TAGS Gymnastics Blog

The sport of gymnastics is all about MUSCLE MEMORY.

Muscle memory is the ability to reproduce a particular movement without conscious thought, acquired as a result of frequent repetition of that movement.  Much like riding a bike or learning to play a musical instrument, gymnastics takes practice!  Participating in gymnastics at TAGS consistently throughout the year will mean more frequent repetition and will help gymnasts continue to progress.

In addition, gymnastics is great for exercise & fitness and will help prepare your child academically as well.  Here are a few benefits of gymnastics beyond fun & cartwheels:

Flip on the Focus

Gymnastics activates all large and fine motor skills.  Large motor activities like jumping, swinging, flipping & climbing stimulate the brain and allow children to focus.  Physical movement and exercise builds brain cells and helps children focus on a task.  Focusing with ease leads to learning with ease.

Rolling into Reading

Movements like swinging, twisting and rolling help the vestibular system develop properly. Rolling starts with the eyes and eye tracking is a prerequisite to reading. Gymnasts understand where their bodies are in space and work on visual, auditory, and tactile activities that help follow a pattern of movement.

Math Moves

For children to be able to understand mathematical principles, they need good spatial skills. All gymnastics moves improve body awareness and wire the brain for math.

Hang Ten for Handwriting

For children to have good handwriting skills, they must have strong muscles that work together – mighty abs, back muscles, shoulders, forearms, wrists and fingers.  When they have poor core muscles, they have trouble sitting upright in a desk, holding a pencil, and writing legibly. Bar work strengthens all muscle groups related to writing.

Perfect Patterns

Gymnastics starts with children learning to follow a pattern of movements. Sequencing and understanding where to go next is a Kindergarten readiness skill. Understanding the order of things and making your body go through the order allows for a physical and cognitive activity to help build brain cells for better learners!

During the summer at TAGS, some kids register for weekly classes, some register for periodic camps & some do both!  We hold a Summer Progressive Meet for interested gymnasts in the Progressive and Trampoline & Tumblers Programs at the end of the summer session.

Making time for gymnastics during the summer in either a class or camp is beneficial in so many ways.  Consistent participation in the sport of gymnastics is a win-win where learning & fun go hand in hand.  Don’t miss out on the FUN!

The TAGS boys and girls competitive teams had an awesome showing at their respective regional championships last weekend! The TAGS South and TAGS Eden Prairie girl’s teams competed in Green Bay, WI, while the boy’s team from TAGS South traveled to Milwaukee, WI.

There were some great finishes for the TAGS South girls with Natalie Meyer taking 4th on Uneven Bars at Level 9. For Level 8, Lindsey Neumann took  4th on Beam, Alex Barcus tied for 9th place on Floor Exercise and Grace Keller placed 3rd on Balance Beam, tied for 3rd on Uneven Bars, and took 5th place All-Around.

The weekend was also a success for the TAGS Eden Prairie girls with Sabrina Essma, Audrey Kaufman, and  Kelsey Neff (all Level 9) advancing to the Western National Championships in Spokane, WA, May 8th-10th! Kelsey Neff took 4th on Vault, 7th on Bars, 4th on Beam, 2nd on Floor, and 3rd All-Around. Kate Grotenhuis placed 3rd on Beam, and Halle Bretz finished 3rd on Floor and took 4th place on the Uneven Bars. Kenzi Kluge placed 4th on Floor, Audrey Nolen took 4th on Beam, and Sabrina Essma placed 5th on the Uneven Bars. The Level 9 MN Region Team in which Neff was a part of placed 1st out of 7 states.

TAGS boys Austin Thomas, Blake Wright, and PJ Lenz wrapped up the weekend by taking 2nd place as a team! Blake Wright took 1st place on both the Parallel Bars and High Bar and finished at 1st place All-Around, while PJ Lenz took 5th place All-Around. Blake and PJ were named to the Regional Team, earning them an invitation to the Region 4 Training Camp in Lincoln, NE this summer. Both boys also qualified for Nationals in Daytona Beach, FL, May 5th-10th! The Level 5 boys from TAGS achieved many personal bests over the weekend, and Brady Hines took 8th place All-Around.

A member of USA Gymnastics, TAGS has over 3,500 students between the Apple Valley and Eden Prairie locations with approximately 250 children participating in the competitive team programs.

Congratulations to all of our athletes on a great year and good luck at Nationals!