Gymnastics
The city provides gymnastics classes for all ages and ability levels at the Trousdell Gymnastics Center. Recreational classes and competitive programs are available for preschool, kindergarten, developmental (elementary age students), teens and adults. Ballet, jazz, hip-hop, aerobics and movement gymnastics classes for those with special needs are also offered. Named for former Tallahassee Parks & Recreation Department Director Randy Trousdell, the 27,000-square foot facility includes a large gym with two competitive floor areas, floor pits and spectator seating for over 230. Other features include a separate preschool gym, dance studio, conference room and kindergym. Throughout its 55–year history, this program has given more than 500,000 children an opportunity to participate in gymnastics. The competitive program represents Tallahassee in local, state, regional and national competitions and counts three Olympians as former participants. General public class registrations take place in August, December and May.
Recreation/Developmental Class Descriptions
Pre-School Gymnastics (Boys and Girls 2, 3, & 4 yrs old)
Pre-school classes require parent participation and take place in the specially designed preschool gym. The classes are divided into the following ages: 2 year olds (Explorers), 3 year olds (Navigators) and 4 year olds (Jets). Movement and basic gymnastics are emphasized within this program.
Kinder-gym Gymnastics (Boys and Girls 5 & 6 years old)
Kindergym classes are for boys and girls ages 5 and 6 who are attending kindergarten. These classes are divided into three levels: A (beginning), B (Intermediate), and C (Advanced). Coaches will place children in one of these three levels according to each child's skill level.
Girls Gymnastics
Beginner (6-9 years old)
This level is for those children who have never taken gymnastics or who have little experience in gymnastics. Classes emphasize rolling, handstands, cartwheels, backbends (floor), and the basic skills needed for a good foundation in gymnastics, which include skills on bars, beam, floor exercise, vault and trampoline.
Intermediate (6-9 years old)
This level is for those children who have already achieved a good basic foundation in gymnastics. Some of the skills emphasized are backbend kick over, back walk over, round off (floor), pullovers, back hip circles, mill circles (bars), cartwheels, turns and leaps (beam). They also learn skills on vault and trampoline.
Flight Gymnastics Program (6 years and above)
The Flight program is a teacher recommended class. These classes emphasize strength, flexibility, and good listening skills. The flight program places emphasis on the mastering of skills in the women's gymnastics disciplines (Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor and Trampoline). There are four classes within the Flight program: Flippers (Beginners), Kips (Intermediate), Aerials (Adv. Int.) and Twisters (Advanced). Gymnasts must maintain a minimum of requirements while attending these classes.
Flyers Gymnastics Program (9 - 15 years old)
This program is designed for an older age group of participants interested in learning gymnastics. The Flyers A and B classes emphasize beginning and intermediate level skills listed above in the beginning and intermediate information. The most advance gymnast (Flyer C) will work on skills such as backhand springs, aerials (floor), kips, front hip circles (bars) and front handsprings (vault).
Boys Gymnastics
Boys 1, Boys 2 and Boys 3 (6-9 years old)
The boys' recreation/developmental classes are divided into 3 levels: Boys 1 (beginning), Boys 2 (intermediate) and Boys 3 (advanced intermediate). These classes are designed to give the gymnast a good foundation of skills in order to move up to higher levels. Each level will work on all 6 disciplines (Vault, Parallel Bars, High Bar, Floor Exercise, Pommel Horse, and Rings) and trampoline.
Starter Boys (5-7 years old)
This is a teacher recommended class, with emphasis on building strength, flexibility and good listening skills. Gymnasts must maintain a minimum of requirements while attending this class.
Teen Boys (9-15 years old)
These classes are divided into two skills levels, Teen 1 (beginners) and Teen 2 (intermediates). The classes emphasize all six disciplines of men's gymnastics and trampoline for the older age group of gymnasts.
Cheer
Cheer/gymnastics (9-15 year old)
The Cheer classes were created for those participants interested in working on jumps, cheer positions, and tumbling skills for cheerleaders. The Cheer program is divided into two levels, Cheer I for the beginning level student and Cheer II for the more advanced student. The emphasis of Cheer I is mastering the basic gymnastics skills such as cartwheel, round off, backbend, and front limber. Participants must have a strong basic foundation in tumbling before taking Cheer II. The Cheer II class concentrates on backhand springs, round off backhand springs, and tucks.
Cheer Dance (5-8 years old)
This class is for young girls aspiring to becoming cheerleaders. The emphasis in this class is to learn dance routines that young cheerleaders would enjoy performing. They receive instruction in basic dance techniques, pom poms, cheer positions, and cheer jumps.
Adapted Gymnastics
Our adapted gymnastics class requires parent participation and is offered to the elementary age child with special needs. Emphasis in this class is on movement, building confidence and social skills, and exploring basic gymnastics.
