Parks and Rec expands popular program
By Scott Bellile
A Clintonville youth gymnastics program that has proven to be popular during the summer will expand to the wintertime.
Clintonville Parks and Recreation will offer small-group youth tumbling instruction on various evenings after school from Nov. 8 through March 3. A high school-age instructor will lead 150 sessions ranging from one to four hours long. Each session will be limited to five participants.
“There’s been a high demand from the parents to continue the gymnastics program or a part of the gymnastics program in different parts of the year,” Clintonville Parks and Recreation Director Justin McAuly said told the Parks and Recreation Commission July 26. “If it was up to parents, they’d probably want to have it year-round.”
Registration will begin Aug. 8 at the city hall. Residents pay $3 per class and non-residents pay $5 per class.
“Parents are more likely not going to know how many classes they’re going to sign their kids up for Nov. 8 through March 3, so it’s going to be per,” McAuly said. “They can come in at anytime. They can sign up for as many as they want right off the get-go.”
McAuly said the courses will focus on floor routines and the springboard. The vault, beams and bars probably won’t be used.
“It will be good I think,” McAuly said. “I’m willing to give it a try. Gymnastics has been very popular, definitely the summer program.”
The summer program drew 110 participants this year compared to 89 last year and 79 in 2014, McAuly told the Clintonville Tribune-Gazette Monday, Aug. 1.
Clintonville Parks and Recreation’s gymnastics program received a boost this spring when the Clintonville School District donated gymnastics equipment to the city due to the district discontinuing the program.
“Receiving the donation from the school has proven to be a huge asset to the program,” McAuly said. “We now have more equipment to work with that we didn’t have access to before. As you can imagine, we are able to incorporate more into the program.”