Buckeye Gymnastics
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Buckeye Gymnastics offers highly structured and progressive gymnastics training for young children, distinguishing itself with precise age-based class divisions (e.g., 4.5-5 years, 5-5.5 years) that ensure skill-appropriate instruction and better class availability. They are praised for teaching 'actual gymnastics' to preschoolers and early elementary kids, focusing on foundational skills like cartwheels, handstands, and preparation for back handsprings, even for 4-5 year olds. Coaches employ a disciplined yet patient approach, treating children with respect and adapting activities for individual comfort and safety, fostering significant skill progression and confidence.
Key Highlights
- ✓Highly specific age-based class divisions (e.g., 4.5-5 years, 5-5.5 years) ensure better skill matching and class availability compared to broader age groups (e.g., 4-5 years).
- ✓Coaches treat children respectfully ('like big kids'), use proper gymnastics terminology, and instill discipline without being harsh.
- ✓Coaches exhibit patience and modify challenging activities (e.g., rings over a foam pit modified for a child terrified of height) to build comfort before progressing to the 'right' technique.
- ✓Young children (as young as 4-5 years old) are taught 'actual gymnastics' skills, including cartwheels, handstands, and preparatory movements for back handsprings.
- ✓Classes are effective at boosting children's confidence and include memorable teaching methods (e.g., 'popcorn' trampoline rhyme that children recall long after classes end).
- ✓Students, even young ones, show rapid progression in gymnastics skills.
- ✓The overall staff is described as wonderful and highly recommended by satisfied parents.
Standout Features
- ⭐Precision-based age grouping for classes, optimizing skill-level matching and learning effectiveness.
- ⭐Coaching methodology that balances discipline with patience, fostering confidence and skill development.
- ⭐Focus on teaching foundational and progressive 'actual gymnastics' skills to very young children.
- ⭐Memorable and engaging teaching methods (e.g., rhymes) that leave a lasting positive impression on children.
- ⭐Apparent good class availability due to optimized scheduling.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Proactively confirm class schedules before traveling, especially if you have a significant commute, due to reported issues with unannounced rescheduling.
- →Be prepared for potential delays in communication via phone or email from staff and coaches.
- →If interested in 'Tumble for Cheer' classes, clarify the eligibility requirements and whether the benefits extend equally to those not on Buckeye's internal cheer team.
- →Leverage the specific age-based class structure (e.g., 4.5-5, 5-5.5) to ensure your child is in a class with closely matched skill levels.
Things to Consider
- ⚠Serious communication issues, including class rescheduling without notification (reported twice in two months, leading to a 40-minute wasted drive).
- ⚠Extreme difficulty in getting coaches or staff to return calls or reply to emails.
- ⚠Perceived exclusivity for 'Tumble for Cheer' classes, suggesting they may primarily benefit those on Buckeye's internal cheer team rather than external competitive or school cheerleaders.
- ⚠High teacher turnover is noted, although a reviewer indicated it's comparable to other local gymnastics locations.
Price & Value
Pricing details are not mentioned in the reviews. However, the consistent praise for the level of gymnastics instruction, rapid skill progression for young children, and association with Olympians like Gabby Douglas suggest a high-quality program that likely offers good value for serious gymnastics training.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •Coaches are shown to be flexible and accommodating to individual child needs, modifying activities (e.g., adjusting height for rings over a foam pit) to make a child more comfortable, which is beneficial for children with fears or specific physical needs. No other specific accessibility accommodations are mentioned.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •No information available from the reviews.
🚗Parking Info
- •No direct information about on-site parking is available. One review mentions a 40-minute drive, indicating it's a destination, but doesn't detail the parking situation at the venue.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Review 1 mentions that the better age ranges allow for 'better class availability,' which could imply more manageable class sizes or less difficulty in securing a spot, but no direct statement on general crowd levels or peak times.
🛡️Safety Features
- •The presence of a foam pit for activities like rings is noted.
