood movement education is directly attributed to developing neurological pathways in students & promoting readiness. Gymnastics improves self-esteem, while also improving overall physical fitness. In a study of school-aged youth, researchers found that the risk of substance abuse by adolescents is decreased by physical training programs that incorporate life skills. Gymnastics increases bone density, and helps to reduce osteoporosis. Also, gymnastics helps children meet new friends!

Q-What is so great about gymnastics as opposed to other sports?

A-The sport of gymnastics is one of the few sports that improves all three areas of physical fitness: strength, flexibility & endurance.

Q-My child is heavy....Is gymnastics a good activity to help her lose weight?

A-Gymnasts and tumblers can sustain up to 16 times the body's own weight on impacts and landings. Therefore, it is not recommended that any child be enrolled in gymnastics classes, until a proper, healthy weight is already established. Injuries suffered as a result of obesity, can cause life-long complications. The skeletal system can suffer severe permanent damage on these impacts from a heavy child. Meet with your child's doctor to begin a safe diet before signing up, and make sure the Dr. gives a thumbs up on a proper weight to achieve for doing gymnastics.

Q-I have heard that is is bad to coach my child while attending her gymnastics classes or practices, why?

A-Parents coaching from the sidelines is discouraged. Many of the most talented gymnasts have dropped out while there was still a great amount of potential left in them for the sport, because their parents were found to be pushing them too hard. The most successful & well-adjusted athletes are those with parents who were always patient, supportive, encouraging & motivating. When you pick up your child, try saying positive things like "Good job today"....or "I am proud of you, you have been working hard!" Instead of "Why didn't you make your kip today?" Or instead of "I saw you on the beam today and you looked sloppy." If they look sloppy, they are going to hear it enough from the coach. When you go to a dentist, you pay a dentist to work on your teeth. When you pay a beautician to fix your hair, you let them have at it. If you pay a coach to teach your child, don't interfere with their job! You wouldn't tell your dentist or beautician how to do theirs! Let your child relax and have fun outside the gym. Don't pressure them to be perfect! It will likely backfire! The most successful gymnasts are ones who left their problems from home at the gym door, and who were able to leave gymnastics in the gym.
Don't coach from the sidelines.

Q-How can my daughter get her backhandspring before cheerleading tryouts?

A-Anyone can learn a back handspring in 6 months of continual, regular attendance. Some of the most uncoordinated children with no prior gymnastics experience, have learned how to perform an excellent backhandspring and even a roundoff-backhandpsring in the course of a year. Do not try to learn a backhandspring 2 months before tryouts. You will find yourself potentially at risk for an injury to not allow yourself more time to learn such a difficult skill, as well as disappointed if you are unable to pull it off. Stay loyal to the gym year round, and you will simply be amazed at your abilities!

Q-How long does it take for a child to get from the beginner level to the Competitive Team. How do I know if my child has what it takes? Will she ever get there?

A-As a rule of thumb, I have never seen anyone who I didn't think could eventually make the team. I have learned to "never say never." I have seen children with no immediate response to the sport, who struggled to do even the most simple skills in the gym, with basically no strength or flexibility, who have gone on to become champions, leading our gymnastics team inability. The goal of a beginner student is to learn what we call a "bridge kickover." The goal of an intermediate level student is to learn what we call a "back walkover," and hopefully also a "back handspring" at least on the wedge or marshmallow mat. The goal of our Pre-Team students is to have at least a "roundoff backhandspring" on their own on the floor. There are other skills we like to see, however, the above mentioned skills are the key ones they need to advance. Ability to listen, pay attention and work hard are key requirements also. While it may appear your child is struggling, and has no potential, please be patient, and if your child loves the sport and would like to make it to the team, I have learned that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Patience is the key on the part of the parents. If you would like to see video footage of some of our team girls when they were in beginners, we will be happy to show you, and you will be able to relax and not worry! Everybody has to start somewhere! Also, students sometimes tend to stay longer in beginners. It is when they start figuring things out in the gym, they will begin to advance to the next level more quickly each time. Students usually stay in beginners for up to a year. They are only in at the intermediate level for an average of 6 months, and then on Pre-team. After approximately 6 months on pre-team, they are finally to team level. By the time a girl has become a really advanced team gymnasts, she has spent about 1,000 hours in the gym. Until your chlid has been in the gym for a thousand hours, make no comparisons of your child and the competitive gymnast.
The only way to excel in tumbling or gymnastics, is to be committed year round to the gym. No one has ever reached their full potential without consistent year-round training.
Donna Hughes, RGA Staff

