My name is Denise and I am one of the owners of United Elite. I was a competitive gymnast for 9 years (with 7 in the Dallas area in both club and high school) in the 80’s, began coaching recreational classes at 15 which led me to club team coaching from levels 4-10 for 14 years and then on to Rockwall HS as the head coach of the girls gymnastics team for another 14 years. My goal is to educate parents on what to look for in a quality gym that can provide everything you need from beginners to highly advanced in a variety of programs. There are many gymnastics facilities in Rockwall that offer classes for all ages. Some offer teams and some do not, some are new and some are not…so where do you begin? Ask questions!
Speaking from experience as a previous competitive gymnast, parent of two gymnasts and one turning into a cheerleader, a coach and gym owner, choosing a gym for your child should be based on a few key elements (I don’t claim to be an expert by any means but my experience has led me to these):
- What are your ultimate goals for your child?
- What do you hope to gain by your child doing gymnastics or cheer?
- What various programs do the gyms offer?
- Are there a variety of options?
- Is there a program in place to encourage growth within the sport to the highest level as well as everything in between?
- Can the facility provide the space and equipment needed to train the highest level safely (foam pits, training aids, skill cusions etc)?
- Are there qualified coaches in place with proven results to provide training at all levels? (Any state or regional champions or national qualifiers or any athletes that went on to compete in college?)
- Do the coaches have a good mix of love and discipline that can challenge the child both physically and mentally?
- Do the program and coaches help to teach your child the necessary skills to learn life lessons such as discipline, perseverance, patience, kindness, respect for others, self control and a love of a sport? (Too much love doesn’t challenge and too much discipline breaks the spirit. There must be a balance.)
- Is the facility safe and cleaned on a regular basis?
I want to state this clearly…….There will never be a PERFECT gym anywhere due to the differences in personalities and goals of every parent, child and coach. The best way to find the best fit is to observe a class or team workout before you ever take a class so you see the coaches and kids in action and see the potential of what your child could achieve from low level skills to high level skills. Look around, see how each coach interacts with the kids, see what they are learning, see if kids are challenged, see if kids are smiling and having fun (remember this sport is very difficult physically and mentally so it won’t always be fun for everyone everyday). If you like what you see, schedule a FREE trial class (all the gyms in town offer that). The experience and connection you feel and see at each gym will guide you in your decision as well as considering what your goals are.
United Elite has a program for all levels, recreational to competitive and all levels of commitment. Our teams compete within Texas as well as nationally.
Want to just do a class for fun…we provide that. Want your preschooler to learn some gymnastics and have fun doing it….we provide that. Want to learn skills for your school gymnastics or cheer team….we provide that. Want to compete but not devote your life to it…we provide that. Want to compete and try to achieve elite or a college scholarship…we provide that too.
Come check out United Elite at uegym.com and schedule your free trial class today! We also strongly believe that you must give it at least 30 days to get a good feel of our program and that’s why we also offer a 30 day money back guarantee!
United Elite will not be for everybody and we realize that. If you’re looking for the newest facility…that’s not us…the perfect parking lot….that’s not us…. but our facility was designed and has gone through major renovations to have all the necessities to be a fully equipped gym to train beginners to highly advanced. Our kids never have to leave the building once they reach a certain level due to space or training equipment limitations.
Our facility is cleaned and bioPure treated on a weekly basis and mats and surfaces are cleaned daily. All of our coaches participate in making our gym a safe and clean environment on a daily basis. During cold and flu season we sanitize more often and daily diffuse a protective essential oil blend to eliminate the spread of airborne germs.
We are very thankful for all of the people that have come through our doors, good, bad or indifferent and appreciate everyone’s opinions. Everyone’s circumstances are different as to why they choose, stay at or leave a gym. We have evolved over the last 14 years and feel we are better than ever with new coaches, teams growing and the success of our athletes and programs! There is a reason we were voted Lakeside Living Best of 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022. We have successful team programs with USAG & TAAF as well as our All Star Cheer Program over the last 14 years, have a recreational and team program with coaches the parents and kids love and a place kids like to come to. We are a Kingdom Company and family owned and operated.
Blessings on your search for a gym home and we hope you will consider United Elite.
Good article!