Gymnastics classes build confidence and strength in Long Island kids

At 4 years old, budding gymnast Mackenzie Matula has helped her younger brother, Morrison, at "Babies and Bagels," an event to get crawlers feeling comfortable in a gymnastics sports facility.

"I showed him to roll," Mackenzie says of her 2-year-old brother. "He needs help."

Her mother, Megan Matula, laughs because it was another note of confidence from her daughter, ever since she learned cartwheels, splits, trampoline jumping and other moves at 5 Star Gymnastics and Sports Academy in East Rockaway.

Gymnastics has worked wonders for Mackenzie, so much that Matula has taken a part-time job as a coach for the "recreational" side of the academy, which runs a sort of playtime for toddlers and no-stress classes for preschoolers.

"Starting out, she was a little more timid, apprehensive to try things that might be scary or things she hasn’t done before," the Lynbrook mom says of her daughter, who also started gymnastics lessons at age 2.. "Now she has the confidence to try, even though she might not get it right. I think it’s important because we’re all out here trying to raise well-rounded kids, healthy, strong, brave, social and just well put together."

Dozens of gymnastics facilities for girls and boys dot Long Island. Enthusiasts say it builds hand-eye coordination, flexibility, muscle, confidence and more. Even if children just want to have fun and aren’t too serious about flips and tumbles, they’ll be equipped with skills that last a lifetime — persistence, goal setting, confidence and more, instructors  say.

"I have three daughters — I don’t care if they want to be gymnasts but they’re going to do gymnastics until they’re 10 because they’re going to know their bodies," says Lacey Saliture, owner of the Sagamore Academy of Gymnastics in Syosset. "They’re going to know how to fall, they’re going to be stronger than everybody else. Then they can go on and do any sport."

Many gyms on Long Island are geared toward launching a love of the sport early for children. Babies who can crawl or toddle are welcome in events or classes that focus on making them comfortable, allowing them to touch and explore padded equipment and play in muscle-building equipment, from the ball pit to the trampoline.

At LI Elite Gymnastics in Freeport, owner Dani Mattei says toddlers learn to take turns, listen to their parents and gain other social skills while the parents feel like they can let their children explore their potential because of the safe surroundings. "We’re raising the bar a little bit," Mattei says. 

They’re going to know how to fall, they’re going to be stronger than everybody else. Then they can go on and do any sport.

- Lacey Saliture, owner of Sagamore Academy of Gymnastics in Syosset

Many gyms offer two types of gymnastics programs. There’s recreational, for children who want to be trained without being held to standards set by USA Gymnastics, the nation’s governing body for the sport. Then there’s competitive, which adheres to USA Gymnastics standards on what makes a good flip and so on. A number of facilities offer "pre-team" courses for the younger girls who may want to compete one day and yearlong courses for girls, about ages six and up, on competitive teams.

When it comes to these teams, most facilities appear to offer ones only for girls. Male interest in the sport has been waning, gymnastics enthusiasts say. Many of the popular Olympic and world champion gymnasts attracting attention are female, such as American medalist Simone Biles, who wows with her artistry and athleticism. A number of colleges have cut their male gymnast programs.

But there are plenty of fun opportunities for both boys and girls in these gymnastics facilities.

BEYOND THE BALANCE BEAM

Who wants to be a ninja? Kids get over obstacles, climb ropes, do calisthenics and rise up the ladder.

How about parkour? It’s a lesser-known but highly disciplined sport that many movie watchers have probably seen — actors or their stand-ins flipping over cars, jumping from roofs and running to escape and using everyday, ordinary objects like trees or railing on public staircases to slide, launch into a jump or swing to a point yards away. For kids, these classes focus on how to move efficiently and safely over obstacles to get from one spot to another.

The gymnastic equipment used is kid-friendly, facility owners say. Some have extra padding or wider beams with lines showing the standard-sized beams so kids can learn the moves, then learn them within the standard boundaries. Others are adjustable, or can be laid flat on the floor or just above the floor so toddlers can touch them.

In picking the right facility, Saliture suggests parents visit several places to figure out if they fit their children. Some parents have left her because she was "too nice" and wanted coaches who pushed their children to their max, she says, while having no pressure is exactly the goal of other families.

Another tip: Size up the windows. While USA Gymnastics rules require windows in the practice area so parents can see their kids at all times, some places have smaller windows that may not accommodate all parents at once.