All parents, please read:
Interview with Donna Hughes
Head Coach at RGA

How long have you been coaching?

I have been coaching since I was 16, so this year makes 20 years. I started coaching for the YMCA. All we had was a few panel mats, and a balance beam, and a set of bars. We had to get the equipment out of a closet every day before practice, and then put it away. The children of this county are so lucky to have the top notch training facility we now have, not enjoyed by previous generations. Making champions will be much easier now.

Why do you love coaching?

I love coaching gymnastics because when someone learns that first double full, double back, or even their first back handspring, it is so rewarding.

What are your goals as a coach?

My goals are to see each and every student reach his or her highest potential, as a gymnast, cheerleader, or functioning person in the world. I want them to respond to adults with 100% respect at all times. I am all about discipline and self-improvement in all areas. I have no tolerance for weakness or disrespect.
Whether they want to cheer in college, or become a college gymnast. I believe that anything is possible, and if anyone wants to excel in the sport, anyone can with hard work and dedication.

Are you a tough coach?

I am a very tough coach. I try to utilize every minute, and I don’t like for people to talk in my classes, or waste time. I will embarrass people who break the rules. I can be very soft spoken, and delightfully supportive, or very loud and harsh if rules are not followed. Safety is number one at RGA. I don’t like excuses to get out of hard work. Come to RGA if you want to be the best.

What is the point of gymnastics? Why gymnastics?

Gymnastics is one of the few sports that improves all three areas of physical fitness: Strength, Flexibility & Endurance Fitness is the highest benefit.
The best cheerleaders, were gymnasts 1st.
Gymnastics is a sport that requires discipline, and discipline is what today’s youth needs more of.
Gymnastics teaches time management. Students who spend more time at the gym, actually have better grades. They learn to use time wisely.
They have better self-esteem.
Gymnastics teaches team work, and respect.
People who excel in gymnastics have good work ethics later in life.
People can learn gymnastics to become better football players, martial arts students, and even soccer.

What is the biggest obstacle you face as a coach?