Dance
Ballet (5-8 and 9-12 years old)
There are three levels of ballet offered at TGC. The emphasis of this program is fun with a good basic dance foundation. The levels are Ballet I for beginners; Ballet II for intermediates and Ballet III for advanced students. Ballet II and III levels are teacher recommended classes that require the mastering of several different dance skills and the understanding of basic dance terminology.
Jazz
Beginning Jazz emphasizes the basics of this dance discipline, and also encourages a fun atmosphere. Classes are available in two different age groups, 5-8 year olds and 9-12 year olds.
Hip Hop
Hip Hop classes emphasize modern movement with a vivacious urban feel. An upbeat and active class, Hip Hop focuses on learning new dance skills far from those of classical dance.
Dance Team
The Competitive Dance Team is a group of dancers that represent TGC at numerous festivals, parades and conferences throughout Florida. They also perform at dance clinics and competitions as TGC representatives. The routines that they perform encompass many different types of dance, such as hip-hop, jazz, kick line, funk and pom dance.
Tryouts for the team are held annually at the beginning of the Fall Session. Anyone interested should have some basic dance and gymnastics skills and be between the ages of 10 and 15 years old. To obtain information about tryouts, please call our main office at 891-3960 after 1 P.M.
Adult Classes
Adult Gymnastics
Participants are 16 years old and older. This class emphasizes tumbling skills for the beginner to advanced gymnast. Workouts on the other disciplines of gymnastics are available upon request.
Step Aerobics
Step Aerobics is a class designed for all levels of participants. This class is held in the dance studio.
Zumba
This class offers a fun aerobic work-out with emphasis on Latin music and dance steps.
Yoga
A relaxing and tranquil stretch class, utilizing basic yoga positions.
Ballet Dance
Beginning Ballet emphasizes the basics of this dance discipline and also encourages a fun atmosphere.
Hip Hop
Hip Hop classes emphasize modern movement with a vivacious urban feel. An upbeat and active class, Hip Hop focuses on learning new dance skills far from those of classical dance.
Girls And Boys Competitive Gymnastic Teams
The competitive program began in the late 60's and provides participants with the opportunity to compete in artistic gymnastics at all levels. Competition can teach social values and help develop personal resources for handling success, failure, stress and frustration. Its importance lies in the pursuit of challenging goals, in striving to win through hard work and dedication, and in learning the role of effort and focus in the achievement of success.
These benefits will only be realized if gymnasts participate fully in the competitive program. For this to happen, the training must be enjoyable. Every child interprets fun differently based upon age, personal goals, personality, desire, and ability, but certain aspects including active participation, consistent learning, positive reinforcement, and encouragement, remain constant. TGC's coaching staff strives to use coaching techniques that reinforce these positive aspects of competitive gymnastics training. There are a limited number of spaces available within the competitive program and gymnasts are chosen through an evaluation process.
TGC Booster Club
The TGC Booster club is a non-profit organization comprised of parent volunteers for the competitive as well as the recreational program. This organization provides many services including equipment purchases, scholarships, staffing the Flip-Flop Shop and working at special events.
The work of the boosters financially benefits every child in the program. We encourage participation from our competitive and recreational parents to help with numerous fund raising events. Some of the events include: Canopy Roads Classic Meet, Capitol City Cup, Garnet & Gold Meet, Celebration of Lights, Cartwheel-A-Thon, banquets and recitals.
The TGC Booster Club Board meets monthly to discuss upcoming events and to organize their volunteers. All parents interested in becoming a member should see the front office on how to get involved or call us at 891-3960.
History
In 1949 the Tallahassee Tumbling Tot Program began classes at FSU under Dr. Hartley Price. The Tallahassee Parks and Recreation Department took over the program in 1953. The program moved to the Armory (currently the Senior Center) until 1971. The emphasis at the Armory was acrobatics, tumbling and trampoline. During this time, the upper level team competed on the national television show "The Ted Mack Amateur Hour". In the late 1960's the TTT program began competing in the sport of gymnastics. The program relocated in 1971 to the lower level of the Northwood Mall, which was called home for the next 26 years.
Carrie Englert Zimmerman began her gymnastics career at TTT and went on to compete at the Olympics in Montreal in 1976. TTT became Tallahassee Gymnastics Center in the 1980's. In 1980, Ron Galimore made the Men's Olympic Team, but due to the boycott he was unable to compete. He has since gone on to become the Director of the Men's Program for United States American Gymnastics. Setting the standard at the 1984 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, was another TGC Gymnast, Brandy Johnson. Brandy currently owns her own gym in the Orlando area.
In 1997 the TGC program moved into its new home on John Knox Road. It is a 27,000 square foot facility that has over 2,000 participants. The new facility was dedicated and named for former Tallahassee Parks and Recreation Director Norman R. "Randy" Trousdell in recognition of his many years of service to the city of Tallahassee. The Trousdell Gymnastics Center currently emphasizes preschool, recreational, and competitive gymnastics.