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Balancing Training & Life

About Competitive Gymnastics  Gymnastics training can be the springboard to improved performance in other sports.  Many WOGA - trained athletes have succeeded in competitive diving, pole-vaulting, skateboarding, snowboarding, soccer, volleyball, triathlon, golf, and other activities that demand extreme body-awareness, agility, flexibility, explosive power, and strength. About 30% of kids who enter Recreational and Compulsory level gymnastics  will move on to Optional level gymnastics.  Less than 4% of kids will progress to the Elite levels based on USA-Gymnastics national data.   The high attrition is due to several factors: Many kids become interested in other sports.  Many kids lose interest as the training becomes more challenging. Many families cannot afford the time and cost demands of competitive gymnastics. Because gymnasts train intensely while they are young and growing fast, some kids develop growth-related injuries that force them to stop training. Only a few kids have the physical and emotional characteristics that are required for elite gymnastics.  Those characteristics include focus, determination, competitive spirit, willingness to work hard, physical and emotional endurance, and patience - because it takes years to develop certain skills. WOGA's competitive gymnasts train 4 to 36 hours per week - year round.  The elite gymnasts average 6 years at WOGA, and several of them have spent more than 10 years at WOGA. The coaches know from their own experience as elite gymnasts what it is like to grow up in the gym.  So they invest careful thought, creativity, and effort into making sure the training is balanced, safe, and fun! Over thirty of WOGA's competitive gymnasts have graduated with athletic scholarships to major universities.  Education is a priority, and WOGA is proud to have helped so many gymnasts develop their athletic and personal potential! Since it's inception in 1994, WOGA has trained over 20,000 recreational gymnasts and over 800 competitive gymnasts.  Today WOGA is one of the largest and most successful gyms in the US with roughly 2,000 recreational gymnasts and 160 competitive gymnasts.   Click here for more on how to become a WOGA TEAM GYMNAST.

WOGA's Coaching Philosophy Every child will get fun, safe, challenging, and rewarding training. Every child's progress will be evaluated regularly. Each child develops and progresses individually, so we tailor the workout to each child's skills & abilities.     WOGA's Expectations of Students Respect your coaches, classmates, parents, & yourself TRAIN HARD OR GO HOME!  is our motto - this means that you will get out of training what you put into it.  It also means, that if you are a distraction, you take the coaches attention away from other students, which is not fair  -  you should go home, and come back when you are ready to train with a positive and respectful attitude.      WOGA's Expectations of Team Gymnasts Talk to your coach about questions you have related to training and competition.   Your coaches have all been down the path that you are on.  They can relate to your situation and they need to have your complete trust and confidence. Doing other sports  -  Many gymnasts enjoy other sports, and some cross-training can be very good.  However, gymnastics training is long term and physically demanding.  It is very important for the coaches to know if you are involved in other sports so that they can safely manage your practice program.  In some circumstances, it is best for your development to focus on one sport.  The coaches can help you make the best decision regarding other sports.      WOGA's Expectations of Parents Communication is the key to successful coaching, so talk with the coaches about how to help your child get the most out of their training.  Discuss progress and plans for your child with the coaches.  Making mutual agreement with the coaches and parents regarding plans for next competitive season can take away frustration and false expectations. Respect our coaches, WOGA Coaches are all very carefully selected and well qualified.  They work as a team to evaluate every student, so decisions about your child's progress are based on agreement of the coaching team. Remember, coaches goal is to prepare your child to compete with the best of their abilities, and to compete SAFELY!  For example, if your child struggled throughout the competitive season, it is better sometimes to compete another season at the same level and have better results than to struggle just to make it to the next level. Positive experience in early years is very critical for your child's success in the future! Always know that you can talk to Yevgeny Marchenko or Valeri Liukin if you can't reach your child's coach. WOGA's  Parents Code of Conduct.   Video Interview - Carly Patterson & Yevgeny Marchenko 2001 "Regular Training Day"  Video Interview - Valeri Liukin & Nastia Liukin - Training for 2006 US Nationals

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