- •Coaches demonstrate a commitment to safety and comfort by modifying challenging activities and showing patience, allowing children to progress at their own pace (e.g., overcoming fear of heights on rings).
⏰When to Avoid
- • If you require consistently prompt and reliable communication for scheduling and inquiries.
- • If you are a competitive or school cheerleader specifically looking for 'Tumble for Cheer' classes and are not part of Buckeye's internal cheer team, without first confirming the program's accessibility and benefits for external participants.
- • If high teacher turnover is a primary concern for your child's continuity, even though it's noted as comparable to local competitors.
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
Buckeye Cheer Stars (BCS) Programs
Duration: fewer hours each week than traditional all-star team
A non-select recreation version of the traditional all-star team. Teams train fewer hours each week and compete less frequently.
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Birthday Parties
Lunch Bunch
Buckeye Fantastic Flips
Parents Night Out
Buckeye Classic
🛡️Safety Policy
- • Gymnastics classes provide a secure and supervised environment.
- • Team of experienced, skilled coaches are dedicated to helping students.
- • Expert instruction from teachers who are experienced, extensively trained, background checked, and child centered.
- • Gym owner, David Holcomb, presented over 200 lectures at Regional and National Congress for USA Gymnastics in the past decade on topics including safety.
📅Booking Policy
- • Scarlet and Grey Team members register just as they would for any other class.
- • Participation within USAG Team program is determined through an audition process held in the spring.
- • Buckeye Cheer Elite (BCE) All Stars program requires an audition.
What People Say
What's Great
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 3 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Nicole Monroe
5 years agoWe recently switched to Buckeye from another local competitor. Our primary reason was due to availability, but it's proven to be a wise & great decision so far. Our daughter, who's just shy of 5, has already progressed so much since being at Buckeye. They speak to them like big kids, use proper gymnastics terms with them, & the discipline they instill is helpful in all aspects (though it's not harsh by any means). They took them to the big gym at the end of one class & let them use the rings over the foam pit. My daughter was terrified due to the height, so they modified it initially to make her more comfortable. Once she was, she moved on to doing it the "right" way - their patience with her really paid off! One thing I really like about them, versus where we used to be, the age ranges for classes are much better. Instead of a 4-5y/o class, its 4.5-5, 5-5.5, so on. I think this keeps skill levels much closer & more appropriate & it also allows for better class availability. Happy to be here!
Lisa L
2 years agoI’m impressed with the level of actual gymnastics they teach such young kids. Even in the 4-5 year old class the kids learn cart wheels and prep for back hand springs, hand stands, etc. I can see why Olympians like Gabby Douglas chose Buckeye Gymnastics as her team. Best of all is simply seeing these kids have fun while learning real gymnastics!
Scott Peachey
9 years agoI've taken my two children to Buckeye Gymnastics off and on for over a year. We loved everything about it and could see their confidence explode as they continued on in the classes. Now, a while after taking classes, they still can recite the 'popcorn' trampoline rhyme that was in every class. :) My only complaint is that the teacher turnover seemed to be high, but comparable to other gymnastics locations that we had been to in the area.
Ticia cunningham
7 years agoThank you so much to all the staff at Buckeye Gymnastics. I recently started taking my daughter here and she absolutely loves it. I definitely recommend this to anybody that is interested in this sport. The staff are wonderful. I seriously cannot thank you enough and I am so grateful that I found Buckeye Gymnastics.
Emily Bricker
3 years agoThis is one of the most mismanaged organizations around with serious communication issues. Their Tumble for Cheer class series could truly benefit competitive and school cheerleaders in the area but alas, if you are not "in" their group (on THEIR cheer team) you may as well not bother. On two separate occasions in the span of 2 months they rescheduled our class and forgot to call us and save us the 40 minute drive. Getting a coach to return a call or reply to an email is an act God. This could be a really cool resource for the community if they could figure out how to talk to people effectively.