Hello All! My name is Cassandra (Cassie) Guzmán and I coach/teach at Waite Park and Audubon Park in NE Minneapolis, and Merriam Park and Battle Creek Park in St. Paul. I am also one of the Assistant Coaches for Girl Gymnastics at Edison High School. I was invited to join this community network to give everyone an introduction to my program and job. Gymnastics in the Park and Recreation realm is slightly different than in a club or high school. The facilities are obviously not always equipped to handle the program in full, or at all. However, despite lack of space and equipment, I have made serious headway in creating and continuing a Gymnastics program at both Waite and Audubon Parks.
At Audubon Park, we offer several classes at almost every level for ages 2-13 years. These classes are for both boys and girls. We normally have classes Wednesday nights, Thursday nights and Saturdays-but the next session (Spring 2007) will be only Wed/Saturdays due to competition season for the Team Gymnastics for Park and Rec. Class size limited to 10 participants, except Team Gymnastics. (Go to http://www.minneapolisparks.org/ for more info!) Audubon gymnasts practice in our Mulit-purpose Room on a large wrestling mat. We have a full sized, competition beam; an old, but well-loved vault and springboard, and a variety of landing and panel mats. Gymnasts will find that classes are tailored to age and skill level, but become more individual based on each child's individual skill level. Floor, Beam and Vault are all taught at Audubon depending on Class Level; Uneven Bars are not because we do not have them; however, this year we have access to Edison's equipment and gym and the Team class is held there on Wednesdays. (Thanks to Peter Sovell (head coach at Edison), Michelle Frank (Assistant Coach at Edison/Coach at Armatage Park), and Brandon Phillips (Activities Director at Edison, and all the other people who made it possible for us to use this facility!)
At Waite Park we typically offer 2-3 Gymnastics classes for both boys and girls ages 2-7 yrs. We normally practice on a medium sized wrestling mat in the Multi-Purpose room, but due to scheduling, sometimes we are in different rooms. Waite Park does not have a lot of equipment so the focus of these classes is strictly tumbling (somersaults, cartwheels, etc.), playing games, building independence and sharing. (Same website as Audubon for more info!)
To clear up a common misconception, Gymnastics is the sport, Tumbling is a part of the sport. Tumbling refers to any skill or trick such as somersaults, cartwheels, etc. To perform gymnastic feats of skill and agility. We name the younger level classes "Tumbling" becomes often Gymnastics is too intense a word and parents tend to shy away. However, all the classes are Gymnastics classes and what you learn is the tumbling. :)
Background information about myself: I am 23 years old and am a Spanish Major at Augsburg College. I am originially from Austin, Texas, but have lived in Minnesota since I was seven years old. I grew up in the Loretto/Delano/Watertown area where I attended Delano High School. I competed for Delano in their High School Gymnastics program from 7th-12th grade. Upon moving to Minneapolis in 2002 after graduating high school, I began teaching gymnastics at Battle Creek in St. Paul. This is my 5th year teaching, my second year coaching Audubon's Team Gymnastics (8-13 yrs.) and the end of my first year coaching Edison's High School Team. Overall, I have 11 years experience first and second hand coaching/teaching and spotting. I am very hands on and teach alone, except for Audubon's Team Gymnastics class-my newest addition is my Co-Coach Adia Singh (Junior) from Edison's High School Team. If anyone has any questions about programs/classes or for me personally about gymnastics, feel free to call Audubon Park (612)370-4910 (I work Weds, Thurs, Sats) or e-mail me: batman11guzman@hotmail.com
Sorry if this was too long, but I wanted to be thorough!
Happy Tumbling!----Cassandra Guzmán (Cassie)
