Way Beyond Gymnastics

Unlike typical kids' gym programs, which were designed decades ago and focus primarily on those aspects of physical development used in gymnastics, at Great Play our focus is on giving children a more comprehensive and well-rounded physical foundation starting at a young age.

For our younger Players, this includes a full range of locomotor skills (walk, run, jump, hop, skip, etc.), stability skills (balance, twisting, tumbling, dodging, etc.) and manipulative skills (throwing, kicking, trapping, catching, striking, etc). These core skills form the foundation that will lead to overall athleticism (and prepare them for our Sports Skill classes) as they get older.

For our older Players, our programs give them a toolkit of essential sport skills, fitness and coordination that allow them to participate and succeed.

This broader approach to motor skills has two major benefits.

First, it is more developmentally valuable than a gymnastics-centric program, because of the wider range of skills acquired. Building a broader foundation leads to confidence and future success, whether the child later chooses to pursue competitive athletics or simply to play and move for fun.

Second, it is more fun, because we have a much wider range of activities to draw from. We don't use the Player's time doing coach-assisted "tricks" that they are not ready for (like waiting in line to be spun over a high bar one at a time, when they lack the muscle tone to support their own weight). Instead, we get Players fully engaged in a wide range of activities that are age-appropriate, fun and challenging at every stage.

Next: Creating Early Success