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Show 4B Lakeside Review South, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 1983 Staff Photos by Robert Regan. the parallel bars during a recent workout. On the left, Dana Murdoch (left) and Chris Leach spot Cyndee Atkinson on a squat vault over the side horse. THE USA GYMNASTICS CLUB is grow- ing in popularity in the southern portion of Davis County. Brian Mitchell (above).IO, performs an L support on Leachs Club Wants More Than a Passing Glance CHERYL. ARCHILBALD Review Correspondent BOUNTIFUL USA Gymnastics World of Bountiful is a landmark of sorts, with the buildings white exterior and bold, blue stripes a visible Bountiful marker to travelers of Interstate 15. Inside, the gymnastics club has undergone some changes and new owner and manager, Chris Leach, has expectations of the club becoming a beacon in other age are able to learn the motor skills such as hand-ey- e coordination through gymnastics. Those who excel in the begin- the gymnasts at the club. Most of these boys, and our girls too, are in the top 90 percent of their class in their schools in both physical education and in academics, he said. We stress a dont give up attitude, and the atmosphere here is very disciplined. ' Indeed, the boys watched quietly as turns were taken at the parallel bars and the attention given to their instructor seemed rare for boys ages 8 through 14. Of all the sports that he has ways. been affiliated with, including In his one year at USA nasties World of Bountiful, boxing, wrestling and football, Leach has worked to build a Leach named gymnastics as the competitive boys program from best for overall physical fitness. In other sports, athletes do outthe basement, and both the boys side exercises to get in shape for and the girls competitive programs are now governed by the their sport, but in gymnastics the United States Gymnastics Feder- sport itself is what increases the ation, a body that sets rules and athletes skill and physical condition, he said. policies nationwide. Basically, the program starts Leach, who is working on his out with and intermemasters degree in physical edu- diates inbeginners the boys and both cation at the University of Utah, girls programs. played football for the UniversiFor these classes we look for ty of Wisconsin, and was to play kids who are willing to learn, for Utah when an injury halted want to gain additional strength, his career. want to become more agile, are A jack of. all trying to build coordination and trades when it come to sports, would like to become more conLeach has now been teaching fident, said Leach. We also have a preschool progymnastics for three years. As he sat atop one of the clubs gram, explained Blake Starr, vaults watching his class, five the clubs program director, who boys trained for the next meet in has taught gymnastics for 12 Albuquerque, N.M., Oct. 1, he years. Children from 3 to 5 years of talked with enthusiasm about. , of a point behind first. Their class four level team was undefeated and won ,the state championship last year. ner programs are invited to join - The class two girls placed secthe competitive teams. They are ond in state and placed six girls grouped according to maturity into regionals. and skill into class levels. The class-on- e level girls placed Boys compete in five levels third and sent two girls to region with class one being the highest. and the e level qualiinMens events are fied six girls to go to state. cluding vaulting, pommel horse, Out of 16 teams competing at parallel bars, rings, floor exerstate, the Bountiful girls team cises and high bar. placed eighth There are four class levels for One of the clubs teachers and girls gymnastics with class one a former student, Jill Palmer, being the lowest. Events for won first place in in women are vaulting, uneven the Utah, State High School bars, balance beam and floor ex- Gymnastics Championships and ercise. is now a member of Utah States Starr is often asked if he has gymnastics team. any athletes who could compete What qualities are required of in the Olympics. gymnasts? Leach competitive Fie explains that there are 1 50 and his staff look for strength elite gymnasts who will comand also flexibility, which can pete nationally to go to the both be acquired. Confidence, Olympics. Out of those, eight said Leach, is something that will be picked. He said that there the competitive kids are just are three elite gymnasts in Utah, oozing with. Kids have to be and they compete out of the coachable, willing to listen, and Rocky Mountain Gymnastics they must have determination. Club in .Murray. In fact, said Leach, a childs However, he said that the abil- hyperactivity may make him a ities in the Bountiful club are good candidate for the sport of equal to any club in the state. Good gymnasts gymnastics; Last year the boys team finmust have tremendous amounts ished second in region, only. of energy, said Leach. One of the examples of the determination that it takes to win is Stacy Green, an advanced level student who competes on the four-tent- of arthritis, and never knows when she gets up. in the morning which part of her body she will have trouble moving, explained . class-thre- six-fol- . - . s, : But she has elected to go' Starr. d, all-arou- level. Stacy suffers from a type class-on- e He added that although gymnasts as a whole are much stronger for their age and are superior athletically to the norm the boys still get razzed as being in a sissy sport. He said that the boys team members can do an average of 20 pull-upcompared to other boys their same age who can do one, to three Some of the boys admitted they get teased at school. But one boy, who looked like he was around 10 years old, shook his knees in mock fear and then said, I just do a back hand spring and they shut up. ahead and compete. She has spent six years in gymnastics, and although her doctors dont really know what type of arthritis she has, they have confirmed that the movement of joints in gymnastics helps in the treatment of the disease. She is limited in what she can do . and sometimes the joint movement will cause the joints to swell, but gymnastics has done more good than harm, said Starr. Leach is looking for some of his boys to become Olympic competitors. He sees the potential in some of them, and he has seen one boy go from not being able to do a thing a year and a half ago to winning regionals against 79 qualifiers., : pull-up- s. USA GYMNASTICS WORLD CAR WASH AND RUMMAGE SALE OCT. 1 from 12-- 5 at P.M. 60 PROFITS GO TOWARD FINANCING SKY N. 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Friday, Saturday and Sunday you can decide T how to get in shape and feel better about : yourself too. Information and demonstrations will be available from many different organizations. Ask questions and compare notes-while- ' its convenient and make a practical choice. The cottontail rabbit is quick, butjire can easily get the jump on him. by October 1st and save $10.00 on your first meeting and re gist ra- tion fee. Weight Watchers Center Orcherd Bowl Complex (So. End) 30 S. 130 E., NSl Wed., Set 9:30 km. Thursdey .... 7:30 p.m. . 6:30 p.m. Offer expires October 1. 1983 Weight Watchers International Inc 1983 Own. I , r ot the Weiont Watcher Trademark , V |