New to High Flyers?

Welcome! Starting gymnastics is a great adventure! We want to make your gymnastics experience the best possible. Here is a guide on what to expect and some tips to prepare for your first class.

What to Wear

Students should wear light, form-fitting clothing. Leotards or shorts/sweatpants and a tucked in t-shirt are recommended for girls. Leotards are available for sale in a variety of styles and sizes in our spectator area. Girls should have long hair tied back in a braid or pony-tail. No loose jewelry or earrings are allowed, as these can catch on equipment and pose a safety hazard. Boys may wear mens leotards or form-fitting shorts/sweatpants and a tucked in t-shirt. All students are asked to remove shoes and socks before entering the gym floor. No candy or gum, please!

​What to Expect in Class

• Bars: Boys and girls are introduced to basic hang, hold and lift positions, strengthening exercises, front support position, casts, mounts and dismounts.
• Beam: Children learn how to walk across the beam using correct posture; work on balance, pick up objects from the beam, stand on one leg, hold positions, small jumps and walk in relevé to gain confidence on the equipment.
• Floor: Work on mats and wedge to learn basic body positions, arm support and correct tucking of the head and neck as part of learning rolls, cartwheels, handstand development, jumps and leaps.
• Rings: Children learn basic holds, develop upper body and abdominal strength.
• Vault: Children are introduced to vaulting; an event in both girls and boys competitive gymnastics.  Children learn how to correctly jump on the spring board, land and stick.

​Absences/Illnesses/Injuries

If your child misses a class for any reason, you may make up that class by attending a class of the same type on another day. Absences must be made up within two weeks after your child returns to their normal class schedule. Please do not bring a sick child to class. 

Should your child complain of illness or suffer an injury during class, we will attempt to contact parents and have the child sit out of class until parents arrive or the child feels capable of returning to class. We provide basic first aid supplies, such as band-aids, athletic wrap and disposable ice packs for treatment of minor injuries. 

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Before Class

Get a good night's sleep and eat a light snack before coming to class. A nap and use of the restroom prior to classtime is recommended for younger students. Dress in light, appropriate clothing (see above) and come to class prepared to work and have fun. Students should bring a refillable water bottle (marked with their name). 

Parents are expected to accompany their children into the gym and remain with them until classtime, at which time they may stay and watch in the spectator area, or leave during the class. 
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Please check your child in with the front desk and notify them of any concerns or recent illnesses. A parent or guardian must sign waiver forms and pay any fees due prior to your child's first class.

Students should remove shoes, socks, and loose jewelry and stow them with any personal items in the available plastic shoe boxes. Students are not allowed to play on equipment or to enter the gym area until their class is announced. 

During Class

​Classes consist of a warm-up period, 3 equipment rotations and a cool-down game/stretch period.  During rotations, students may be divided into smaller groups to work with instructors on equipment. 
 
Equipment stations consist of one or two primary skill activities with instructors. Other stops in the rotation are called active rest and provide strengthening activities and skill reinforcement which the children do independently.
 
Instructors introduce one or more new skills each class, and work on repetition and improvement of skills previously taught.    

Parents are welcome to watch classes, take photos and videotape their children from our spectator area. Free WiFi is available. Children waiting must remain with parents and are not allowed on the gym floor. A toy area is provided for waiting children.
 
Parents should accompany younger waiting students to the restroom, which crosses the gym floor. 

After Class

​At the conclusion of class, younger children receive a washable ink hand stamp. If you prefer your child not receive a hand stamp, please notify the front desk or any staff member.
 
Students are expected to exit the gym floor after class is completed and wait in the spectator area for parent pickup. Students are not allowed to play on equipment outside of class. Please pick up children promptly, we cannot provide babysitting services after the end of a class. 
 
If at all possible, come into the gym to pick up your children. We are unable to monitor children who leave the gym to meet waiting parents in cars in the parking lot.