Welcome to Session 4!

As we look forward to celebrating our twentieth year beginning in September of 2010, we want to thank you for letting us be a part of your Child’s education. We take great pride in our gymnastics expertise, yet perhaps just as much, in knowing that the unseen skills are just as important. The patience, determination and confidence needed to not only acquire, but just to attempt, new skills will hopefully stay with our students a lifetime. Whether it is one of our competitive cheerleaders doing a “full down” or our 16 month old doing a somersault for the very first time, the learning process is in full gear. In this hurry, hurry drivet hru world the patience often needed to succeed is lost. Gymnastics and Cheer are fantastic vehicles for learning that the proper base often takes time and that sooner or later a faulty base will make further advancement all the more difficult. We strive to foster a healthy competitive spirit, with the emphasis on doing ones personal best. Although our teams do travel and compete against others, our successes truly come from doing more than the individual dreamed they could do, gaining the self confidence to go further, and ultimately making themselves driven to the point that they are the elite of the elite. We strive to teach all of our students this intrinsic motivation, for in the world of today and tomorrow the need for self-confidence, daring and drive will be evermore vital.
Thank you again for your support, we look forward to continuing our programs for another twenty years. Check out the website, Blog and class handouts often for upcoming events, team results and special rewards to show our appreciation for your patronage.

PRESCHOOL

The Preschool Staff would like to thank you for being a part of the GTCO Family this session! It is wonderful watching your child master skills. We hope that your child learns not only gymnastics, but also gains the self-confidence that comes with each newly learned skill! We strive to make each child feel special, challenge them with skills, and realize the importance of FUN in a learning environment! In addition to focusing on gymnastics and developing fine and gross motor skills, listening, following directions and paying attention we will also be focusing on a skill of the week, colors, and numbers! These will aid in your child being ready for kindergarten and successful in school!! We have a dedicated and enthusiastic staff—please feel free to speak to them before or after class if you have any concerns about your child!!

Fun Stuff going on Session 4!

WEEK 3—Backwards Week!! Wear your shirt backwards this week! We will be learning all about gymnastics and going backwards!!

WEEK 5—Wear Green Week!! Wear green for St. Patrick’s Day this week & get a free sticker!!

WEEK 7-Hippity Hop Week & BRING A FRIEND for free Week!!We will be celebrating Peter Rabbit this week!! Students are invited to bring a friend this week also!! (This is also picture/video week andtuition for Session 2 is due!!)

Mark your calendar!! Friday, April 2 is our annual Good Friday Camp!! Most schools are closed that day so drop you kids off at GTCO for some great fun!!

Is your 2 year old ready to go “on their own”?? We offer a “Big Tots” class exclusively for our not yet 3 year olds who are ready to explore!! This class is a transitional class for children who are ready to go on their own without the assistance of mom or dad, but not yet ready for the perpetual motion of the 3 year old class!! Your child must have completed a session in the 2 year old class and the instructor will recommend the Big Tots class if your child is ready!

If your 4 or 5 year old boy ready for a BOYS ONLY class? This class is strictly boys working with our male coaches on boys events and equipment to make your son stronger, disciplined, and more self confident!! PLEASE NOTE: This class is only available to a student who has completed a session of 4/5 year old preschool class or has permission from an instructor to join!

TUMBLEGARTEN NEWS

Welcome and Congratulations

We would like to welcome all new Tumblegarten1 students. Tumblegarten 1 is an introductory level of gymnastics. It allows gymnasts to learn the basics of each of the gymnastics events; including vault, bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.

I would also like to congratulate all those gymnasts who moved up to the next level in Tumblegarten. Thank you for your hard work and Good Luck in your new level.

If you have any questions about Tumblegarten 1,2, or 3 please don’t hesitate to ask your instructor. Evaluations will be given back after each session with information concerning what skills your daughter has achieved and where she may need to work to attain more skills and move up to the next level.

New Coach – Tumblegarten has a new coach! Laura Thompson began coaching with us last session and we would like to formally welcome her to GTCO.  We are glad to have you Laura.