I would say the biggest obstacle I face, is parental interference. I have had so many talented athletes, who could have gone much further, if their parents had just been 100% supportive. Parents can be less patient than the student many times. After 20 years, I know when a student is mentally and physically ready for the next skill. I know that exact moment in time. I watch them like a hawk every class, and when they can make back handsprings on the soft mat all the time, not just on certain days, that is when I discover it is time to go to floor and try it. I watch every student, not just students in my group. I am always 100% aware of what everybody is doing.
Many parents do not know that, and they always want the child to be two steps ahead of where they are. It is so annoying! Parents who try to push the child too soon to the next skill, will be disappointed every time, and many of these students have lost interest and quit way before they reached their full potential.
If a student for example, does not have 3 fast back handsprings to a sky high rebound, they do not need to be working on tucks. It may take them several months to get those handsprings right, or it might take more than a year!
Students who go to other gyms will receive mixed messages. I do not recommend attending two different gyms for training at all. We have a
very successful
training program, therefore, just because you are allowed to try something somewhere else, does NOT mean you will be allowed to try it at RGA. If you quit coming to RGA a year ago, and had a skill down pat, don't expect that skill to still be there when you come back a year later. Sometimes people have to go back to the drawing board and start over. We have over 40 students at RGA that can throw a full twist or higher. That is more than we ever had, and more than most gyms in the nation. Our tumbling program is one of the best in the nation. If you question anything about it, you will be disappointed, and your child will not reach his or her highest potential. PATIENCE is required for your child to succeed.
My pet peeve is when a child comes to me and says “My Mom wants to know if I can try 2 back handsprings tonight?”
Hello!!! If the child was ready to try two back handsprings, they would be asked to try it by me, immediately. Does this Mom not know that I also want this student to do 2 back handsprings yesterday?
Of course I am aware of that! I am waiting for the moment when I can confidently say as a coach, that this child can try two back handsprings, and absolutely no way will she get hurt.
If the child has not been asked to try to yet, it is because she is not ready, and I cannot guarantee safety on the skill. People just need to know there is a process to this, and they need to respect it. I always make sure a child is 100% confident with a skill on a soft mat before moving the skill to floor. They may look almost BORED with a skill before going to the next one. The boredom indicates there is no more fear!!!
Every child learns at a different pace. Just because one student learned it in two weeks, it might take another child 2 months. We don’t miss anything around here, and we won't let a day pass by where a student isn't learning exactly what they should be at that very precise moment. Sometimes we do extra repetitions for an extra couple of weeks JUST for the mental confidence and no other reason. If you are a parent, and become frustrated, do not come to the gym for 6 weeks, and we guarantee you will see improvement.

What are your biggest successes as a coach?

My biggest successes as a coach, is that I have trained several State & National Champions in gymnastics and cheerleading, who have gone on to become college gymnasts or cheerleaders. Many of which arrived at this pinnacle of success on equipment that was not adequate, in a training facility that was too small. Now that we have this big great gym, I believe anything is possible, and we will see many more State & National Champs, and college scholarships!
My most rewarding moments have become, each time a child learns a new skill, and seeing the child reach their highest potential, and become an overall better person in society, and a well-adjusted adult as the result of putting them through all the hard work as a child.

What do you recommend to people about where to start?

If your child is between the ages of 6 & 11, enroll your child in the general gymnastics classes. If your child wants to do cheerleading, as I said earlier, the best cheerleaders were gymnasts 1st, and could do bars, beam, vault & tumbling. Bars helps upper body strength, beam helps balance, and vaulting and tumbling improve strength.
I recommend tumbling classes for students 12 & up. By the time a child is 12 or older, they have less time to dedicate to learning gymnastics, therefore, they can get adequate training for cheerleading in a tumbling class.
Classes need to be taken year-round to see results. Taking gymnastics on and off is absolutely worthless. We guarantee a student will learn a back handspring with 6 months of non-stop training, with no missed classes. Therefore, students who wait until a month before tryouts to come take gymnastics, are really selling themselves out. It takes 6 months. You gotta give it 6 months.

What do you recommend for preschool age students?

Very few students will stay in gymnastics from preschool to age 18. Therefore, parents should be prepared that a preschooler will probably get bored easily, and do gymnastics on and off until about age 6 or 7. It takes a very special child, with a very special gift to want to stay in gymnastics non-stop their whole lives. If your child is above age 6, we recommend year-round enrollment to see progress. However for the younger preschool age students and even kindergartners, it is not uncommon for them to take every other month. Meredith Hartsell is a very rare child that could climb the rope to the top at age 3. She has been in our gym year round since age 3, and she is now 10. Not every child will stay in it like that.

Is gymnastics for boys?

Gymnastics is for boys & for girls. Some of our best tumblers here are guys, and they say it helped them in football, basketball, martial arts, and other sports that require agility.

Are all RGA Coaches Qualified?

All RGA Coaches follow the same safety guidelines, and the same recipe for success. I am the 1st one they answer to if the plan is deviated from even slightly. We have had an impeccable safety record, and many successes at RGA with this program.