TOPs News

Girls on the Move

The TOPs team has been hard at work these last couple of months. I wanted to highlight a few gymnasts as they accomplish their goals.

• Alyssa Wiedeman climbed the rope with perfect form.
• Emily Hamlett completed 5 tight body cast handstands in a row.
• All on the team have accomplished a straight leg bridge with flat hips, straight arms, and shoulders pushed over the hands.
• Chloe Hemm has pushed both her splits down on the boards with hips square.
• Alicia Fitton has completed 10 press to handstands in a row.

All the TOPS athletes are working very hard at each practice and making improvements each day. I would also like to welcome all those girls who were invited to join our Tiny TOPs team!  We are very proud of all their hard work. Keep it up girls.

What is TOPs?

TOPs (Talent Opportunity Program), is a competitive talent search and educational program for gymnasts ages 7-11. Girls compete in June and July of each year for the chance to compete in Houston, Texas at TOPs Nationals. Girls compete doing handstand holding, press handstands, rope climb, sprinting, vertical jump, leg lifts, cast handstands, splits, and bridges. Training TOPs is a great way to increase strength and flexibility along with improving body awareness which leads to advances in actual gymnastics skills. GTCO also now has Tiny TOPs; an introduction to TOPs for gymnasts age 4, 5, and 6. If your daughter is younger than or meets the age requirements for this program and you are interested please contact Coach Amibeth.

Morning Practices

GTCO now offers morning practices for girls on the TOPs Girls Competitive. Each Monday and Friday mornings girls are invited to come into the gym and receive extra work on strength, flexibility, body shaping, and basic skills. A coach will be in the gym between 6:00 am and 8:30 am leaving you the opportunity to come at your convenience and improve your gymnastics. We are also willing to start a morning practice on Wednesday mornings. If you are interested in these morning workouts please contact Amibeth Hardy.

CHEER TEAMS (GTCO VOLTS)

The GTCO Volts are excited to announce that our tryouts will be earlier this year!  Tryout dates will be announced later this month, please visit www.GTCOVolts.com for more information.  In the meanwhile, feel free to contact the program director, Victor Zamora, for additional information.  Phone number: 937.660.8307 or email: cheer@gtcohio.com.

The following are the competitions for the Month of February:

February 20 – 21:  AB Championships in Louisville, KY.

February 28: Cheer For a Cure, in Centerville.

Good Luck Girls!

Let’s GO GTCO Volts!!!

BOYS GYMNASTICS

After winning the level 5 team trophy at the Hocking Valley Winter Cup, the Level 5 team placed 2^nd at the GTCO Invitational (Dec. 13-15) with Collin Jasin winning the AA, and Conner Iverson placing 3^rd in the AA..  Thommy Pretorius winning vault and the rest of the team placing well.

Sammy Chamberlain won Level 10 AA, and Josh Davidson traveled to the Windy City Invite in Chicago and then to the Brain Babcock Invitational in Allentown, PA.  There he placed 9^th PB and tied for 2^nd in vault.

Level 5 – 7 – 8 will compete at the Blaine Wilson Invite in Columbus Feb. 13 – 15 and the Optional boys of Sammy Chamberlain and Josh Davidson will travel to Oakland, California for the Pacific Coast Classic.

At the Queen City Invitational the level 5 boys did well with Conner Iverson placing 3^rd AA, and Thommy Pretorius winning the AA in his age group.  Others placing and doing well were Luke, Knapke, Ryan Bernnard, Jason Phelps, Collin Jasin and Tommy Stone (2^nd vault).  Sammy Chamberlain placed in Pb – V in Level 5.

In March Michael Pretorius – Speros Gabriel – Bishop Hungarland will make their debut at the Indy classic on March 6 – 7.

Tommy Mistretta (level 9) has moved to California and we wish him and his family the best of luck.

Anyone wishing to be a competitive gymnast at GTCO should get in contact with Don Sellman, Boys Team Director.